Transportation Planners
What they do
Prepare studies for proposed transportation projects. Gather, compile, and analyze data. Study the use and operation of transportation systems. Develop transportation models or simulations.
Expected pay range
Expected pay range
This represents the median earnings for this career in the selected county or state. In the range shown, 25% of workers earned less than the bottom salary and 25% earned more than the top salary. Data is provided by the Texas Workforce Commission.
About transportation planners
Other titles
Planner, Transportation Analyst, Transportation Planner
Tasks they perform
- Recommend transportation system improvements or projects, based on economic, population, land-use, or traffic projections.
- 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.
Skills they need
- Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Systems Evaluation - Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
- Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Systems Analysis - Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
- Mathematics - Using mathematics to solve problems.
Licenses and Certifications
How to decide which one is right? That depends on an individual’s career path, specialty, and resources.
Certifications
Certifications may be available for this career and can help build knowledge and skills in specific job roles. Explore available certifications (external link opens new tab)
Similar careers
View careers in the same field as transportation planners.
Logistics Analysts
Better pay
Median salary for this career is higher than the median salary of all careers in the county selected. Salary data is provided by the Texas Workforce Commission.
In demand
In demand careers have high-growth, high-demand, and emerging jobs critical to Texas. They are based on economic indicators like in demand industries, labor market trends, and economic conditions, provided by the Texas Workforce Commission.
Traffic Technicians
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers
In demand
In demand careers have high-growth, high-demand, and emerging jobs critical to Texas. They are based on economic indicators like in demand industries, labor market trends, and economic conditions, provided by the Texas Workforce Commission.
Additional career information and resources
Learn more about transportation planners with these helpful sites.
- American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (external link opens new tab)
- American Institute of Certified Planners (external link opens new tab)
- American Planning Association (external link opens new tab)
- American Public Transportation Association (external link opens new tab)
- American Public Works Association (external link opens new tab)
- American Society of Civil Engineers (external link opens new tab)
- American Society of Highway Engineers (external link opens new tab)
- Institute of Transportation Engineers (external link opens new tab)
- Transportation and Development Institute (external link opens new tab)
- Transportation Research Board (external link opens new tab)