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Transportation Engineers

  • Bright Outlook
  • Rapid Growth

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.

What you’d do

  • 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.
  • Prepare administrative, technical, or statistical reports on traffic-operation matters, such as accidents, safety measures, or pedestrian volume 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.
  • Prepare final project layout drawings that include details such as stress calculations.
  • Investigate traffic problems and recommend methods to improve traffic flow or safety.

Skills that matter

  • Critical Thinking
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Speaking
  • Writing
  • Complex Problem Solving
  • Judgment and Decision Making

How to get there

Considerable preparation: most need a four-year bachelor's degree

Also called

  • Engineer
  • Project Engineer
  • Traffic Engineer
  • Transportation Engineer
  • Rail Engineer
  • Roadway Designer

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