What is a transportation engineer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted experts

Dr. Bin (Brenda) Zhou Ph.D.,

Dr. Hugh Jack Ph.D.

A transportation engineer designs and plans transportation systems. They analyze data, conduct research, and develop solutions to address traffic congestion, improve safety, and enhance access to public transportation. They may also be involved in environmental assessments and work to minimize the impact of transportation on the environment. Overall, transportation engineers play a critical role in shaping how people move around cities and regions, with the ultimate goal of improving mobility and quality of life for all.

What general advice would you give to a transportation engineer?

Dr. Bin (Brenda) Zhou Ph.D.

Professor, Central Connecticut State University

It is going to be difficult to land a dream job this year, and probably next year too. Be open-minded and try different fields, types of jobs, and sizes of firms. Be adaptive to the changing environment; a virtual career fair may sound strange, but it can and will work for those who are prepared. Be proactive; communicate with people in your network (e.g., family, friends, classmates, professors) and let them know that you're looking for a job in "broad" civil engineering.

ScoreTransportation EngineerUS Average

Salary

5.4

Avg. Salary $68,945

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.6

Growth rate 7%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.4

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.30%

Asian 15.68%

Black or African American 3.82%

Hispanic or Latino 11.21%

Unknown 4.65%

White 64.34%

Gender

female 19.37%

male 80.63%

Age - 39

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39

Stress level

6.6

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.3

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.5

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a transportation engineer?

Pros

High demand for transportation engineers and job stability
Variety of projects and tasks, including designing new roads, bridges, and transit systems
Collaborating with other professionals, such as architects, urban planners, and construction workers
Ability to work on projects with a wide range of scales, from small local streets to large interstate highways
Potential to work on projects that incorporate sustainable transportation options, such as bike lanes and public transit

Cons

High stress environment due to strict timelines and budgets
The potential for safety hazards when working on construction sites or near busy roads
Requires attention to detail and accuracy in design plans, with little room for error
Can be challenging to navigate complex bureaucratic processes and obtain necessary permits for projects
Can be emotionally draining if a project does not come to fruition or is met with opposition from the community or other stakeholders

Key steps to become a transportation engineer

Explore transportation engineer education requirements

Most common transportation engineer degrees

Bachelor's

69.0 %

Master's

14.3 %

Associate

9.1 %

Start to develop specific transportation engineer skills

Skills	Percentages
Autocad	9.07%
Cost Estimates	8.21%
Project Management	6.40%
Roadway Design	6.16%
Transportation Projects	5.16%

Research transportation engineer duties and responsibilities

Manage Jenkins security by providing specific access to authorize developers/testers using project base matrix authorization strategy.
Make CFA assignments for T1's.
Perform traffic analysis using Synchro/Simtraffic, HCS, and CLV
Validate CFA availability base on LEC/ILEC database query; retrieve DACs cross connects to validate CFA availability.

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