Example Career Paths
- Increasingly, civil engineers do not spend an entire career with one employer. An engineer may begin a career with a state department of transportation, move to a consulting firm or local agency, and possibly return to a state transportation agency at a later career stage.
- Most transportation engineers will begin their careers by concentrating in one or another technical specialty area (e.g., pavement design, planning, operations, logistics) and one of a few transportation modes (e.g., surface motorized modes, non-motorized modes, sea transportation, or air transportation). Within a specialty area and one or more mode(s), most individuals will complete analyses using travel surveys, traffic data, mathematical models, and software packages to inform decision-making. As more experience is obtained, an engineer may continue to concentrate in that specialty area and develop highly focused technical expertise, or may instead gravitate toward project and program management responsibilities that cut across technical specialties. Mid-level professionals generally play a technical-managerial role within their organization, and interact with other agencies and the public. A senior transportation professional may lead regional, state, and federal transportation agencies, and take a leadership role in shaping the transportation system through broad transportation policy initiatives (e.g., toll roads, speed limits). At all technical levels, transportation engineers are likely to make oral presentations; they will also be expected to write technical reports for diverse audiences, including other professionals, policy makers, and the general public.
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