NYC Subway Conductor Talks About Her Underground Career

New York City subway conductor Natasha Dinnall talked to the CNBC series Make It about her 30-year career with the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA). Dinnall explained that she operates the Q train, from Stillwell Avenue in Coney Island to 96th Street at 2nd Avenue, three times daily.

Natasha Dinnall, 51, works as a subway conductor in NYC and earns about $86,000 per year. Natasha joined the MTA in 1992 and took her first job with the agency as a property protection agent and later became a station agent, conductor, train operator, and finally a conductor again.

Dinnall said that she really enjoys working with people, despite the long hours she’s had to put in over the years. Now that she’s a conductor, her work is more predictable.

We have to be on the train most of the part of our time within our hours of work. We don’t get to spend time with our family on holidays, weekends, stuff like that. So it becomes really hard. But you just stick it out and you’ll be where I am, 30 years later. It’s very overwhelming sometimes because you’re dealing with a lot of people, a lot of nationalities, a lot of personalities. But I love it. I love helping people get where they have to go. I love giving directions. I’m just a people person.

Dinnall also stated that she feels good about her salary and the elated benefits and is thankful to do the work she does.

You know, we make enough to keep food on our table, a roof on our head and clothes on our body. This job is very stable. This is not only a job, this is a career. Because you see yourself doing your whole life down here. …