Transportation Engineer Jobs in California

Transportation Engineer jobs in California represent one of the most active markets in the country, concentrated in infrastructure, transit, and public-works sectors and open to candidates from entry-level project assistant through senior principal engineer. The heaviest hiring sits in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego, where firms like AECOM, WSP, and Caltrans have deep, lasting presences and recurring recruitment cycles. The most in-demand specialties right now are traffic operations, multimodal corridor design, and transportation planning tied to California's ongoing highway and rail programs. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.

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Overview

Open roles77+
Top employerBKF Engineers
Top citySan Francisco, CA
Cities hiring28
Work type73% On-site
Top industryConsulting

Showing 5 of 77+ Transportation Engineer jobs

Fehr & Peers
Transportation Engineer
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Fehr & Peers
Added 3d ago
Transportation Engineer
Fehr & Peers
San Francisco, California
Specialized Engineering
Civil & Structural Engineering
Project & Program Management
Engineering (Non-Software)
Civil Engineering
Project Management
$140k - $190k/yr
On-Site
Bachelor's
201-500

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HDR
Transportation Engineer
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HDR
Added 1w ago
Transportation Engineer
HDR
Sacramento, California
Specialized Engineering
Civil & Structural Engineering
Project & Program Management
Engineering (Non-Software)
Civil Engineering
Project Management
$88k - $143k/yr
On-Site
Bachelor's
10,000+

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Fehr & Peers
Entry-Level Transportation Engineer/Planner
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Fehr & Peers
Added 3w ago
Entry-Level Transportation Engineer/Planner
Fehr & Peers
Long Beach, California
Specialized Engineering
Civil & Structural Engineering
Engineering (Non-Software)
Civil Engineering
$80k - $86k/yr
On-Site
Bachelor's
201-500

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Consor Engineers
Transportation Engineering Project Manager
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Consor Engineers
Added 3w ago
Transportation Engineering Project Manager
Consor Engineers
Rancho Cordova, California
Project & Program Management
Civil & Structural Engineering
Project Management
Civil Engineering
$180k - $260k/yr
On-Site
Bachelor's
1,001-5,000

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BKF Engineers
Traffic / Transportation Engineer II - Project Engineer
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BKF Engineers
Added 1mo ago
Traffic / Transportation Engineer II - Project Engineer
BKF Engineers
Redwood City, California
Specialized Engineering
Civil & Structural Engineering
Engineering (Non-Software)
Civil Engineering
$99k - $135k/yr
Hybrid
Bachelor's
501-1,000

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See All 77 Transportation Engineer Jobs in California

Find roles in California that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.

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Transportation Engineer Jobs by City in California

Where California roles are concentrated, by current openings.

San Francisco
10 jobs
Los Angeles
7 jobs
San Jose
7 jobs
Oakland
6 jobs
Long Beach
4 jobs
Pleasanton
4 jobs
Redwood City
4 jobs
San Diego
4 jobs
South San Francisco
3 jobs

Transportation Engineer Job Market in California

A snapshot from current California openings, updated as new roles post.

Who's Hiring

  • BKF Engineers
    BKF Engineers30
  • HDR
    HDR8
  • Fehr & Peers
    Fehr & Peers4
  • Kimley-Horn
    Kimley-Horn3
  • AECOM
    AECOM2

Top Industries Hiring

  • Consulting & Professional Services46
  • Technology & Software7
  • Construction & Real Estate6
  • Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals3
  • Electronics & Hardware3

What California Employers Look For

The qualifications that appear most often in transportation engineer jobs across California.

  • Active Professional Engineer license issued or recognized by the California Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists
  • Bachelor's degree in civil engineering, transportation engineering, or a closely related field
  • Proficiency with traffic analysis software such as Synchro, VISSIM, or HCS
  • Familiarity with Caltrans design standards, the Highway Design Manual, and California MUTCD
  • Experience preparing or reviewing CEQA transportation impact analyses
  • Strong technical writing skills for reports, specifications, and agency correspondence

Transportation Engineer Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions

How do you become a transportation engineer in California?

The standard path starts with a bachelor's degree in civil or transportation engineering, followed by passing the Fundamentals of Engineering exam to become an Engineer in Training. After gaining qualifying experience, you apply to the California Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists to sit for the Civil PE exam, earning your Professional Engineer license. Many California employers also value experience with Caltrans project delivery and familiarity with CEQA requirements.

How much do transportation engineers make in California?

Transportation engineers in California earn a median of about $122,500 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $77,980 for the lowest 10% to over $175,940 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.

Which companies hire transportation engineers in California?

Employers hiring transportation engineers in California right now include BKF Engineers, HDR, and Fehr & Peers, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of June 2026. California's large public agencies, including Caltrans and regional metropolitan planning organizations, are also consistent sources of openings alongside private engineering consulting firms.

Which California cities have the most transportation engineer jobs?

San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Jose hold the most transportation engineer openings in California. Los Angeles and San Francisco dominate because of their scale, ongoing freeway and transit capital programs, and the density of engineering consulting offices headquartered or staffed there, while San Diego draws consistent demand from both military infrastructure projects and regional transit expansion.

Are there remote transportation engineer jobs in California?

Yes, but they're rare. About 27% of transportation engineer openings tied to California are remote or hybrid as of June 2026, reflecting the field's reliance on field investigations, agency meetings, and construction oversight. The tasks most likely to be performed remotely are traffic modeling, report writing, and planning studies that do not require a physical site presence.

How can I get hired as a transportation engineer in California with little or no experience?

The most realistic entry path is an internship or associate-engineer role at a large California consulting firm or a public agency such as Caltrans or a county public works department, which run structured new-graduate programs with mentorship toward PE licensure. Candidates moving from adjacent roles in civil design, urban planning, or GIS analysis are well-positioned, and holding an Engineer in Training certificate from the California board gives your application a clear credential signal even before you have years of project experience.

Where can I find and apply to transportation engineer jobs in California?

You can find and apply to transportation engineer jobs in California on Migrate Mate, which lists current California openings from employers actively hiring. Find the roles that fit your experience and location, then apply directly to each one.

See All 77 Transportation Engineer Jobs in California

Find roles in California that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.

Find Transportation Engineer Jobs