Community Sentiment
Do you agree?
Do you agree with the AI automation risk score calculated for this occupation?
AI Automation Index
Will AI Replace Transportation Engineers?
Task-level automation exposure for Transportation Engineers: 26 O*NET tasks scored against their work activities, plus the simulator.
E-E-A-T Verified
Developed & audited by Gini Loh Automation Exposure
53%
weighted task index
26 of 26 tasks scored
Median Salary
$100,840 / year
BLS OEWS, May 2025 — this exact occupation
Employment Level
Very High
367,840 people hold this job — size, not growth
Projected 2025–35
+6.4%
employment change
22,700 openings a year · BLS line item
Pay by state
BLS OEWS publishes 53 state estimates for this occupation. Each is its own survey estimate, not the national median adjusted for local prices.
$61,060 – $122,500
Highest medians
California $122,500
Alaska $114,730
Washington $110,000
Massachusetts $106,730
Louisiana $105,380
Lowest medians
Puerto Rico $61,060
Guam $67,410
Georgia $84,240
Arkansas $85,020
West Virginia $86,930
State figures come from the 17-2051 row in the May 2025 state panel. States where the estimate was suppressed or too small to publish are absent.
What the score is made of
Each task is mapped to its work activities, scored for AI automation potential, and weighted by how important those activities are to the job. These are the components.
Automation potential 53%
Importance-weighted mean of the scored tasks. This is the headline index.
Physical work 0%
Share of weighted tasks in hands-on or machine-operating work activities.
Judgment & influence 53%
Share in analysis, decisions, teaching, directing, advising, or caring for others.
Routine administration 5%
Share in documenting, recording, and administrative activities.
Rewritten by O*NET 0%
Share of weighted tasks O*NET rewrote in a recent update. Reported, not folded into the score.
Consequence of error 24/100
Low
O*NET's own rating of how serious an uncorrectable mistake would be here — respondents, not us. Deliberately not in the index: the score measures what AI can do with the task content, and multiplying it by stakes would be our judgment dressed as data.
Constituent Task Mix
26 tasks for this occupation, weighted by work-activity importance. Shares below are of total task weight, not task count.
High exposure (≥ 60% of the task is automatable) 42%
11 tasks
Medium exposure (≥ 35%) 41%
10 tasks
Low exposure (below 35%) 17%
5 tasks
How would you survive?
Move your week away from the high-exposure tasks and toward the ones that need judgment. The simulator recalculates the index as you shift the mix.
Simulate Upskilling →Emerging & rewritten tasks
Tasks O*NET added or rewrote for this occupation in its recent updates (05/2025 – 08/2026), with who proposed them. Additions are not in the scored task inventory — they are new work O*NET is still measuring, so they appear here and nowhere in the index. A Revision replaces a task that is scored, which is why only those move the "Rewritten by O*NET" share.
- New 05/2025 · AI/SME
Develop plans for integration of drone technology into transportation systems for purposes such as delivery of goods or traffic monitoring.
Constituent Tasks
#16323 · Core · 50% automatable
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.
decision support — AI drafts civil designs; licensed engineer verifies and stamps
Design civil structures or systems.
#16320 · Core · 60% automatable
Check construction plans, design calculations, or cost estimations to ensure completeness, accuracy, or conformity to engineering standards or practices.
decision support — Design quality evaluation needs engineering judgment
Evaluate designs or specifications to ensure quality.
#16305 · Core · 75% automatable
Prepare administrative, technical, or statistical reports on traffic-operation matters, such as accidents, safety measures, or pedestrian volume or practices.
text generation — Operational reports drafted from data
Prepare technical or operational reports.
#16311 · Core · 72% automatable
Plan alteration or modification of existing transportation structures to improve safety or function.
text generation — Detailed work plans drafted from specifications
Prepare detailed work plans.
#16319 · Core · 55% automatable
Confer with contractors, utility companies, or government agencies to discuss plans, specifications, or work schedules.
interpersonal — Conferring with technical staff on plans is relational work
Confer with technical personnel to prepare designs or operational plans.
#16303 · Core · 55% automatable
Present data, maps, or other information at construction-related public hearings or meetings.
text generation — Explanatory content drafted; public engagement human
Explain project details to the general public.
#16310 · Core · 45% automatable
Prepare final project layout drawings that include details such as stress calculations.
text generation — Civil drawings need licensed engineering judgment
Create graphical representations of civil structures.
#16314 · Core · 55% automatable
Investigate traffic problems and recommend methods to improve traffic flow or safety.
decision support — General safety advice; accountability and context human
Advise others on health and safety issues.
#16318 · Core · 68% automatable
Estimate transportation project costs.
data analysis — Operational cost estimation from data
Estimate operational costs.
#19612 · Core · 38% automatable
Design or engineer drainage, erosion, or sedimentation control systems for transportation projects.
decision support — AI assists design; engineering and regulatory validation human
Design environmental control systems.
#16307 · Core · 60% automatable
Evaluate traffic control devices or lighting systems to determine need for modification or expansion.
data analysis — Equipment specs analysis aided; physical testing human
Evaluate characteristics of equipment or systems.
#16309 · Core · 66% automatable
Prepare project budgets, schedules, or specifications for labor or materials.
decision support — Algorithmic scheduling with human oversight of constraints
Schedule operational activities. Determine operational criteria or specifications. Prepare project budgets.
#16316 · Core · 22% automatable
Inspect completed transportation projects to ensure safety or compliance with applicable standards or regulations.
visual inspection — Physical site verification against specs is human
Inspect facilities or sites to determine if they meet specifications or standards.
#16304 · Core · 62% automatable
Review development plans to determine potential traffic impact.
data analysis — Evaluates technical data impact; engineer owns design
Evaluate technical data to determine effect on designs or plans.
#16306 · Core · 60% automatable
Evaluate transportation systems or traffic control devices or lighting systems to determine need for modification or expansion.
data analysis — Equipment specs analysis aided; physical testing human
Evaluate characteristics of equipment or systems.
#16321 · Core · 55% automatable
Analyze environmental impact statements for transportation projects.
data analysis — Impact assessment aided; site-specific data human
Investigate the environmental impact of projects.
#16322 · Core · 30% automatable
Supervise the maintenance or repair of transportation systems or system components.
physical manipulation — Directing repair activities involves hands-on equipment work
Direct equipment maintenance or repair activities.
#16313 · Core · 60% automatable
Model transportation scenarios to evaluate the impacts of activities such as new development or to identify possible solutions to transportation problems.
data analysis — AI builds computational models; engineer validates assumptions
Create models of engineering designs or methods.
#19616 · Core · 22% automatable
Inspect completed transportation projects to ensure compliance with environmental regulations.
visual inspection — Physical site verification against specs is human
Inspect facilities or sites to determine if they meet specifications or standards.
#16312 · Core · 35% automatable
Participate in contract bidding, negotiation, or administration.
interpersonal — Logistics contract negotiation needs mandate
Negotiate contracts for transportation, distribution, or logistics services. Negotiate contracts with clients or service providers.
#19615 · Core · 58% automatable
Evaluate construction project materials for compliance with environmental standards.
data analysis — Analyzes specs for implications; expert judgment required
Evaluate plans or specifications to determine technological or environmental implications.
#16317 · Core · 30% automatable
Direct the surveying, staking, or laying-out of construction projects.
interpersonal — Directing field survey crews needs human oversight
Direct surveying activities.
#19613 · Core · 55% automatable
Design transportation systems or structures with sustainable materials or products, such as porous pavement or bioretention structures.
decision support — AI proposes green features; engineer owns design decisions
Incorporate green features into the design of structures or facilities.
#16315 · Supplemental · 25% automatable
Investigate or test specific construction project materials to determine compliance to specifications or standards.
physical manipulation — Material characteristic testing needs physical instruments
Test characteristics of materials or structures.
#16308 · Supplemental · 72% automatable
Develop or assist in the development of transportation-related computer software or computer processes.
text generation — Code generation strong; human architects and reviews
Develop software or computer applications.
#19614 · Supplemental · 72% automatable
Develop plans to deconstruct damaged or obsolete roadways or other transportation structures in a manner that is environmentally sound or prepares the land for sustainable development.
text generation — Detailed work plans drafted from specifications
Prepare detailed work plans.
Embed this calculator on your site ↓
Bloggers & authors: Embed this interactive calculator directly in your articles or comparison guides. It loads dynamically via a responsive iframe (auto-resizing to prevent double scrollbars) and provides a direct, high-value tool for your audience.
<div class="giniloh-calculator-embed" data-calculator="transportation-engineers"></div>
<script src="https://giniloh.com/embed.js" async></script> Method
How this was scored
- 1. Tasks. O*NET task statements for this occupation, from a release whose newest record is dated 08/2026.
- 2. Work activities. Each task maps to 1–5 Detailed Work Activities; each activity belongs to one of 41 Generalized Work Activities that O*NET rates for importance (1–5) in this occupation.
- 3. Automation potential. Every work activity carries one score for how far current AI can perform it end-to-end. Tasks inherit the mean of their activities.
- 4. Weighting. Task weight = 0.35 + 0.65 × (importance − 1)/4, scaled by how often the task is performed and by 0.7 for Supplemental tasks. Importance is the task's own O*NET rating where it exists (18,369 of 18,838 tasks); the rest inherit their work activities' importance. The index is the weighted mean.
Check: across the 910 occupations where O*NET also rates how far machine speed sets the pace, this index moves opposite to it (Spearman ρ = -0.49). The more a job is paced by equipment, the less of its task content AI can address — the relationship you would expect if the scoring is working.
Sources · O*NET 31.0 (task records to 08/2026) · BLS OEWS May 2025 · BLS projections 2025-2035 · rubric v2.1 · tasks for O*NET, not a forecast
See the full method →Related Article
Best AI Proof Jobs in a Changing Market
Worried robots are coming for your paycheck? You’re not alone—but the real story is far more hopeful. This guide cuts through the scare headlines to reveal exactly where smart, sustainable career opportunities exist right now. We’ve curated a list of true ai proof jobs—roles in healthcare, skilled trades, and cybersecurity that not only survive automation but thrive because of human judgment and empathy. You’ll get specific, money-making data on projected growth (the BLS says wind turbine technicians, for instance, will grow 44% by 2032), real salary ranges from active job listings, and a simple self-assessment quiz to identify your own most resilient path. Plus, we name companies hiring today and the niche job boards they use. Stop worrying and start planning—your secure career is closer than you think.
Read Article ->