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Transportation Engineers

Typical education: Bachelor's degreeModerate pressure Bright Outlook

What they do

Develop plans for surface transportation projects, according to established engineering standards and state or federal construction policy. Prepare designs, specifications, or estimates for transportation facilities. Plan modifications of existing streets, highways, or freeways to improve traffic flow.

Kinds of work

  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.
  • Investigative: Science, research, figuring out how things work and solving complex problems.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.

Moderate pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $100,840 Median per year · $48.48/hr Most earn $68,240–$163,220

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Prepare project budgets, schedules, or specifications for labor or materials.
  • Inspect completed transportation projects to ensure safety or compliance with applicable standards or regulations.
  • Inspect completed transportation projects to ensure compliance with environmental regulations.
  • Direct the surveying, staking, or laying-out of construction projects.
  • Estimate transportation project costs.
  • Evaluate traffic control devices or lighting systems to determine need for modification or expansion.

Job outlook

Bright Outlook Rapid Growth

United States
6% more jobs by 2035, faster than average · about 22,700 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Engineering services50.8%
  • State government, excluding education and hospitals10.7%
  • Local government, excluding education and hospitals10.0%
  • Nonresidential building construction7.3%
  • Federal government, excluding postal service2.9%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Bachelor's degreeExperience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Transportation engineering usually isn't a straight-out-of-school job. Most people earn a bachelor's degree, then spend about 1 to 2 years in an entry-level engineering role before taking on transportation engineering work, so plan on roughly 5 to 6 years total after high school.

  1. Bachelor's degree in civil or transportation engineering

    4 years

    You learn the math, physics, and design basics that every transportation engineer needs, and you can often take courses in traffic, highway design, and roadway planning.

  2. Engineering Intern or Junior Engineer

    1-2 years

    You work on real road and traffic projects under licensed engineers, learn the standards and specifications, and start working toward your engineer-in-training certification.

  3. Transportation Engineer

    You develop plans, designs, and cost estimates for surface transportation projects and recommend changes to streets and highways to improve traffic flow.

Where it can lead

  1. Senior Transportation Engineer

    3-5 years of experience first

    You take the lead on larger or more complex projects, review other engineers' work, and often earn a professional engineering (PE) license.

  2. Transportation Engineering Manager

    5-10 years of experience first

    You oversee teams and multiple projects, manage budgets and clients, and set technical direction, which shifts the work more toward leadership and planning.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and physicsThese classes build the math and science skills you'll use in every engineering degree program.
  • Join a robotics, math, or science clubTeamwork and hands-on design problems show you what engineering work feels like and give you good things to talk about later.
  • Enter a math or science competitionCompetitions give you practice solving open-ended problems and can strengthen future college applications.
  • Volunteer or work a starter job with a local public works or city office, if one is open to studentsSeeing how roads, traffic signals, and public projects get planned and maintained helps you know if this field fits you.
  • Learn basic drafting or CAD softwareMany free or school-provided programs teach the drawing tools that transportation engineers use every day.

In college

  • Major in civil engineering or take transportation coursesA civil engineering degree with transportation electives directly prepares you for traffic, highway, and roadway design work.
  • Pursue an internship or co-op with a transportation agency or engineering firmReal project experience is one of the best ways to build skills and meet the 1 to 2 years of experience employers usually expect.
  • Get a campus job tied to math, CAD, or dataTutoring in math or working in a lab or design office builds skills that transportation engineers use daily.
  • Join a student chapter of a professional group, such as ITE (Institute of Transportation Engineers) or ASCEStudent chapters offer networking, guest speakers from the field, and sometimes design competitions.
  • Take the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam before you graduatePassing the FE is the first step toward a professional engineering license, which many senior transportation roles require.

Tips for getting started

  • Ask your school about engineering or math-based courses early, since a strong math foundation makes the bachelor's degree much easier to finish.
  • Look for internships or co-ops with city, county, or state transportation departments, where you can see real traffic and road projects up close.
  • Start thinking about the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam, which is usually taken near the end of your degree and is the first step toward a professional license.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

  • Civil Engineering Bachelor's degree: typical pay 1 year after finishing $72,633 a year · typical debt $21,594
  • Construction Engineering Bachelor's degree: typical pay 1 year after finishing $79,049 a year · typical debt $20,875

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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