Transportation Engineers in South Carolina
Thinking about a career as a Transportation Engineers in South Carolina? Here’s what the data says. Perform engineering duties in planning, designing, and overseeing construction and maintenance of building structures and facilities, such as roads, railroads, airports, bridges, harbors, channels, dams, irrigation projects, pipelines, power plants, and water and sewage systems. Includes architectural, structural, traffic, and geotechnical engineers. Excludes “Hydrologists” (19-2043).
What do Transportation Engineers Make in South Carolina?
The transportation engineers working in South Carolina, wages run about $99,680 per year (or about $47.92/hour).Earnings range from $64,480 at the 10th percentile to $155,050 at the 90th percentile.
| Wage Statistic | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $64,480 | $31.00 |
| 25th percentile | $77,760 | $37.38 |
| Median (50th) | $99,680 | $47.92 |
| 75th percentile | $128,290 | $61.68 |
| 90th percentile | $155,050 | $74.54 |
The location quotient — a measure of how concentrated this occupation is in South Carolina compared to the national average — is 1.42, meaning that transportation engineers are more concentrated here than the national average.
National Wage Comparison
Nationally, transportation engineers earn a median of $120,210 per year ($57.79/hour), below the South Carolina median.
Employment Outlook
Nationally, total employment in this occupation is 388,857 transportation engineers in the U.S.. In South Carolina alone, around 7,460 people work in this role. That puts the state above the typical state, which employs around 4,130 transportation engineers.
Top South Carolina Metros for Transportation Engineers
These are the South Carolina metros with the most transportation engineers in South Carolina.
| Metro Area | Number Employed | Annual Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Columbia, SC | 1,340 | $96,070 |
| Charleston-North Charleston, SC | 1,280 | $98,880 |
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | 1,270 | $102,380 |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC | 240 | $77,000 |
| Spartanburg, SC | 230 | $83,250 |
| Florence, SC | 160 | $92,720 |
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC | 90 | $91,550 |
| Sumter, SC | 30 | $83,010 |
Top States for Transportation Engineers Employment
The table below shows the states where the most transportation engineers work.
| State | Number Employed |
|---|---|
| California | 54,640 |
| Texas | 33,790 |
| Florida | 22,780 |
| New York | 17,000 |
| Pennsylvania | 14,610 |
| Colorado | 13,510 |
| Illinois | 13,400 |
| North Carolina | 12,670 |
| Washington | 11,900 |
| Virginia | 11,030 |
| Massachusetts | 9,460 |
| Georgia | 8,820 |
| Ohio | 8,520 |
| Michigan | 7,760 |
| South Carolina | 7,460 |
| Wisconsin | 7,050 |
| New Jersey | 6,780 |
| Arizona | 6,270 |
| Alabama | 5,920 |
| Missouri | 5,280 |
Highest-Paying States for Transportation Engineers
The highest-paying states for transportation engineers.
| State | Annual Median Salary |
|---|---|
| California | $118,450 |
| Rhode Island | $112,250 |
| Alaska | $107,240 |
| Washington | $105,090 |
| New Mexico | $104,600 |
| Massachusetts | $104,450 |
| Mississippi | $103,940 |
| New Jersey | $103,690 |
| Oregon | $103,070 |
| New York | $102,440 |
Skills
Top transportation engineers skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Core knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Abilities
Key abilities for transportation engineers, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Daily Tasks
Transportation Engineers typically:
- 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.
- Check construction plans, design calculations, or cost estimations to ensure completeness, accuracy, or conformity to engineering standards or practices.
- Prepare administrative, technical, or statistical reports on traffic-operation matters, such as accidents, safety measures, or pedestrian volume or practices.
- Plan alteration or modification of existing transportation structures to improve safety or function.
- Confer with contractors, utility companies, or government agencies to discuss plans, specifications, or work schedules.
- Present data, maps, or other information at construction-related public hearings or meetings.
- Prepare final project layout drawings that include details such as stress calculations.
- Investigate traffic problems and recommend methods to improve traffic flow or safety.
- Estimate transportation project costs.
- Design or engineer drainage, erosion, or sedimentation control systems for transportation projects.
- Evaluate traffic control devices or lighting systems to determine need for modification or expansion.
- Prepare project budgets, schedules, or specifications for labor or materials.
Work Activities
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
- Working with Computers
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
- Getting Information
- Communicating with People Outside the Organization
- Analyzing Data or Information
- Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
- Documenting/Recording Information
- Processing Information
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
Tools & Technology
Software and systems commonly involved: Hot technologies: Autodesk AutoCAD, Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D In-demand technologies: Autodesk AutoCAD
What Major Will Prepare You For This Career?
Programs that train for this career include:
- Civil Engineering
- Construction Engineering
Featured schools near , edit
Related Careers
Careers similar to transportation engineers include:
- Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers
- Construction Managers
- Architectural and Engineering Managers
- Brownfield Redevelopment Specialists and Site Managers
- Logistics Engineers
- Project Management Specialists
Also Known As
Airport Engineer, Civil Transportation Engineer, Engineer, Highway Civil Engineer, Highway Engineer, Highway Project Engineer, Project Engineer, Rail Engineer, Road Engineer, Roadway Designer, Roadway Engineer, Roadway Project Engineer, State Roadway Design Engineer, Traffic Engineer, Traffic Operations Engineer.
References
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
- O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
- BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
- O*NET-SOC code: 17-2051.01