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Career Exploration

Transportation Engineers

Also called: Engineer, Project Engineer, Traffic Engineer, Transportation Engineer

What they 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.

On the job, you would:
  • 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.
On the job, you'll need:

Engineering and Technology

  • product and service development
  • design

Transportation

  • movement of people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road

Math and Science

  • arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics
  • physics

Arts and Humanities

  • English language

Basic Skills

  • reading work related information
  • talking to others

Problem Solving

  • noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it

People and Technology Systems

  • thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one
  • figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it

Verbal

  • communicate by speaking
  • communicate by writing

Math

  • add, subtract, multiply, or divide
  • choose the right type of math to solve a problem

Ideas and Logic

  • group things in different ways
  • make general rules or come up with answers from lots of detailed information

Realistic

People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions.

  • Integrity
  • Attention to Detail
  • Analytical Thinking
  • Cooperation
  • Dependability
  • Initiative

Computer aided design CAD software

  • Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D
  • Bentley MicroStation

Presentation software

  • Microsoft PowerPoint

Analytical or scientific software

  • Citilabs Cube
  • Trafficware SynchroGreen

Video courtesy of CareerOneStop.

Job Outlook

The job outlook for this position is Bright.

New job opportunities are very likely in the future. This career will grow rapidly in the next few years.

Median Annual Salary: $89,940

Education

Bachelor's degree is usually needed.