AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 17-2051.01

Will AI replace Transportation Engineers?

Transportation Engineers: AI can already handle 12 of 26 tasks; the work mostly needs a frontier-tier model.

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Every task, scored

The 26 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Transportation Engineers, from most to least exposed. 12 reach 60 or more, the level at which AI already handles a task.

Task AI exposure Evidence Model tier Importance
Prepare administrative, technical, or statistical reports on traffic-operation matters, such as accidents, safety measures, or pedestrian volume or practices. 75 Estimated Efficient 4.1
Prepare final project layout drawings that include details such as stress calculations. 75 Estimated Frontier 3.9
Estimate transportation project costs. 75 Estimated Standard 3.9
Prepare project budgets, schedules, or specifications for labor or materials. 75 Estimated Frontier 3.7
Analyze environmental impact statements for transportation projects. 75 Estimated Efficient 3.5
Participate in contract bidding, negotiation, or administration. 75 Estimated Frontier 3.4
Evaluate traffic control devices or lighting systems to determine need for modification or expansion. 65 Estimated Standard 3.8
Review development plans to determine potential traffic impact. 65 Estimated Standard 3.7
Evaluate transportation systems or traffic control devices or lighting systems to determine need for modification or expansion. 65 Estimated Standard 3.6
Model transportation scenarios to evaluate the impacts of activities such as new development or to identify possible solutions to transportation problems. 65 Estimated Frontier 3.5
Evaluate construction project materials for compliance with environmental standards. 65 Estimated Standard 3.3
Investigate traffic problems and recommend methods to improve traffic flow or safety. 60 Estimated Frontier 3.9
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. 50 Estimated Frontier 4.5
Plan alteration or modification of existing transportation structures to improve safety or function. 50 Estimated Standard 4.1
Confer with contractors, utility companies, or government agencies to discuss plans, specifications, or work schedules. 50 Estimated Standard 4.0
Design or engineer drainage, erosion, or sedimentation control systems for transportation projects. 50 Estimated Frontier 3.8
Design transportation systems or structures with sustainable materials or products, such as porous pavement or bioretention structures. 50 Estimated Frontier 3.1
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. 50 Estimated Standard 2.9
Check construction plans, design calculations, or cost estimations to ensure completeness, accuracy, or conformity to engineering standards or practices. 40 Observed Efficient 4.2
Develop or assist in the development of transportation-related computer software or computer processes. 40 Observed Frontier 3.0
Inspect completed transportation projects to ensure safety or compliance with applicable standards or regulations. 20 Estimated Efficient 3.7
Supervise the maintenance or repair of transportation systems or system components. 20 Estimated Standard 3.5
Inspect completed transportation projects to ensure compliance with environmental regulations. 20 Estimated Efficient 3.4
Present data, maps, or other information at construction-related public hearings or meetings. 15 Estimated No tier 4.0
Investigate or test specific construction project materials to determine compliance to specifications or standards. 15 Estimated No tier 3.5
Direct the surveying, staking, or laying-out of construction projects. 15 Estimated No tier 3.2

Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 2 of 26 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 24 of 26. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.

The model tier this role needs

A frontier-tier model or lower covers 89% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 89% of the work is something AI can address at some tier, and 11% is hands-on.

Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.

Wages, employment and outlook

US employment
367,840
Median annual wage
$100,840
Middle half of earners
$79,930 to $129,680
Projected change, 2024 to 2034
+5.0%

Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034. BLS publishes these figures by SOC code, so O*NET occupations that share a SOC code show the same figures.

Adjacent roles

The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.

Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.

Questions about Transportation Engineers and AI

Will AI replace Transportation Engineers?

AI already handles 12 of the 26 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 51 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears. BLS projects employment to change by +5.0% from 2024 to 2034.

What is the AI exposure of Transportation Engineers?

51 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 2 of the 26 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 24 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.

Which Transportation Engineers tasks can AI already do?

The tasks with the highest exposure are: Prepare administrative, technical, or statistical reports on traffic-operation matters, such as accidents, safety measures, or pedestrian volume or practices; Prepare final project layout drawings that include details such as stress calculations; Estimate transportation project costs. They are three of the 12 tasks that reach 60 or more.

What AI model tier does this role need?

A frontier-tier model or lower covers 89% of the role's importance-weighted task work. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.

How many people work as Transportation Engineers, and what do they earn?

367,840 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $100,840 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of +5.0% from 2024 to 2034.

How to cite

Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.

JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Transportation Engineers. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/transportation-engineers

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