by our College Data Analytics TeamAre you interested in driving vehicles and transporting material goods or people? Do you want to drive large construction vehicles or small commercial trucks? A major in ground transportation may be a good fit for you. This wide-reaching field can lead to a number of different career options.
The transportation field offers careers in busing and public transportation, commercial trucking and heavy machine operation. You could be anything from a long distance truck driver to working heavy machines on a construction site.
Approximately 10 million people work in the ground transportation industry, and according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, many transportation-related careers will see average growth over the next ten years.
When it comes to education, the required skills and education will vary with position, but for most heavy vehicles you will need a commercial driver's license. If you will be transporting hazardous materials, a Hazmat certification will also be needed. Vocational schools offering degrees in ground transportation will teach you about transportation-related rules and regulations, machine operation and safety. They may also receive instruction in basic land surveying techniques and how to work from plans and marking stakes. More advanced degrees will delve into the areas of supply chains and logistics.
Studying Ground Transportation involves the study of Ground Transportation. Continue reading for the essential details every ground transportation student should know — including career paths, salary data, the skills you will develop, and the best colleges offering ground transportation programs.
Across the country, ground transportation is a widely-pursued major, with 22,968 degrees awarded annually.
Our 2026 Best Ground Transportation Schools ranking analyzes these 269 schools to determine the best overall colleges for ground transportation students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of ground transportation programs later in this article.
Coursework for Ground Transportation develop a specific mix of skills, knowledge, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in the occupations ground transportation graduates commonly enter.
Besides educational requirements, you will also need a number of other skills to ensure public safety.
You will need to be in good health and free of conditions that could cause you to lose consciousness or other impairment. You must also have good hand-eye coordination and decent eyesight and hearing - all important traits for working in transportation.
If you plan to work in the public arena, you will also want to have good customer service and interpersonal skills.
The skill set developed in a ground transportation program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:
Based on O*NET data, a ground transportation major emphasizes the following knowledge areas:
There are several ground transportation 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 | 906 |
| Associate Degree | 2 years | 100 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 12,042 |
People currently working in careers related to ground transportation tend to have obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| High school diploma or equivalent | 68.6% |
| Less than a high school diploma | 12.4% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 9.7% |
| Some college courses | 6.5% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 1.6% |
| Bachelor’s degree | 0.9% |
| Master’s degree | 0.1% |
| Doctoral degree | 0.1% |
View the chart below to get an idea of what level of education most of those in ground transportation careers hold.
Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*
A degree in ground transportation can lead to a variety of career paths. Below are some of the most common occupations related to ground transportation.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to ground transportation.
| 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% |
| 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% |
| Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity | 1,223,795 | -1.9% |
| Dredge Operators | 938,261 | 12.3% |
| Hoist and Winch Operators | 906,578 | -0.0% |
Federal data tracks median earnings of ground transportation graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb as graduates gain experience.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $43,832 |
| 4 years | $42,430 |
| 5 years | $45,687 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.
Salaries for ground transportation graduates vary widely by occupation. The following table shows the top highest-paying careers ground transportation grads often go into.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary | $86,398 |
| Extraction Workers, All Other | $76,527 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Material-Moving Machine and Vehicle Operators | $66,225 |
| Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators | $64,008 |
| Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters | $61,311 |
| Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators | $60,332 |
| Rail Transportation Workers, All Other | $58,561 |
| Continuous Mining Machine Operators | $55,998 |
With 269 different ground transportation programs to choose from, finding the best fit can be a challenge. We have analyzed these schools to produce unbiased ground transportation school rankings to help you.
Students interested in ground transportation, you may also want to explore other closely related fields of study within the same broad area.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Air Transportation | 11,070 |
| Marine Transportation | 1,158 |
| Transportation and Materials Moving, Other | 34 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
