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Transportation & Materials Moving

Types of Degrees Transportation & Materials Moving Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Transportation & Materials Moving have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	1,396
Associate’s Degree	1,939
Bachelor’s Degree	7,392
Master’s Degree	14,402
Doctor’s Degree	28

What Transportation & Materials Moving Majors Need to Know

Studies in Transportation & Materials Moving emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Transportation & Materials Moving graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Transportation & Materials Moving emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Transportation — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Public Safety and Security — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Mechanical — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Transportation & Materials Moving program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Operation and Control — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Operations Monitoring — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Transportation & Materials Moving careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Control Precision — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Far Vision — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Transportation & Materials Moving graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	4.2 / 7
Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment	4.2 / 7
Getting Information	4.2 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	4.0 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.0 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	3.8 / 7
Controlling Machines and Processes	3.8 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	3.6 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Transportation & Materials Moving professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Windows	Operating system software	—
Global positioning system GPS software	Mobile location based services software	—
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	✓
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Visio	Process mapping and design software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Transportation & Materials Moving graduates include:

• Line Pilot
• Captain
• Pilot
• Speedboat Driver
• Harbor Pilot
• River Pilot
• Boat Operator
• Bus Driver
• Check Airman
• Copilot
• Airplane Pilot
• Helicopter Pilot
• First Officer Pilot (FO Pilot)
• Speedboat Operator
• Shoreboat Driver

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	53.1%
Less than a high school diploma	12.3%
Bachelor’s degree	12.2%
Postsecondary certificate	12.1%
Some college courses	6.6%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.2%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.7%
Master’s degree	0.6%
Post-doctoral training	0.1%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Transportation & Materials Moving?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 85.5% of Transportation & Materials Moving degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	5,092	14.5%
Men	30,138	85.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	16,351	46.4%
Asian	663	1.9%
Hispanic or Latino	5,149	14.6%
Black or African American	8,757	24.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native	505	1.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	83	0.2%
Two or More Races	1,059	3.0%
Race Unknown	1,543	4.4%
International Students	1,120	3.2%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Transportation & Materials Moving Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Transportation & Materials Moving graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$46,954
4 years	$50,366
5 years	$56,178

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $56,178 — roughly 20% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Transportation & Materials Moving Programs

Online study is tracked by IPEDS for Transportation & Materials Moving. 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
Associate’s	18	20
Bachelor’s	46	42
Master’s	40	6
Doctoral (Research)	8	2

^{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 & Materials Moving Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Transportation & Materials Moving graduates earn a median of $50,366 four years after completion — roughly 33% 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.}

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.