Transportation Engineers
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.
$100,840 a year (for the broader BLS group this job sits in).
of the working time. Estimate.
- 90%
- 4%
- 6%
Measured, from Anthropic's usage data (2025). Counts help on part of a task.
On the chosen pace and reliability. Estimate.
Share of the working time within reach, now to 2030
What each choice means: , , , , . Every pace starts from .
At this date and pace, models finish tasks up to 4.4 h long four times in five.
How far this has come
With GPT-4, measured in March 2023, 0% of this job's working time was within reach at . With Claude 3.7 Sonnet, measured in February 2025, 0%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 2%. Today's estimate: 4%.
A backcast: today's task data with the best model METR had measured by each date. It shows how fast the models have moved, not what anyone forecast at the time.
The tasks
Sorted by . 26 tasks from .
| Task | Kind | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prepare final project layout drawings that include details such as stress calculations.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 11% | 2.1 work days6.7 h to 1.3 work weeks | 1%Half by Mar 2028 | |
| Design or engineer drainage, erosion, or sedimentation control systems for transportation projects.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 11% | 3.3 work days6.7 h to 1.3 work weeks | 0%Half by Jul 2028 | |
| Model transportation scenarios to evaluate the impacts of activities such as new development or to identify possible solutions to transportation problems.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 11% | 3.3 work days6.7 h to 1.7 work weeks | 0%Half by Sep 2028 | |
| Plan alteration or modification of existing transportation structures to improve safety or function.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 11% | 4.2 work days6.7 h to 1.7 work weeks | 0%Half by Nov 2028 | |
| 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.Done daily by most who do it. | 11% | 1.7 work weeks4.2 work days to 3.3 work weeks | 0%Half by Dec 2028 | |
| Prepare project budgets, schedules, or specifications for labor or materials.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 6% | 6.7 h3.3 h to 2.5 work days | 10%Half by May 2027 | |
| Investigate traffic problems and recommend methods to improve traffic flow or safety.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 5% | 1.7 work days5 h to 3.3 work days | 1%Half by Nov 2027 | |
| Check construction plans, design calculations, or cost estimations to ensure completeness, accuracy, or conformity to engineering standards or practices.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 4% | 3.3 h1.7 h to 1.3 work days | 38%Half by Nov 2026 | |
| Prepare administrative, technical, or statistical reports on traffic-operation matters, such as accidents, safety measures, or pedestrian volume or practices.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 4% | 6.7 h3.3 h to 2.5 work days | 10%Half by May 2027 | |
| Estimate transportation project costs.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 3% | 6.7 h2.5 h to 1.7 work days | 10%Half by May 2027 | |
| Confer with contractors, utility companies, or government agencies to discuss plans, specifications, or work schedules.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 3% | 1.7 h50 min to 3.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Design transportation systems or structures with sustainable materials or products, such as porous pavement or bioretention structures.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 3% | 3.3 work days6.7 h to 1.7 work weeks | 0%Half by Sep 2028 |
Within reach, per task: the share of the task's time whose instances are short enough for a model to finish at the chosen date, pace and reliability. Half by: the date half of that time comes within reach.
Jobs that share skills with this one
From O*NET's related occupations. Within reach now and by the end of 2028, long-run pace, four in five.
Where this job works
The industry groups that employ the most of it (BLS, May 2025). Counts are for the broader BLS group this job sits in.
Where the most of these jobs are
The metro areas with the most people in it (BLS, May 2025). Counts are for the broader BLS group this job sits in.