What is the salary and career path for a transportation engineer?
Transportation engineering is a specialty within Civil Engineers (SOC 17-2051), the broad BLS code that houses the discipline; the OEWS May 2025 median for that code is $100,840 a year ($48.48 an hour), spanning $68,240 at the 10th percentile to $163,220 at the 90th. BLS projects 5% employment growth for civil engineers over 2024–2034, about as fast as average, with roughly 23,600 openings a year. The role is reached through an ABET civil degree, the NCEES FE and PE Civil, and often the PTOE traffic-operations certification.
- Transportation Engineers earn a national median $100,840/yr ($48.48/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 17-2051); the top 10% clear $163,220.
- Transportation engineering is a licensed civil specialty: an ABET degree, the NCEES FE and PE Civil, and often the PTOE certification.
- BLS projects 5% growth for Civil Engineers (SOC 17-2051) through 2034 — about average — with roughly 23,600 openings a year, lifted by federal infrastructure funding.
- Pay runs from an EIT near $68,240 to a principal or practice lead at the $163,220 top decile.
Career Path
How do you become a transportation engineer?
Entry transportation EIT
A new engineer-in-training drafting roadway geometry and running traffic counts starts near the $68,240 10th percentile.
Transportation engineer (PE)
A licensed transportation engineer stamping roadway and signal plans earns around the $100,840 civil-engineering median.
Senior / project transportation engineer
Leading corridor studies and design teams pushes pay toward the $129,680 75th percentile.
Principal / transportation practice lead
Directing a transportation practice or major program reaches the $163,220 90th percentile.
BLS Salary Data
Which state pays transportation engineers the most in 2026?
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 17-2051. National median: $100,840. Full salary guide →
Pay Comparison
How does transportation engineer pay compare to related roles?
Head-to-head against the roles transportation engineers most often weigh against. BLS OEWS May 2025 medians.
Takeaway: transportation engineers rank 4 of 4 on median pay among the comparable roles above, with a projected +5% employment change 2024–34 (BLS Employment Projections). Pay position and projected demand together are what determine how quickly transportation engineers clear offers across the GlobalCybers placement network.
Methodology & Sources
How this guide is sourced and reviewed
Wages (BLS): All median and percentile figures are BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 17-2051 (transportation engineers) and the matching SOC codes for each comparison role. OEWS is sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection, so treat it as a firm anchor rather than a spot rate.
Job growth: Projected 2024–34 employment change, and the average annual openings figure, are from the BLS Employment Projections program, by occupation. Openings are a per-year average over the projection decade, not a decade total.
Licensing & credentials:Requirements are drawn from the issuing state licensing boards and the certifying body behind each credential — not from third-party aggregators.
Demand signal:Any statement about how quickly this role clears offers reflects GlobalCybers placement request volume across the trailing 12 months — our own network data, offered as a directional real-world indicator alongside BLS, not a market-wide survey.
Credentials
What licences and certifications do transportation engineers need?
The ABET-accredited degree that is the baseline for civil and transportation engineering. See all state licences →
The Professional Engineer license, required to stamp roadway and traffic designs.
A specialty certification from the Transportation Professional Certification Board for traffic-operations expertise.
An optional TPCB credential for engineers who lead transportation planning studies.
Tools & Software
What tools and software do transportation engineers use on the job?
⚙️ Core Tools & Equipment
📊 BLS Employment Data, SOC 17-2051
Salary Levers
How do transportation engineers earn above the $100,840 BLS median?
PE Civil license
Licensure moves an engineer from the $68,240 EIT band toward the median and unlocks stamped design work.
PTOE and specialty certification
Traffic-operations credentials command premiums above the $100,840 median on signal and ITS projects.
Program and practice leadership
Leading DOT programs or a design practice pushes pay toward the $163,220 top decile.
This Route vs. College
Is becoming a transportation engineer worth it vs. a 4-year degree?
The entry route into this role, set against a four-year degree. Same starting line, side by side.
Entry-level (10th percentile) and all-level median wages: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 17-2051. Student-debt figure: median federal borrower balance for bachelor's-degree completers. Starting-salary comparison is illustrative and varies by field and region.
FAQ
Transportation Engineer Career, Frequently Asked Questions
Transportation Engineer career research journey
Do your homework, then let the network do the rest.Get the job, then keep rising
FreeSet your intent, matching jobs come to you. No applying.
A roadmap to your next licence tier and higher pay band.
Once placed, we cover all certification, licence & career-guide fees.
Hiring transportation engineers?
Get a verified shortlist of 3–5 qualified candidates in 48 hours
GlobalCybers verifies active state licenses, trade certifications, Intent and right-to-work status before any candidate reaches your portal. Flat $2,999/mo RPO (Recruitment Process Outsourcing), up to 3 concurrent roles, or a free trial (pay on hire). 90-day written guarantee.
Related · Transportation Engineer
Everything for transportation engineers in one place
Salary data, licensing, interview prep, and hiring, all cross-linked so you (and search engines) can move through the full transportation engineer cluster.