Transportation Engineers

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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.

Knowledge

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

Skills

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

Abilities

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

Personality

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

They do well at jobs that need:

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

Technology

You might use software like this on the job:

Computer aided design CAD software

  • Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D Hot Technology In Demand
  • Bentley MicroStation Hot Technology In Demand

Presentation software

  • Microsoft PowerPoint Hot Technology

Analytical or scientific software

  • Citilabs Cube
  • Trafficware SynchroGreen

Education

Education: (rated 4 of 5)
bachelor's degree
usually needed

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Job Outlook

Bright
New job opportunities are very likely in the future.
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See more details at O*NET OnLine about transportation engineers.