JobAfterNext

Transportation Planners

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

Wages

BLS doesn't publish wages for Transportation Planners separately. These are the figures for Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other (19-3099), its parent occupation.

Median annual wage, U.S.$101,110
Employment, U.S.37,100
Median hourly wage$48.61
Annual wage percentiles, U.S., May 2025
10th25thMedian75th90th
$66,120$80,860$101,110$129,960$160,300
By state (50)
StateEmploymentMedian annualLocation quotient
Alabama320$95,3700.64
Arizona600$99,3200.77
Arkansas250$76,4000.79
California2,970$97,9000.68
Colorado790$105,3901.15
Connecticut300Not available0.75
Delaware100$92,3300.84
District of Columbia2,480$128,44014.81
Florida1,740$83,4600.73
Georgia1,510$91,2101.30
Hawaii430$92,5202.85
Idaho70$88,6100.35
Illinois730$99,0500.50
Indiana$89,440
Iowa150$91,5600.42
Kansas310$85,1600.89
Kentucky350$78,8500.73
Louisiana560$91,1701.20
Maine40$73,9200.27
Maryland2,600$131,8103.95
Massachusetts820$105,6400.95
Michigan660$84,2600.63
Minnesota1,000$103,3301.41
Mississippi170$85,5500.62
Missouri330$80,8500.47
Montana170$82,3801.40
Nebraska120$104,4200.48
Nevada180$95,6200.49
New Hampshire130$86,5300.80
New Jersey350$101,2600.34
New Mexico170$91,1700.80
New York3,410$104,7701.47
North Carolina1,770$81,4201.50
North Dakota120$76,4001.20
Ohio1,520$98,6301.15
Oklahoma220$88,6100.53
Oregon350$95,9000.75
Pennsylvania620$97,6400.43
Rhode Island110$89,9600.88
South Carolina300$83,7800.54
South Dakota70$86,2600.65
Tennessee320$80,8600.41
Texas2,260$101,8000.67
Utah180$91,5600.42
Vermont110$79,4501.47
Virginia3,380$140,6703.45
Washington1,160$102,9201.37
West Virginia190$94,5201.15
Wisconsin260$88,8300.37
Wyoming40$88,6100.63

Similar occupations

Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.

#OccupationJob ZoneSimilarity
1Urban and Regional Planners50.975
2Logistics Analysts40.963
3Logisticians40.962
4Logistics Engineers40.957
5Chief Sustainability Officers50.953
6Sustainability Specialists40.948
7Climate Change Policy Analysts50.947
8Transportation Engineers40.944
9Landscape Architects40.944
10Brownfield Redevelopment Specialists and Site Managers40.944

One skill away

Among the 50 occupations most similar to Transportation Planners, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.

OccupationSkill to buildLevel gapSimilarity
Remote Sensing Scientists and TechnologistsScience1.750.942
Management AnalystsSocial Perceptiveness1.000.936
Petroleum EngineersScience1.750.925
Cost EstimatorsManagement of Financial Resources1.620.922
Project Management SpecialistsManagement of Financial Resources1.120.919

Software to learn next

Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Transportation Planners, excluding software Transportation Planners already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.

SoftwareSimilar jobs using itLift
Microsoft SharePoint14 of 203.9x
Microsoft SQL Server11 of 205.4x
Microsoft Visio13 of 204.0x
Warehouse management system WMS6 of 2015.4x
Oracle Database9 of 204.8x
Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne8 of 205.4x
Oracle Hyperion6 of 205.4x
SAP Business Objects6 of 205.4x
PostgreSQL5 of 207.4x
Atlassian JIRA6 of 205.2x

Skills

From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.

SkillTypeImportanceLevel
Critical ThinkingEssential skill 4.00 4.25
Reading ComprehensionEssential skill 4.00 4.25
Active ListeningEssential skill 4.00 4.12
Complex Problem SolvingTransferable skill 4.00 4.12
SpeakingEssential skill 4.00 4.12
WritingEssential skill 4.00 4.12
Judgment and Decision MakingTransferable skill 3.88 4.12
Active LearningEssential skill 3.75 4.12
Systems EvaluationTransferable skill 3.75 4.12
CoordinationTransferable skill 3.62 3.75
Systems AnalysisTransferable skill 3.50 4.00
MathematicsEssential skill 3.38 4.12
Operations AnalysisTransferable skill 3.25 3.50
Time ManagementTransferable skill 3.25 3.50
MonitoringEssential skill 3.12 3.50
PersuasionTransferable skill 3.00 3.38
Learning StrategiesEssential skill 3.00 3.00
NegotiationTransferable skill 3.00 3.00
Service OrientationTransferable skill 3.00 3.00
Social PerceptivenessTransferable skill 3.00 3.00
InstructingTransferable skill 2.88 2.88
Management of Personnel ResourcesTransferable skill 2.75 2.75
Management of Material ResourcesTransferable skill 2.38 2.25
ScienceEssential skill 2.38 2.25
ProgrammingTransferable skill 2.25 2.12
Management of Financial ResourcesTransferable skill 2.12 2.00
Operations MonitoringTransferable skill 1.88 1.75
Technology DesignTransferable skill 1.62 1.00
Operation and ControlTransferable skill 1.62 0.88
Quality Control AnalysisTransferable skill 1.50 0.62
Equipment SelectionTransferable skill 1.12not rated
Equipment MaintenanceTransferable skill 1.00not rated
InstallationTransferable skill 1.00not rated
RepairingTransferable skill 1.00not rated
TroubleshootingTransferable skill 1.00not rated
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
Knowledge
NameImportanceLevel
Transportation 4.84 4.95
English Language 3.89 4.45
Mathematics 3.85 4.90
Geography 3.70 5.25
Law and Government 3.68 3.80
Computers and Electronics 3.47 4.90
Administration and Management 3.40 4.55
Engineering and Technology 3.30 4.05
Customer and Personal Service 3.10 4.30
Design 3.00 3.85
Economics and Accounting 2.90 3.10
Communications and Media 2.90 2.80
Public Safety and Security 2.75 2.75
Sociology and Anthropology 2.74 3.65
Administrative 2.50 3.55
Personnel and Human Resources 2.50 3.10
Psychology 2.45 3.15
Education and Training 2.37 3.15
Sales and Marketing 2.20 2.90
Building and Construction 2.10 2.40
History and Archeology 2.05 2.60
Production and Processing 1.95 1.55
Physics 1.80 1.60
Telecommunications 1.70 0.95
Chemistry 1.60 1.10
Philosophy and Theology 1.53 1.80
Biology 1.50 1.35
Foreign Language 1.35 0.85
Mechanical 1.30 0.60
Fine Arts 1.10not rated
Food Production 1.10not rated
Medicine and Dentistry 1.10not rated
Therapy and Counseling 1.00not rated
Abilities
NameImportanceLevel
Deductive Reasoning 4.00 4.38
Inductive Reasoning 4.00 4.12
Oral Comprehension 4.00 4.12
Oral Expression 4.00 4.12
Written Comprehension 4.00 4.12
Written Expression 4.00 4.12
Fluency of Ideas 4.00 4.00
Problem Sensitivity 3.88 4.12
Visualization 3.88 4.00
Near Vision 3.75 3.88
Speech Clarity 3.75 3.88
Information Ordering 3.62 4.12
Originality 3.62 4.00
Speech Recognition 3.50 3.88
Category Flexibility 3.25 3.88
Mathematical Reasoning 3.12 3.62
Flexibility of Closure 3.12 3.38
Far Vision 3.12 3.12
Number Facility 3.00 3.25
Selective Attention 3.00 3.12
Speed of Closure 3.00 2.88
Perceptual Speed 2.88 3.00
Memorization 2.88 2.88
Time Sharing 2.62 2.75
Visual Color Discrimination 2.38 2.38
Auditory Attention 2.00 1.75
Hearing Sensitivity 1.88 1.62
Depth Perception 1.75 1.50
Trunk Strength 1.75 1.25
Finger Dexterity 1.62 0.88
Wrist-Finger Speed 1.62 0.62
Spatial Orientation 1.50 0.75
Control Precision 1.38 0.38
Multilimb Coordination 1.25not rated
Arm-Hand Steadiness 1.12not rated
Manual Dexterity 1.12not rated
Dynamic Flexibility 1.00not rated
Dynamic Strength 1.00not rated
Explosive Strength 1.00not rated
Extent Flexibility 1.00not rated
Glare Sensitivity 1.00not rated
Gross Body Coordination 1.00not rated
Gross Body Equilibrium 1.00not rated
Night Vision 1.00not rated
Peripheral Vision 1.00not rated
Rate Control 1.00not rated
Reaction Time 1.00not rated
Response Orientation 1.00not rated
Sound Localization 1.00not rated
Speed of Limb Movement 1.00not rated
Stamina 1.00not rated
Static Strength 1.00not rated

Software used

Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.

All 45
  • ESRI ArcView
  • Geographic information system GIS software
  • Iteris Turbo Architecture
  • MapInfo
  • McTrans Center TSIS-CORSIM
  • McTrans HCS+
  • PTV VISUM
  • Quadstone Paramics
  • Roundabout Delay RODEL
  • Strong Concepts TEAPAC
  • TRL Software TRANSYT
  • Texas Transportation Institute TTI Progression Analysis and Signal System Evaluation Routine PASSER
  • Traffic signal software
  • Visual Solutions VisSIM
  • Web browser software

Where it concentrates

BLS doesn't publish wages for Transportation Planners separately. These are the figures for Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other (19-3099), its parent occupation.

Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.

Metro areaEmploymentLocation quotientMedian annual
Charlottesville, VA35012.76$119,430
Fayetteville, NC2909.25$107,950
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV6,2208.31$138,250
Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH6807.70$120,220
Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL1705.63$91,170
Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC2905.15$115,920
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC4104.95$81,420
Ann Arbor, MI2304.42$85,370
Urban Honolulu, HI3903.64$95,600
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD1,0703.31$124,590

More metros, other thresholds