Career information for Transportation Engineers

A Bachelor’s Degree is required by employers to secure a position in the industry. Undergraduate students complete classes in design, land development, traffic systems, safety analysis and mass transit, in addition to more general courses in physics and calculus. At the Master’s level, students undertake coursework in construction techniques, risk analysis, soil mechanics, risk modeling and facility design, while Ph.D. candidates perform work in demand forecasting, probability, freight design, and urban planning. Firms often require advanced degrees to undertake positions of senior management. Ph.D. students have the credentials to teach at the university level, while other advanced students may elect to start their own consulting firms to service larger institutions in the industry. Aspiring business executives should work to develop their negotiating, management and leadership capacities. Often, they will demonstrate superb written and oral communication skills in negotiating, making presentations, and directing human assets in an endeavor.

The Institute of Transportation (ITE), American Society of Highway Engineers (ASHE) , and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) have dedicated their efforts to advancing the education of practitioners in the field. They work to promote awareness to the field as well as providing insight into best practices and industry trends. A library of publications, research findings and support organizations are available through the associations. Leading firms have made use of these channels when seeking to fulfill vacancies in their companies. In addition, mentoring networks are available to provide assistance for prospective candidates. According to research from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the field is expected to continue to experience robust job growth of 20 percent into the year 2020. The most bountiful opportunities are in the states California, Texas, New York, and Illinois. While exact statistics on the median salary of these professionals is unavailable, O*Net reports that professionals in this industry earn a yearly salary of $80,770.

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