Career Discovery Tool
Your email has not been verified. Verify email now ›

Transportation Engineer

Overview and Key Facts

Transportation engineer
Education
Education
Bachelor's degree
Median Pay
Median Pay
$99,590
Job Growth
Job Growth
5.00%
(Below US Average)
Jobs in 2034
Jobs in 2034
387,500

What Do They Do?

A transportation engineer could...

 
Downtown plans
Review plans of a proposed downtown development to determine the effect on the traffic system.
Jumbo jet
Redesign the runways of an airport in order to accommodate the new mega jumbo jets.
Intersection
Perform simulations of traffic flow at an intersection to make sure that the traffic can move smoothly.
Crosswalk
Develop a system of crosswalks so that pedestrians can move safely through a busy intersection.
 
Downtown plans Jumbo jet Intersection Crosswalk

Overview Listen to this section

Have you ever visited family members for the holidays? You might have started your trip by taking the subway or a train to the airport. Then you jumped on a plane and flew to your destination. Finally, a family member picked you up in his or her car and drove you home. You traveled hundreds of miles in just one day. How did this happen? Who planned the subway route to the airport? Who decided the position of the airport runway? Who designed the highways and roadways? The answer to all of these questions is the transportation engineer. The goal of the transportation engineer is to move people and goods safely and efficiently.
Watch this video by the Arizona Department of Transportation and learn more about transportation engineering.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmDjcvpVh2M

Do You Have the Skills and Characteristics of a Transportation Engineer?


  1. Writing: ?
  2. Speaking: ?
  3. Reading Comprehension: ?
  4. Critical Thinking: ?
  5. Judgment and Decision Making: ?
More skills...

Core Tasks

Think about if you'd like the typical tasks a Transportation Engineer might do:
  • Design or prepare plans for new transportation systems or parts of systems, such as airports, commuter trains, highways, streets, bridges, drainage structures, or roadway lighting.
  • Check construction plans, design calculations, or cost estimations to ensure completeness, accuracy, or conformity to engineering standards or practices.
  • Prepare administrative, technical, or statistical reports on traffic-operation matters, such as accidents, safety measures, or pedestrian volume or practices.
  • Plan alteration or modification of existing transportation structures to improve safety or function.
  • Confer with contractors, utility companies, or government agencies to discuss plans, specifications, or work schedules.
  • Present data, maps, or other information at construction-related public hearings or meetings.
  • Prepare final project layout drawings that include details such as stress calculations.
  • Estimate transportation project costs.
  • Investigate traffic problems and recommend methods to improve traffic flow or safety.
  • Design or engineer drainage, erosion, or sedimentation control systems for transportation projects.
  • Evaluate traffic control devices or lighting systems to determine need for modification or expansion.
  • Prepare project budgets, schedules, or specifications for labor or materials.
  • Inspect completed transportation projects to ensure safety or compliance with applicable standards or regulations.
  • Review development plans to determine potential traffic impact.
  • Evaluate transportation systems or traffic control devices or lighting systems to determine need for modification or expansion.
  • Analyze environmental impact statements for transportation projects.
  • Supervise the maintenance or repair of transportation systems or system components.
  • Model transportation scenarios to evaluate the impacts of activities such as new development or to identify possible solutions to transportation problems.
  • Inspect completed transportation projects to ensure compliance with environmental regulations.
  • Participate in contract bidding, negotiation, or administration.
  • Evaluate construction project materials for compliance with environmental standards.
  • Direct the surveying, staking, or laying-out of construction projects.
  • Design transportation systems or structures with sustainable materials or products, such as porous pavement or bioretention structures.

Salary & Job Openings

Median Salary (Yearly Pay)

Tap or scroll over map to see median salaries for each state

Future Jobs

Blast-Off:

How Will Transportation Engineer Jobs Grow by 2034?
Projected % Growth
Rapid growth
(10% or higher)
Much faster than average
(7% - 10%)
Faster than average
(5% - 7%)
About as fast as average
(3% - 5%)
Slower than average
(0% - 3%)
Decreasing
Average of all U.S. jobs (5.3%)
Transportation Engineer jobs (5.00%)
Source: https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/occupational-projections-and-characteristics.htm

Steps to Get There: Becoming a Transportation Engineer

High School Subjects to Study

Aim to study the yellow-shaded subjects.
Math
Algebra 1
Geometry
Algebra 2
Pre-Calculus
Calculus
Statistics
Science
Biology
Chemistry
Physics
Environmental Science
Physiology
Bio-Medical / Biotech
IT &
Engineering
Computer Science
Applied Technology
Drafting & CAD Training
Core
English
Foreign Language
Business
Psychology / Sociology

Career Pathway Listen to this section

Transportation engineers continue their education by reading technical publications and attending seminars and conferences.

Education- Typical Degree Needed After High School Listen to this section

Degree
Post
high school credential
AA
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctoral or Professional Degree

Typical degree for an entry-level position: Bachelor's degree ? Types of Degrees and Credentials

Transportation engineers must have a bachelor's degree in civil engineering for entry-level positions. Some employers prefer a graduate degree for certain jobs. Nearly half of those working today hold master's degrees or PhDs, which may be required for research positions. A PhD is necessary for university-level teaching positions.

Prospective transportation engineers should take high school courses in mathematics and science. Courses in computer-aided design are also helpful.

Companies That Hire Transportation Engineers

Try it Out with an Activity or Project

STEM Activities

STEM activities are fun hands-on explorations that usually take from 10 minutes to one hour and use readily available household or classroom materials while introducing you to STEM concepts common in this career.

Science Project Ideas

Project Ideas are in-depth STEM explorations that have a strong focus on controlling variables, taking accurate measurements, and analyzing data suitable for investigating the scientific method or the engineering design process.

On the Job

Role Models

Retired traffic engineer Jack Fleck talks about what inspired him to become an engineer and and how he spent the last 25 years shaping the streets of San Francisco.
...traffic engineering has traditionally been safe and efficient movement of people and goods, which I support, but adding the word sustainable will also be a plus as we think to future generations and make sure that whatever we do now isn’t damaging. 
Jack Fleck, Traffic Engineer

Nature of the Work

Transportation engineers creatively apply scientific principles and technology to the design, construction, and maintenance of highways, airports, and railway and bus systems. They work for governmental agencies, for consulting firms that troubleshoot for the government, and for private firms that produce materials and equipment used in transportation. With increasing urbanization occurring globally, transportation engineers are in high demand to help figure out how to move people and goods safely and efficiently.

Transportation engineers can work in a variety of areas. They can work as traffic engineers and plan new roads or traffic patterns, prepare plans for new multi-lane highways, use technology to monitor traffic flow and conditions, and create alternative routes to congested traffic corridors. Some transportation engineers work in the railways sector, planning for high-speed rail service and developing commuter routes. Some engineers develop entire transportation systems, including roads, subways, commuter trains, and buses. Engineers also supervise the construction or repair of transportation infrastructure.

Part of completing a successful project is to stay within budget. In the initial stage of planning a project, transportation engineers study the costs for doing the project. When figuring out a project's feasibility, they must consider the needs of those being served and whether sufficient land exists for the project to be completed. They determine whether the land is in a location suitable for building and how the projects could affect the environment. Once these factors have been analyzed, transportation engineers compile their findings and share the information with all the agencies involved in building the project.

Some transportation engineers are closely involved in the construction process. They send the project out to several contractors for bidding, gather the bids, and then select the best one. Transportation engineers determine whether available land needs to be filled or treated before building, and they recommend construction methods best suited to the soil types encountered. During road construction, engineers must make sure design plans and highway department standards are fully met. It is the responsibility of the transportation engineer to make sure that their completed projects are safe for all users.

Work Environment

Transportation engineers may work exclusively in an office setting, though usually they will be required to work at construction sites as well. A transportation engineer should expect to work in all kinds of weather conditions. A 40-hour workweek is typical, though overtime is often necessary as deadlines near.

More Information

Ask Questions

Do you have a specific question about a career as a Transportation Engineer that isn't answered on this page? Post your question on the Science Buddies Ask an Expert Forum.

Additional Resources

Sources

Top
Quick Links X
Free science fair projects.