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What is a civil transportation engineer and how to become one
Civil transportation engineers are responsible for designing highways, airports, and railway and bus systems. They focus on the design, construction, and maintenance of transport systems and are able to evaluate plans and proposals drafted by other engineers and make changes if necessary. They are also involved in the analysis of schematics and engineering data, offering recommendations for traffic and driving policies.
Civil transportation engineers earn an average salary of $86,000 annually or $41 per hour. According to established engineering standards and state or federal construction policy, their duties include developing plans for surface transportation projects. They prepare designs, specifications, or estimates for transportation facilities and plan modifications of existing streets, highways, or freeways to improve traffic flow.
Civil transportation engineers typically hold a bachelor's degree in civil engineering or a related field. They are expected to have some experience as a transportation engineer or in a similar role. Some employers prefer candidates who have graduated from an accredited program and are licensed. Most transportation engineers continue their education by reading technical publications and attending seminars and conferences.
What general advice would you give to a civil transportation engineer?
Karen Panetta Ph.D.
Dean of Graduate Education, School of Engineering, Tufts University
They are also looking to see what personal actions and community involvement students participated in. For instance, online tutoring for kids whose parents needed help homeschooling their kids while they worked, or using their engineering skills to 3D print PPE for local nursing homes and other at-risk populations.
Every engineering student comes out with technical skills, but the ones that used them, and showed their compassion for humanity, will be the ones that companies will want to hire.
Avg. Salary $84,097
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 7%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.30%
Asian 16.80%
Black or African American 3.73%
Hispanic or Latino 10.98%
Unknown 4.62%
White 63.56%
Genderfemale 26.25%
male 73.75%
Age - 39American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 39Stress level is high
7.1 - high
Complexity level is challenging
7 - challenging
Work life balance is fair
6.4 - fair
Key steps to become a civil transportation engineer
Explore civil transportation engineer education requirements
Start to develop specific civil transportation engineer skills
Skills Percentages Civil 3D 14.61% Transportation Projects 10.98% Inroads 8.37% Roadway Design 7.70% Design Reviews 7.07% Complete relevant civil transportation engineer training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New civil transportation engineers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a civil transportation engineer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real civil transportation engineer resumes.Research civil transportation engineer duties and responsibilities
- Manage production of full sets of contract documents (grading, drainage, water, sewer, paving and SWPPP).
- Perform geotechnical instrumentation monitoring and data collection
- Perform geotechnical instrumentation monitoring and data collection
Prepare your civil transportation engineer resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your civil transportation engineer resume.
You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a civil transportation engineer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose from 10+ customizable civil transportation engineer resume templates
Build a professional civil transportation engineer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your civil transportation engineer resume.
Apply for civil transportation engineer jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a civil transportation engineer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How did you land your first civil transportation engineer job
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Average civil transportation engineer salary
The average civil transportation engineer salary in the United States is $84,097 per year or $40 per hour. Civil transportation engineer salaries range between $62,000 and $114,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do civil transportation engineers rate their job?
Civil transportation engineer reviews
fast degree plan
I Wana build my career in airport engineering
Less money in this civil engineering works
I like it because of it is the basis of development
Updated January 8, 2025
