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 roles67
Top employerBKF Engineers
Top citySan Jose, CA
Cities hiring32
Work type51% Hybrid
Top industryConsulting

Showing 5 of 67+ Transportation Engineer jobs

BAKER ELECTRIC
Transportation - Project Engineer II
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BAKER ELECTRIC
Added 2d ago
Transportation - Project Engineer II
BAKER ELECTRIC
Escondido, California
Engineering (Non-Software)
Manufacturing Engineering
Specialized Engineering
$70k - $82k/yr
Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering
201-500

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Caltrans - CA Dept. of Transportation
Transportation Engineer (Civil)
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Caltrans - CA Dept. of Transportation
Added 2d ago
Transportation Engineer (Civil)
Caltrans - CA Dept. of Transportation
Alameda County, CA
Civil Engineering
$6,488 - $12k/yr
Hybrid

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Caltrans - CA Dept. of Transportation
Transportation Engineer (Civil)
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Caltrans - CA Dept. of Transportation
Added 2d ago
Transportation Engineer (Civil)
Caltrans - CA Dept. of Transportation
Shasta County, CA
AI (Artificial Intelligence)
Data Science
ML (Machine Learning)
$6,488 - $12k/yr
Hybrid

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Caltrans - CA Dept. of Transportation
Supervising Transportation Engineer, Caltrans
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Caltrans - CA Dept. of Transportation
Added 2d ago
Supervising Transportation Engineer, Caltrans
Caltrans - CA Dept. of Transportation
Sacramento County, CA
Business Operations
Executive Leadership & C-Suite
Project Management
Sales
$14k - $16k/yr
Hybrid
Military encouraged

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Caltrans - CA Dept. of Transportation
Senior Transportation Engineer, Caltrans
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Caltrans - CA Dept. of Transportation
Added 5d ago
Senior Transportation Engineer, Caltrans
Caltrans - CA Dept. of Transportation
Sacramento County, CA
Customer Service
Customer Success
Customer Support
$11k - $14k/yr
Hybrid

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See All 67 Transportation Engineer Jobs in California

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Transportation Engineer Jobs by City in California

Where California roles are concentrated, by current openings.

San Jose
5 jobs
Irvine
4 jobs
Sacramento
4 jobs
Oakland
3 jobs
San Diego
2 jobs
Pleasanton
2 jobs
Redwood City
2 jobs
Walnut Creek
2 jobs
San Francisco
2 jobs

Transportation Engineer Job Market in California

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

Who's Hiring

  • BKF Engineers
    BKF Engineers22
  • Caltrans - CA Dept. of Transportation
    Caltrans - CA Dept. of Transportation13
  • Fehr & Peers
    Fehr & Peers3
  • Ryder System
    Ryder System3
  • Terracon Consultants
    Terracon Consultants3

Top Industries Hiring

  • Consulting & Professional Services23
  • Law & Legal Services2
  • Energy1
  • Construction & Real Estate1

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, Caltrans - CA Dept. of Transportation, and Fehr & Peers, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 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 Jose, Sacramento County, and Irvine 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 61% of transportation engineer openings tied to California are remote or hybrid as of August 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 67 Transportation Engineer Jobs in California

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

Find Transportation Engineer Jobs