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.

Most important skills

Reading Comprehension
Writing
Speaking
Critical Thinking
Mathematics
Complex Problem Solving
Judgment and Decision Making
Time Management

Key knowledge

Engineering and Technology
Design
Transportation
Building and Construction
Mathematics
English Language
Physics
Administration and Management

What the work involves

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.

Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Realistic, Investigative, Conventional.

Qualifications and licensing

Most common education: Bachelor's Degree (77.3% of respondents)
Related experience: None (36.4%)
On-the-job training: Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year (27.3%)
Preparation level: O*NET job zone 4: Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Licensing: Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.

Check before planning

Licensing for Transportation Engineers is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.
Projection education uses SOC 17-2051 (detailed_parent); it may describe a broader group.

Limits

Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0

Work environment

How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).

Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.

Rankings compare typical U.S. occupation-level work conditions; individual jobs and employers vary. Data: O*NET 31.0 Work Context and BLS wages (May 2025).
Condition	Level	Compared with other occupations	Most common answer (O*NET survey)
Contact with others	Moderate	Lower on contact with others than 59% of occupations compared	50% of surveyed respondents chose “Contact with others most of the time”
Dealing with the public	High	Higher on dealing with the public than 71% of occupations compared	50% of surveyed respondents chose “Very important”
Teamwork	High	Higher on teamwork than 71% of occupations compared	59% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important”
Freedom to make decisions	Low	Lower on freedom to make decisions than 67% of occupations compared	64% of surveyed respondents chose “Some freedom”
Time pressure	Low	Lower on time pressure than 61% of occupations compared	45% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a month or more but not every week”
Conflict situations	High	Higher on conflict situations than 61% of occupations compared	36% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a month or more but not every week”
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people	Low	Lower on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 68% of occupations compared	48% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month”
Consequence of error	High	Higher on consequence of error than 67% of occupations compared	29% of surveyed respondents chose “Fairly serious”

Work-pressure profile

Time pressure: low
Conflict situations: high
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: low
Consequence of error: high

Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.

Full answer distributions