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Entry Level Transportation Engineering Jobs in California

Project Delivery

Sacramento, CA ยท On-site

$6.4K - $12K/mo

Under the direction of the District Office Engineer Branch Chief, a Senior Transportation Engineer, the incumbent is responsible for: 1) the preparation of specifications, special provisions and non ...

Conducts engineering design under the supervision of an experienced engineer. * Creates designs ... transportation and buildings. Our teams partner with public- and private-sector clients to create ...

Conducts engineering design under the supervision of an experienced engineer. * Creates designs ... transportation and buildings. Our teams partner with public- and private-sector clients to create ...

Conducts engineering design under the supervision of an experienced engineer. * Creates designs ... transportation and buildings. Our teams partner with public- and private-sector clients to create ...

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Showing results 1-20

Entry Level Transportation Engineering information

See California salary details

$52.8K

$89.9K

$125.3K

How much do entry level transportation engineering jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 19, 2026, the average yearly pay for entry level transportation engineering in California is $89,904.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $76,500.00 and $101,200.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the Entry Level Transportation Engineering position, and why are they important?

To succeed as an Entry Level Transportation Engineer, you typically need a bachelor's degree in civil engineering or a related field, strong analytical and mathematical skills, and an understanding of transportation systems. Familiarity with AutoCAD, MicroStation, traffic simulation software (like Synchro or VISSIM), and exposure to engineering codes or standards are common technical requirements. Being detail-oriented, possessing strong communication skills, and thriving in collaborative, multidisciplinary environments are important soft skills. These abilities help ensure accurate project work, effective teamwork, and adherence to safety and design standards in transportation infrastructure projects.

What are common responsibilities and challenges for someone starting in an entry-level transportation engineering role?

As an entry-level transportation engineer, you can expect to assist with preparing design plans, conducting data collection, analyzing traffic patterns, and supporting senior engineers on infrastructure projects. Working on teams, you'll often handle fieldwork and help ensure designs comply with safety regulations and project requirements. Common challenges include learning industry-specific software quickly, adapting to varying project timelines, and managing detailed documentation. This role provides an excellent opportunity to develop technical expertise and professional skills while contributing to real-world transportation solutions.

What does an Entry Level Transportation Engineer do?

An Entry Level Transportation Engineer helps design, analyze, and improve transportation systems such as roads, highways, and public transit. They assist with traffic studies, roadway design, and safety analysis under the supervision of experienced engineers. Their work may involve using software for modeling traffic flow, preparing reports, and ensuring designs meet regulations. This role provides foundational experience in civil engineering with a focus on transportation infrastructure.

What cities in California are hiring for Entry Level Transportation Engineering jobs? Cities in California with the most Entry Level Transportation Engineering job openings:
Infographic showing various Entry Level Transportation Engineering job openings in California as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% Locum Tenens, 90% Full Time, 6% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 87% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 10% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $89,904 per year, or $43.2 per hour.
Entry-level Transportation Engineer/Planner (Summer 2026)

Entry-level Transportation Engineer/Planner (Summer 2026)

Fehr & Peers

Walnut Creek, CA โ€ข On-site

$91K - $94K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 16 days ago


Job description

If you are interested in multiple locations please only apply once, your preference will be discussed during the screening process.
ย 
At Fehr & Peers, we are a diverse group of individuals with one thing in common-a passion for transportation.ย We highly value that same passion inย candidates for our team. Our Entry-Level Engineers and Planners may expect to build a career foundation through a wide variety of experiences.ย Our emphasisย onย theย early development of project management and technical skillsย provides the tools for success as well as a foundation for increasing career growth.ย These opportunities for personal and professional growthย are maximizedย through experience in both planning and engineeringย project workย andย byย exposure toย a multitude of project types and tasks, including the following:
ย 
- Transportation impact studiesย 
- Bicycle and pedestrian planningย 
- Access, circulation, and parking studiesย 
- Multimodal operations assessmentsย 
- Completeย streets planning, operations, and designย 
- Cost estimates and project specificationsย 
- Transit forecasting and operationsย 
- Travel behavior forecastingย 
- Vehicle miles of travel (VMT) assessmentsย 
- Systemic safety studiesย 
- Highway interchange/corridor studiesย 
- Climateย actionย plansย 
- Freight planningย 
- Transportationย demandย managementย (TDM)ย plansย 
- Design drawings from the conceptual stage all the way to construction-ready documents, including the following:ย 
- Bikeways/completeย streetsย 
- Signing and stripingย 
- Traffic signals/ITSย 
- Street lightingย 
- Roundaboutsย 
- Temporary traffic controlย 
ย 
Please review the responsibilities below.
Ongoing:
  • Conduct transportation analysis and write reportsย 
  • Participate in meetings, including preparing presentations and public outreach materialsย 
  • Handle project management responsibilitiesย ย 
  • Participate in professional organizationsย 
  • Conduct site visits and collect field dataย ย 
  • Explore the Fehr & Peers internal Research and Development programย 
By the end of the first month:
  • Participate in on-the-job training and mentoringย 
  • Work on a few different projectsย 
  • Seek additional work from project managersย 
By the end of six months:
  • Work on a variety of projects with most staff in the officeย 
  • Use several technical software programsย 
  • Prepare deliverables, including memos, reports, and presentationsย 
By the end of the first year:
  • Attend multiple client meetingsย 
  • Increase responsibilityย forย managing small projectsย 
Qualifications (We encourage all applicants to apply, even if you don't meet all of the qualifications listed below)
  • An entrepreneurial spiritย andย proactive approach to communication and getting work doneย 
  • Genuine curiosity for the work and familiarity with the challenges of day-to-day travel within your communityย 
  • Completed bachelor'sย or in-progressย master's degree in transportation, civil or electrical engineering, urban and regional planning, or a related major (e.g.,ย geography, math, statistics, economics)ย 
  • Coursework in transportation, engineering, urban and regional planning, geography, math, statistics, economics, or other related courses (an EIT for engineering candidates is preferred)ย 
  • Experience or exposure related to the following topic areas (note thatย experience in all these areas is not required)ย Topic Areas: Field work, traffic operations analysis, signal design, transportation planning (e.g.,ย bicycle or transit plans, infrastructure finance, transportation and land use policy, and/or travel demand modeling)ย 
  • Experience or exposure to relevant softwareย (note thatย experience with allย software is not required). General-Microsoftย Excel, GIS (ArcGIS, QGIS), and/or CAD (AutoCAD,ย Microstation). Traffic Operations Analysis-HCS, Synchro/SimTraffic,ย Vistro, VISSIM, and/or Sidra. ย Travel Demand Modeling-Cube/Voyager,ย TransCAD, VISUM, and/or Emme. Programming-Python and/or R.ย 
  • Previous work experience in an office setting related to a topic area listed aboveย 
  • Experience with technical writing and public speaking through school and/or workย experienceย 
  • Interpersonal skills, a desire to collaborate, and a creative approach to problem-solvingย 
  • Organizational skills and the ability to balance priorities between multiple tasks within a defined timelineย 
$91,500 - $94,500 a year
Placement within the stated pay range will be determined based upon education, experience, and qualifications.
Benefit Highlights:
Medical, Dental, Vision, Life and Disability Insurance.
401(k) Plan with matching and profit sharing.
Flexible Spending Accounts.
Commuter Benefits.
Paid Vacation, holidays and sick leave.
8 weeks of Paid Parental Leave.
Mentoring and Career Development programs.
Research and Development group participation, and more.
ย 
Full information about the benefits we offer can be found by visiting our careers page.
ย 
EEO: Fehr & Peers is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing a workplace free from discrimination and harassment. We recruit, hire, develop, and promote employees based on qualifications, merit, and business needs. We do not discriminate against applicants or employees on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, disability, genetic information, veteran or military status, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

We value the unique experiences, perspectives, and contributions of our employees and are committed to creating an environment where everyone can thrive.

Nondiscrimination:ย Fehr & Peers ensures nondiscrimination in all programs and activities in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. If you need more information or special assistance for persons with disabilities or limited English proficiency, contactย Human Resources.
We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.
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