by our College Data Analytics TeamPeople and goods travel by air, ground, or sea and need trained professionals to build, operate and manage transportation equipment, as well as to plan routes and direct traffic. A program in Transportation and Materials Moving will provide with the technical knowledge and skills needed to operate and maintain these means of transportation.
Two majors associated with this field are Air Transportation and Marine Transportation. Students involved in these majors will learn the historic and present uses for these crafts. Courses in an Air Transportation program include: ground support operations, aviation safety, air traffic control, and federal aviation regulations. Marine Transportation students will take courses in crew supervision, catch identification, safety procedures, decompression systems, and diving safety procedures.
This major is commonly offered as a Bachelor's degree, however depending on which concentration you choose you can receive it as an associate's degree or certification.
A major in Transportation & Materials Moving covers Transportation And Materials Moving. Instructional Programs That Prepare Individuals To Apply Technical Knowledge And Skills To Perform Tasks And Services That Facilitate The Movement Of People Or Materials. Continue reading for the important information every transportation & materials moving major should know — including career paths, salary data, the skills you will develop, and the best colleges offering transportation & materials moving programs.
In the U.S., transportation & materials moving draws strong interest, with 35,230 degrees awarded annually.
Our 2026 Best Transportation & Materials Moving Schools ranking analyzes these 473 schools to determine the best overall colleges for transportation & materials moving students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of transportation & materials moving programs later in this article.
Studies in Transportation & Materials Moving develop a specific mix of skills, knowledge, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in the occupations transportation & materials moving graduates commonly enter.
Careers in this field often involve working outdoors lifting heavy materials and braving extreme weather conditions. Students should enjoy working outdoors and possess physical strength and stamina. Working at sea or in the sky can be unpredictable. You will be required to make quick decisions and remain calm under chaotic conditions.
Communication skills are essential to this major, as you will be working directly with others and need to follow directions carefully. If you are a problem solver and are able to make quick decisions, this major is for you. Many programs require or encourage internships to allow students to gain first-hand experience in the field.
The skill set built by a transportation & materials moving program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:
Per O*NET surveys, a transportation & materials moving major emphasizes the following knowledge areas:
There are several transportation & materials moving degree levels. The table below shows the typical length of the most common levels, and how many graduates earn each one.
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate | Varies | 1,396 |
| Associate Degree | 2 years | 1,939 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 7,392 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 14,402 |
| Doctorate | At least 4 years | 28 |
People currently working in careers related to transportation & materials moving tend to have obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| High school diploma or equivalent | 53.1% |
| Less than a high school diploma | 12.3% |
| Bachelor’s degree | 12.2% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 12.1% |
| Some college courses | 6.6% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 2.2% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 0.7% |
| Master’s degree | 0.6% |
| Post-doctoral training | 0.1% |
See the chart below to get an idea of what level of education most of those in transportation & materials moving careers hold.
Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*
Careers in this field involve transportation vehicles and spending time working outdoors. Some jobs in the field of air transportation are: Aircraft Pilot, Air Traffic Controller, Airline Flight Attendant, and Aircraft and Avionics equipment mechanics and technicians. Jobs in the Marine Transportation field are : ship captain, executive officer, engineers and ranking mates, fisher and related fishing worker, fishing operations supervisor, deep-water or scuba diver, or diving instructor. Other positions include warehouse manager, trucking manager, logistics specialist, regional planner and others.
Majoring in transportation & materials moving prepares you for numerous career paths. Below are some of the most common occupations related to transportation & materials moving.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to transportation & materials moving.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers | 1,518,529 | 10.4% |
| Shuttle Drivers and Chauffeurs | 1,517,174 | 7.5% |
| Motorboat Operators | 1,512,311 | 3.1% |
| Rail Transportation Workers, All Other | 1,424,783 | 5.9% |
| Subway and Streetcar Operators | 1,309,856 | -4.4% |
| Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters | 1,270,833 | 3.3% |
| Airfield Operations Specialists | 1,262,439 | 12.9% |
| Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity | 1,223,795 | -1.9% |
The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of transportation & materials moving graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise as graduates gain experience.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $46,954 |
| 4 years | $50,366 |
| 5 years | $56,178 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.
Salaries for transportation & materials moving graduates vary widely by occupation. The following table shows the top highest-paying careers transportation & materials moving grads often go into.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Supply Chain Managers | $138,103 |
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $76,615 |
| Extraction Workers, All Other | $76,527 |
| Motorboat Operators | $67,056 |
| Ship Engineers | $67,019 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Material-Moving Machine and Vehicle Operators | $66,225 |
| Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters | $61,311 |
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $58,648 |
With 473 different transportation & materials moving programs to choose from, finding the best fit can be a challenge. We have analyzed these schools to produce unbiased transportation & materials moving school rankings to help you.
If you are interested in transportation & materials moving, you may also want to explore other closely related fields of study within the same broad area.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Ground Transportation | 22,968 |
| Air Transportation | 11,070 |
| Marine Transportation | 1,158 |
| Transportation and Materials Moving, Other | 34 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
