Careers / Transportation Planners

Transportation Planners — Career Decision Dashboard

United States

Opens your browser print dialog — choose “Save as PDF”.

Median annual wage

$101,110

United States, 2025

Employment

37,100

United States, 2025

Typical education

Bachelor's Degree

Job Zone 4

Skills identified

35

10 related careers

Career overview

Prepare studies for proposed transportation projects. Gather, compile, and analyze data. Study the use and operation of transportation systems. Develop transportation models or simulations.

O*NET code
19-3099.01
Job zone
4
Experience required
Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years

Typical tasks

  • Evaluate transportation project needs or costs.
  • Analyze information from traffic counting programs.
  • Define regional or local transportation planning problems or priorities.
  • Participate in public meetings or hearings to explain planning proposals, to gather feedback from those affected by projects, or to achieve consensus on project designs.
  • Prepare reports or recommendations on transportation planning.
  • Collaborate with engineers to research, analyze, or resolve complex transportation design issues.
  • Recommend transportation system improvements or projects, based on economic, population, land-use, or traffic projections.
  • Develop computer models to address transportation planning issues.

Choose a location

Salary analysis — United States

$66,120
10th
$80,860
25th
$101,110
Median
$129,960
75th
$160,300
90th

10th percentile

$66,120

25th percentile

$80,860

75th percentile

$129,960

90th percentile

$160,300

Most important skills

  • Complex Problem Solving4.0
  • Active Listening4.0
  • Writing4.0
  • Speaking4.0
  • Critical Thinking4.0
  • Reading Comprehension4.0
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.9
  • Active Learning3.8
  • Systems Evaluation3.8
  • Coordination3.6
  • Systems Analysis3.5
  • Mathematics3.4

What skills do you need?

Select the skills you already have

Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.

Skill coverage

0%

0 of 20 identified skills

Matched

0

Missing

20

Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.

Skills to develop

SkillImportanceRequired levelYour levelGap
Critical Thinking4.04.3Not selected4.3
Reading Comprehension4.04.3Not selected4.3
Complex Problem Solving4.04.1Not selected4.1
Active Listening4.04.1Not selected4.1
Writing4.04.1Not selected4.1
Speaking4.04.1Not selected4.1
Judgment and Decision Making3.94.1Not selected4.1
Active Learning3.84.1Not selected4.1
Systems Evaluation3.84.1Not selected4.1
Systems Analysis3.54.0Not selected4.0
Mathematics3.44.1Not selected4.1
Coordination3.63.8Not selected3.8
Operations Analysis3.33.5Not selected3.5
Time Management3.33.5Not selected3.5
Monitoring3.13.5Not selected3.5
Persuasion3.03.4Not selected3.4
Service Orientation3.03.0Not selected3.0
Social Perceptiveness3.03.0Not selected3.0
Negotiation3.03.0Not selected3.0
Learning Strategies3.03.0Not selected3.0

Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.

Related careers

How salary varies by location

LocationMedianEmploymentYear
VA$140,6703,3802025
Washington, DC$138,2506,2202025
Harrisburg, PA$135,3901002025
MD$131,8102,6002025
DC$128,4402,4802025
New Haven, CT$126,610702025
Baltimore, MD$124,5901,0702025
Dayton, OH$120,2206802025
Olympia, WA$119,520702025
Charlottesville, VA$119,4303502025
Augusta, GA$115,9202902025
Trenton, NJ$113,800502025
Bakersfield, CA$112,990402025
San Antonio, TX$110,4905602025
Denver, CO$109,6403002025
Colorado Springs, CO$109,1402502025
Hartford, CT$108,430702025
Houston, TX$108,3502902025
Fayetteville, NC$107,9502902025
Virginia Beach, VA$107,9104402025
All locations with published data

Career transition paths

Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Transportation Planners to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.

Build a transition comparison

Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0.

Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).

Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.