Is Norfolk Southern a good company to work for?

Norfolk Southern has an overall rating of 2.9 out of 5, based on over 2,169 reviews left anonymously by employees. This rating has increased by 1% over the last 12 months. 35% of employees would recommend working at Norfolk Southern to a friend and 25% have a positive outlook for the business. The best reviews about Norfolk Southern have been left by employees working as Intern , Track Supervisor and Management Trainee .

Does Norfolk Southern pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Norfolk Southern employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.5 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Norfolk Southern. This rating has improved by 2% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Norfolk Southern?

35% of Norfolk Southern employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Norfolk Southern 2.2 out of 5 for work life balance, 2.4 for culture and values and 2.9 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Norfolk Southern?

Railroad Conductor (202) , Conductor (98) , Locomotive Engineer (59) , Freight Conductor (43) , Engineer (37) , Signal Maintainer (35) , Trainmaster (33) , Intern (29) , Electrician (26) , Machinist (26) , Manager (24) , Train Dispatcher (24) , Train Conductor (19) , Operations Supervisor (18) , Management Trainee (15)

What are the pros of working at Norfolk Southern according to real employee reviews?

"Pay is good but you are paid for the on call lifestyle and selling your life way for a paycheck." ((in 394 reviews)); "Good benefits and ability to promote within" ((in 302 reviews)); "4. Good retirement that will follow you to another railroad if you decide to change employers" ((in 89 reviews)); "The people were great and very welcoming." ((in 84 reviews)); "good money and enough to support family" ((in 58 reviews))

What are the cons of working at Norfolk Southern according to real employee reviews?

"Poor management, have to pay for parking, having to bid on jobs" ((in 166 reviews)); "No work life balance and always short staffed" ((in 126 reviews)); "hours are long and boring" ((in 79 reviews)); "CEO and upper management are horrible." ((in 46 reviews)); "Cannabalism is the corporate culture." ((in 30 reviews))

What are employees saying about Norfolk Southern layoffs in 2026?

Explore Glassdoor’s employee reviews to understand what current and former employees are saying about Norfolk Southern layoffs and their outlook for job security at Norfolk Southern in 2026.

What are the top reviewed Norfolk Southern locations?

Atlanta , Norfolk , Roanoke , Chicago , Bellevue , Conway , Fort Wayne , Pittsburgh , Harrisburg , Elkhart , Birmingham , Toledo , Altoona , Chattanooga , Decatur , Macon , Louisville , Cleveland , Cincinnati , Knoxville , Charlotte , Columbus , Saint Louis , Savannah , Greensboro , Enola , Greenville , Detroit , Sheffield , Peru

Norfolk Southern reviews

2.9

35% would recommend to a friend

(1,914 total reviews)

Mark George

30% approve of CEO

25% positive business outlook

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Norfolk Southern has an employee rating of 2.9 out of 5 stars, based on 1,914 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an average working experience there. The Norfolk Southern employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Transportation & Logistics industry (3.5 stars).

Reviews by job title

2K reviews

3.0

Jun 29, 2009

A good company to have a career

Systems manager

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The people within the company are wonderful to work with. The working conditions are overall very good as well as the benefits.

Cons

Sometimes it may seem that if you're not in 'the clique' then you're not in; you need to be in to be recognized or considered for advancement. There are a lot of politics played and you may have to learn how to play them just to get along.

2.0

May 16, 2009

Sit back and get lost in the crowd

Information technology

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The people in my department were interesting enough at the personal level.

Cons

You are a small part of a sprawling, impersonal bureaucracy. Almost everyone within my department with whom I interacted seemed dissatisfied with their jobs in one way or another. It typically stemmed from an overall distaste for the way senior management chose to run things.

3.0

Mar 24, 2009

Great place to work, hard to get promoted

Management trainee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The pay is wonderful, hours are great, location is great. For the most part it is a stable job with great pay and excellent benefits. If you can make it through the tough hours and demanding jobs, then you will be happy at the railroad. Senior management really looks at the "whole picture" and does what is best for the company.

Cons

It is hard to be promoted once you are an employee of the company. If you have children or a family it is hard to work at the railroad because there is a lot of overtime and it is shift work. SOmetimes you can be forced to work up to 16 hours a day which can make home life complicated.

Viewing 1900 - 1902 of 1,914 Reviews

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Jobs at Norfolk Southern

Regional Sales Support Manager

2026 Electrical Apprentice Signal Trainee (Reading, PA)