Traffic Engineers

Employment for civil engineers (including those who specialize in traffic engineering) will increase by 6 percent, faster than the average for all careers, through 2033, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Engineers will be needed to improve highway design and traffic engineering, paying particular attention to repurposing streets for public right of way. In the coming years, more engineers will be needed to work with ITS (Intelligent Transportation System) technology. While ITS technology used to focus solely on electronic toll collection, cameras for traffic incidents/detection, and fiber optics, it's offerings have now increased. "ITS technologies have expanded to include a much wider spectrum of innovation, including automation; connectivity; digital infrastructure; sustainable technologies; mobility-on-demand technologies; and emerging transportation technologies like electric vehicle takeoff and landing vehicles, delivery drones, sidewalk robots, and artificial intelligence," according to the Intelligent Transportation Society of America.

As the population increases and continues to move to suburban areas, qualified traffic engineers will be needed to analyze, assess, and implement traffic plans and designs to ensure safety and the steady, continuous flow of traffic. In cities, traffic engineers will continue to be needed to staff advanced transportation management centers that oversee vast stretches of road using computers, sensors, cameras, and other electrical devices.