State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
Transportation Engineer Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
Transportation Engineers earn a median of $100,840 per year ($48.48/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to grow 5.0% through 2034, with about 23,600 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
SOC 17-2051Architecture and EngineeringLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $100,840
- Projected growth
- +5.0%
- Openings a year
- 23,600
- Typical education
- Bachelor's
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Engineer, Project Engineer, Rail Engineer, Roadway Designer, Roadway Engineer, State Roadway Design Engineer.
How much do Transportation Engineers make?
10th percentile$68,240
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$79,930
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$100,840
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$129,680
Upper quartile
90th percentile$163,220
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $100,840 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $48.48/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $108,670 |
| People employed | 367,840 |
Versus all US occupations
At $100,840, Transportation Engineers earn 98% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $49,860 a year.
Versus architecture and engineering occupations
The median is typical for the Architecture and Engineering group, where the middle occupation pays $102,440.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $163,220 or more while the bottom 10% earn $68,240, a gap of 2.4×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 79% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
California posts the highest raw median ($122,500), but once local prices are taken into account Louisiana leads at $119,469 in national-average dollars.
Which states pay Transportation Engineers the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $122,500 | $110,639 | 55,180 |
| Alaska | $114,730 | $112,086 | 1,670 |
| Washington | $110,000 | $102,791 | 12,590 |
| Massachusetts | $106,730 | $100,920 | 9,450 |
| Louisiana | $105,380 | $119,469 | 3,780 |
| Oregon | $105,250 | $101,828 | 4,890 |
| New Jersey | $104,660 | $96,190 | 6,900 |
| Nevada | $104,310 | $104,332 | 3,560 |
| New Mexico | $103,900 | $112,675 | 1,350 |
| District of Columbia | $103,880 | $94,521 | 1,650 |
Is Transportation Engineer a growing career?
Transportation Engineers5.0%
All US occupations3.1%
+5.0% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Faster than average
BLS projects employment of Transportation Engineers to change 5.0% over 2024–2034, against 3.1% projected for all occupations. That is 18,500 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 23,600 openings are projected each year, 6.4% of the 368,900 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
With continued investment in U.S. infrastructure, civil engineers will be needed to manage projects that meet society's need for upgrading bridges, roads, water systems, buildings, and other structures. In addition, more waste treatment plants will be needed to help clean the nation’s waterways, and water systems must be maintained to reduce or eliminate loss of potable water.
Public projects may depend on funding from federal, state, and local governments. Employment of civil engineers may fluctuate with the availability of project funds.
How to become a Transportation Engineer
Civil engineers typically need a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering or a related field. Although licensure requirements vary by state, civil engineers usually must be licensed if they provide services directly to the public.
| Typical entry-level education | Bachelor's degree |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Medium preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | None |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as transportation engineers.
- Bachelor's Degree77.3%
- Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)9.1%
- Post-Baccalaureate Certificate9.1%
- Master's Degree4.6%
What does a Transportation Engineer 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.
Civil engineers plan, design, and supervise the construction and maintenance of building and infrastructure projects. These projects may include facilities, bridges, roads, tunnels, and water and sewage systems.
Day-to-day tasks
- 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.
- Check construction plans, design calculations, or cost estimations to ensure completeness, accuracy, or conformity to engineering standards or practices.
- Plan alteration or modification of existing transportation structures to improve safety or function.
- Confer with contractors, utility companies, or government agencies to discuss plans, specifications, or work schedules.
- Present data, maps, or other information at construction-related public hearings or meetings.
- Investigate traffic problems and recommend methods to improve traffic flow or safety.
- Estimate transportation project costs.
- Model transportation scenarios to evaluate the impacts of activities such as new development or to identify possible solutions to transportation problems.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Where transportation engineers work
| Engineering services | 52% |
|---|---|
| State government, excluding education and hospitals | 11% |
| Local government, excluding education and hospitals | 10% |
| Nonresidential building construction | 7% |
| Federal government, excluding postal service | 3% |
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition.
Core skills
- Reading Comprehension4.0/5
- Writing4.0/5
- Speaking4.0/5
- Critical Thinking4.0/5
- Mathematics3.9/5
- Active Listening3.8/5
- Active Learning3.3/5
- Monitoring3.3/5
Transferable skills
- Complex Problem Solving3.9/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.9/5
- Time Management3.9/5
- Systems Analysis3.8/5
- Systems Evaluation3.8/5
- Coordination3.6/5
- Operations Analysis3.4/5
- Management of Personnel Resources3.3/5
Tools and software
- Computer aided design CAD software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Geographic information system · in demand
- Object or component oriented development software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Project management software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Analytical or scientific software
- Internet browser software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits a Transportation Engineer?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realisticprimary5.4
Investigativeprimary5.1
Artistic2.1
Social2.0
Enterprising3.1
Conventionalprimary4.4
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Transportation Engineer: frequently asked questions
How much do Transportation Engineers make?
Transportation Engineers earn a median of $100,840 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That is 98% above the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $48.48/hr. The middle half earn between $79,930 and $129,680. The top 10% earn $163,220 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Transportation Engineer?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Transportation Engineers, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 77.3% hold bachelor's degree.
Is Transportation Engineer a growing career?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 5.0% over 2024–2034, faster than the 3.1% average for all occupations (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 23,600 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Transportation Engineer do?
Civil engineers plan, design, and supervise the construction and maintenance of building and infrastructure projects. A core O*NET task: 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. Employers most often ask for Computer aided design CAD software, Data base user interface and query software, Electronic mail software.
Which states pay Transportation Engineers the most?
The highest state medians for Transportation Engineers are California ($122,500), Alaska ($114,730), Washington ($110,000) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, Louisiana moves to the top at $119,469.
What personality type suits a Transportation Engineer?
O*NET scores Transportation Engineers highest on the Realistic, Investigative and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ISTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.