Transportation Engineers
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.
Also known as: Airport Engineer, Civil Transportation Engineer, Engineer, Highway Civil Engineer, Highway Engineer, Highway Project Engineer, Project Engineer, Rail Engineer, ...
Annual Salary
Median annual wage (May 2024)
Job Outlook
Projected growth, 2024–2034 (Faster than average)
What You'd Do
- Present data, maps, or other information at construction-related public hearings or meetings.
- Review development plans to determine potential traffic impact.
- Prepare administrative, technical, or statistical reports on traffic-operation matters, such as accidents, safety measures, or pedestrian volume or practices.
- Evaluate transportation systems or traffic control devices or lighting systems to determine need for modification or expansion.
- Evaluate traffic control devices or lighting systems to determine need for modification or expansion.
- Prepare project budgets, schedules, or specifications for labor or materials.
- Prepare final project layout drawings that include details such as stress calculations.
- Plan alteration or modification of existing transportation structures to improve safety or function.
- Participate in contract bidding, negotiation, or administration.
- Model transportation scenarios to evaluate the impacts of activities such as new development or to identify possible solutions to transportation problems.
- Investigate traffic problems and recommend methods to improve traffic flow or safety.
- Inspect completed transportation projects to ensure safety or compliance with applicable standards or regulations.
- Direct the surveying, staking, or laying-out of construction projects.
- Estimate transportation project costs.
- Confer with contractors, utility companies, or government agencies to discuss plans, specifications, or work schedules.
- Check construction plans, design calculations, or cost estimations to ensure completeness, accuracy, or conformity to engineering standards or practices.
- Analyze environmental impact statements for transportation projects.
- Supervise the maintenance or repair of transportation systems or system components.
- 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.
- Design or engineer drainage, erosion, or sedimentation control systems for transportation projects.
Top Skills
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Knowledge Areas
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Education Level Distribution
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Technology & Tools
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In-Demand Technologies
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Work Styles
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Key Abilities
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Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Work Activities
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Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Work Environment
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Salary data: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024. Outlook data: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034.
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license.