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Job outlook for transportation managers in the United States
Transportation manager job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected transportation manager job growth rate is 28% from 2018-2028.
About 54,100 new jobs for transportation managers are projected over the next decade.
Transportation manager salaries have increased 8% for transportation managers in the last 5 years.
There are over 9,368 transportation managers currently employed in the United States.
There are 25,248 active transportation manager job openings in the US.
The average transportation manager salary is $77,378.
Are transportation manager jobs in demand?
Transportation manager job and salary trends over time
Transportation manager jobs over time
Transportation manager job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 9,368 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 8,563 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 8,552 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 8,084 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 7,687 | 0.00% |
Average transportation manager salary over time
Transportation manager salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $77,378 | $37.20 | +1.9% |
| 2025 | $75,909 | $36.49 | --0.2% |
| 2024 | $76,045 | $36.56 | +2.5% |
| 2023 | $74,223 | $35.68 | +3.7% |
| 2022 | $71,598 | $34.42 | +3.0% |
Transportation manager jobs by state
Most common states for transportation managers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 508 | 8% |
| 2 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 88 | 8% |
| 3 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 884 | 7% |
| 4 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 713 | 7% |
| 5 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 556 | 7% |
| 6 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 53 | 7% |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 740 | 6% |
| 8 | Ohio | 11,658,609 | 672 | 6% |
| 9 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 579 | 6% |
| 10 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 560 | 6% |
| 11 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 456 | 6% |
| 12 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 428 | 6% |
| 13 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 419 | 6% |
| 14 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 369 | 6% |
| 15 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 360 | 6% |
| 16 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 346 | 6% |
| 17 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 194 | 6% |
| 18 | Arkansas | 3,004,279 | 167 | 6% |
| 19 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 81 | 6% |
| 20 | Delaware | 961,939 | 59 | 6% |
Most common cities for transportation managers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Westfield | 2 | 5% | $85,915 |
| 2 | Union City | 2 | 3% | $85,453 |
| 3 | Alabaster | 1 | 3% | $76,998 |
| 4 | Bentonville | 1 | 2% | $75,482 |
| 5 | Charleston | 1 | 2% | $77,817 |
| 6 | Atlanta | 3 | 1% | $76,772 |
| 7 | Aurora | 2 | 1% | $64,350 |
| 8 | Cedar Rapids | 1 | 1% | $71,477 |
| 9 | Centennial | 1 | 1% | $64,439 |
| 10 | Indianapolis | 3 | 0% | $79,423 |
| 11 | Jacksonville | 2 | 0% | $69,161 |
| 12 | Phoenix | 2 | 0% | $67,119 |
| 13 | Boston | 1 | 0% | $84,188 |
| 14 | Chicago | 1 | 0% | $77,258 |
Transportation Manager job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of transportation manager experts
Western Kentucky University
NSTA
Warren Beeler
Western Kentucky University
Food Science And Technology
What general advice would you give to a Transportation Manager?
Warren Beeler: 1. Work hard, 2. be a good listener and learn. 3. be a team player
What Transportation Manager skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Warren Beeler: 1. Communications or social skills, 2. a knowledge of logistics (tracking and traceability)
What will help Transportation Managers increase their earning potential?
Warren Beeler: Be a good example, team members are measured by their effort, passion, knowledge and positive attitude. The example you set by doing things you don't have to is why projects are successful. That example gets notice. Enthusiasm and a positive attitude are contagious with co workers and make the work place productive and gets noticed. Success is earned. Earn your money and salary bumps should follow..
What general advice would you give to a Transportation Manager?
Curt Macysyn: NSTA expects a quick recovery in the student transportation field, but like other sectors, we expect that procedures and protocols will have to adapt to a post-COVID19 environment. What that likely means is that more emphasis will be placed on the cleaning and sanitizing of vehicles as we move forward. Also, the industry has a heavy reliance on employee and driver training in order to maintain its stellar safety track record. With that, much of the training and professional development have transitioned to online platforms, and if that set-up proves consistently viable
What type of skills will young Transportation Managers need?
Curt Macysyn: Student transportation, in particular, requires candidates who are organized and can handle multiple priorities. In the post-pandemic period, a premium will be placed upon those who are able to operate well in a people-friendly environment. For new college graduates, recruitment in the student transportation field opens up right around graduation time, so for anyone looking to jump right into a position after they receive a degree in May, timing would be excellent.