How to become a Transportation Planner
Official title: Transportation Planners
Also called: Planner, Program Officer, Transportation Analyst, Transportation Data Programs Manager, Transportation Planner
Prepare studies for proposed transportation projects. Gather, compile, and analyze data. Study the use and operation of transportation systems. Develop transportation models or simulations.
Main tasks
- 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.
- Analyze information related to transportation, such as land use policies, environmental impact of projects, or long-range planning needs.
- Interpret data from traffic modeling software, geographic information systems, or associated databases.
How to become one
Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree
Ways in
- College: Science degrees, Offered by 36 universities in the US
- College: Arts & Humanities degrees, Offered by 35 universities in the US
Pay · Outlook · AI and this job
- Median pay: $101,110 a year The middle half earn $80,860 to $129,960.
- About 41,500 people work in this job now, and about 41,400 are projected by 2035. (-0.2%)
- People already use generative AI for a good share of this work, which usually changes the job more than it replaces it. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as high.
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Questions people ask
How do I become a Transportation Planner?
Ways in include: Science degrees; Arts & Humanities degrees.
How much does a Transportation Planner earn in the US?
Median full-time pay is $101,110 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $80,860 to $129,960.
Is a Transportation Planner a growing career in the US?
Employment is projected to stay about the same by 2035: about 41,500 people now and 41,400 later (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Do you need a degree to become a Transportation Planner?
Usually. 90% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Will AI change the work of a Transportation Planner?
People already use generative AI for a good share of this work, which usually changes the job more than it replaces it. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as high.
Sources
- Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
Updated 2026-10-03
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.