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Transportation Engineering

Types of Degrees Transportation Engineering Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Transportation Engineering can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	14
Master’s Degree	90
Doctor’s Degree	23

What Transportation Engineering Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Transportation Engineering build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Transportation Engineering graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Transportation Engineering emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Engineering and Technology — Importance 4.7 / 5; level 6.1 / 7.
• Design — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.4 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set developed in a Transportation Engineering program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Transportation Engineering careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Transportation Engineering graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.5 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.3 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.3 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Processing Information	4.2 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.2 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.0 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Transportation Engineering professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Python	Object or component oriented development software	—
Oracle Primavera Enterprise Project Portfolio Management	Project management software	—
Autodesk AutoCAD	Computer aided design CAD software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Oracle Java	Object or component oriented development software	—
Autodesk Revit	Computer aided design CAD software	✓

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Transportation Engineering graduates include:

• Metallurgical Engineering Teacher
• Marine Engineering Teacher
• Engineering Teacher
• Radar Engineering Teacher
• Electrical Engineering Professor
• Aeronautical Engineering Professor
• Manufacturing Engineering Professor
• Environmental Engineering Professor
• Chemical Engineering Teacher
• Electrical Engineering Lecturer
• Aeronautics Teacher
• Lecturer
• Research Professor
• College Professor
• Radio Engineering Teacher

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Transportation Engineering graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	37.3%
Doctoral degree	26.8%
Master’s degree	12.7%
Post-master’s certificate	8.6%
Post-doctoral training	8.0%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	2.2%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.1%
First professional degree	1.3%
Postsecondary certificate	0.7%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.2%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Transportation Engineering?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 62.2% of Transportation Engineering degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	48	37.8%
Men	79	62.2%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Transportation Engineering graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	59	46.5%
Asian	10	7.9%
Hispanic or Latino	8	6.3%
Black or African American	9	7.1%
Two or More Races	2	1.6%
Race Unknown	2	1.6%
International Students	37	29.1%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Transportation Engineering Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Transportation Engineering graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$71,056
4 years	$78,886
5 years	$88,976

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $88,976 — roughly 25% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Transportation Engineering Programs

Online study are documented by IPEDS for Transportation Engineering. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Master’s	3	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Transportation Engineering Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Transportation Engineering graduates earn a median of $78,886 four years after completion — roughly 108% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Civil Engineering	14.08
Civil Engineering, General	14.0801
Civil Engineering, Other	14.0899
Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering	14.0802
Structural Engineering	14.0803
Water Resources Engineering	14.0805
Construction Engineering	14.3301
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering, General	14.0201
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering, Other	14.0299
Agricultural Engineering	14.0301
Architectural Engineering	14.0401
Astronautical Engineering	14.0202

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.