Job opportunities at state and local departments of transportation and private engineering firms include:

• Civil engineers, who design projects to build or improve transportation infrastructure
• Transportation planners, who determine infrastructure needs
• Contract managers, who draw up and oversee contracts with private engineering companies and construction firms to design and build construction projects
• Inspectors, who monitor the progress and quality of construction work to assure contract provisions are met
• Auditors and finance officers, who pay bills, collect receivables, and assure accuracy of financial transactions
• IT personnel, since most operations and records are now computerized
• Construction managers, who manage large construction projects on behalf of state or local departments of transportation
• Office and clerical workers

Most of these occupations require a college degree and some require advanced training. Salaries and benefits match those of similar professions.

The career opportunities provided by construction companies focus more heavily on construction occupations, although managerial and professional jobs are also important. In addition to jobs similar to those described above, the jobs at construction companies include:

• Project manager, who manages all aspects of a construction project
• Estimator, who can work from engineering plans to determine how much it will cost to build a project and thus the amount the construction company should bid
• Safety and environmental compliance managers
• Purchasing agent, who is responsible for purchasing needed materials and equipment
• Heavy equipment operators and truck drivers
• Skilled craftsmen, such as carpenters, electricians and mechanics
• Communications and marketing personnel
• Laborers, who do a variety of jobs that may not require special skills

Competitive Wages

Educational requirements vary by occupation, with most requiring at least a high school diploma or equivalent. Skills can be developed in training courses and on the job. Salaries are very competitive with similar jobs in manufacturing and well above those in many service industries.

Hourly earnings in the transportation construction industry are far greater than earnings in food services (60 percent), hospitality (55 percent), manufacturing (18 percent) or retail trade (39 percent)-on average, highway, street and bridge construction workers earn 22 percent more than other hourly employees in the private sector.

Here are just a few examples of the hundreds of jobs and opportunities waiting for you-and the average annual salaries in 2007.

Construction Executive Management

President and CEOs- $80,000 to $1,200,000
Executive vice presidents- $30,000 to $400,000
CFO or Accountant- $35,000 to $250,000

Designing the Infrastructure

Highway, civil, traffic and
structural engineers - $58,000 to $71,000
Architects - $31,000 to $100,000
Surveyors - $30,000 to $66,000

Building the Infrastructure

Project managers - $34,000 to $160,000
Foreman/supervisors and superintendents - $35,000 to $114,000
Estimators - $26,000 to $190,000
Equipment mechanic - $19,950 to $86,100
Carpenter - $21,275 to $105,000
Concrete finisher - $19,450 to $75,600
Excavating machine operator - $21,000 to $92,400
Grader, dozer or scraper operator - $18,900 to $90,300
Paving/surfacing equipment operator - $18,900 to $96,600
Truck driver - $18,900 to $65,100
Skilled highway worker - $16,800 to $67,200
Laborer or helper - $14,700 to $65,800

Public Sector Officials

Government transportation officials- $20,000 to $150,000
Highway maintenance workers- $18,000 to $50,000

Other Occupations

Computer specialists - $30,000 to $115,000
Chief engineer - $43,000 to $162,000
Project engineer - $31,000 to $150,000
Financial managers - $50,000 to $100,000
Purchasing managers - $24,700 to $97,000
Personnel director - $35,000 to $140,000
Clerk and office workers - $16,000 to $82,000

Source: ARTBA analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Data; ARTBA Transportation Construction Salary & Benefits Survey; Additional data from salary.com

Resources

You can learn more about industry careers through these resources:

Each year, ARTBA conducts a survey of wages and salaries paid by construction companies for most jobs. The following table shows the national average for many construction jobs in 2008, although local wages and salaries can vary significantly.

• Survey of Wages and Salary Summary

The online ARTBA job board is also an excellent resource.

Many states and ARTBA contractor chapters host "Construction Career Days." These workforce development forums introduce high school students to careers in the transportation construction industry. Visit www.uritc.org to learn more.

Check out the ARTBA workforce development brochure, developed by the association's Young Executive Leadership Council, which is the perfect handout for a "Construction Career Day" or recruiting event.