Transit Planners: How to Become One
If you were to ask a group of transit planners about how they arrived at their current job, there's a good chance you would get several different answers about the paths and steps that each person took.
That said, there are still ways that you can develop a baseline understanding of the preparation that is necessary to become one.
The Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has gathered data to provide you with insight into the type of education that's commonly required for transit planners to land a job. This page contains information, sourced from real job postings, that describes the experience levels and specific skills that employers of transit planners expect candidates to have. In the end, this information will help you create an education or professional development plan that aligns with your career aspirations.
Keep reading to learn more about career steps for transit planners.
What Education & Experience is Needed for Transit Planners?
Do transit planners need a degree? What kind of experience do transit planners typically need? Thanks to data sourced from Lightcast™ from real job postings, we can get some clarity on those questions, as well as the level of education that is commonly required for transit planners to secure jobs.
Education Level Required in Job Postings for Transit Planners
Jobs Postings for Transit Planners By Education
- Bachelor's degree: 8,662 (35%)
- No Education Listed: 6,261 (25%)
- High School or GED: 5,043 (20%)
- Master's degree: 3,687 (15%)
- Ph.D. or professional degree: 1,063 (4%)
A bachelor's degree is the level of education sought the most by employers of transit planners. According to job data, a bachelor's degree was required for 35% of positions. In 25% of job listings no education level was listed and in 20% of postings a High School diploma or GED was required.
Experience Level Required in Job Postings for Transit Planners
Jobs Postings for Transit Planners By Experience
- 0-1 Years: 3,017 (27%)
- 2-3 Years: 3,970 (36%)
- 4-6 Years: 2,901 (26%)
- 7-9 Years: 563 (5%)
- 10+ Years: 648 (6%)
While the amount of required experience will vary based on the responsibility and seniority of the position, an aggregate view of job posting data can help paint a picture of the experience level sought for most job openings for transit planners. In 36% of job postings for Transit Planners, employers were looking for candidates with 2-3 years of experience. In 27% of listings employers were looking for candidates with 0-1 years of experience, while 4-6 years of experience was sought in 26% of job postings for transit planners.
What Kind of Degree Do Transit Planners Need?
So far this page has provided detail into the level of education and the amount of experience required in job openings for transit planners, but what type of education or degree will help prepare you for a career in the field?
According to occupational data obtained through Lightcast,™ there are 25 key academic programs that can help prepare prospective transit planners, and in 2023 a total of 83,895 of those programs were completed at institutions in the United States.
Check out the information below to learn more about the specific programs that should be considered by prospective transit planners.
Top Degree Programs for Transit Planners
Top 5 Degree Programs for Transit Planners (2023)
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| Sociology, General. | 33,034 |
| Humanities/Humanistic Studies. | 20,087 |
| Social Sciences, General. | 15,927 |
| Behavioral Sciences. | 4,777 |
| Learning Sciences. | 2,863 |
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| Sociology, General. | 33,034 |
| Humanities/Humanistic Studies. | 20,087 |
| Social Sciences, General. | 15,927 |
| Behavioral Sciences. | 4,777 |
| Learning Sciences. | 2,863 |
| Social Sciences, Other. | 2,040 |
| Research Methodology and Quantitative Methods. | 1,496 |
| Gerontology. | 908 |
| Geography and Environmental Studies. | 809 |
| Health Policy Analysis. | 378 |
| Medical/Health Humanities. | 345 |
| Adult Development and Aging. | 265 |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services, Other. | 254 |
| Philosophy, Politics, and Economics. | 153 |
| Public Policy Analysis, Other. | 143 |
| Education Policy Analysis. | 129 |
| Energy and Environmental Policy. | 81 |
| Demography and Population Studies. | 70 |
| History and Political Science. | 68 |
| Anthrozoology. | 47 |
| Economics and Foreign Language/Literature. | 12 |
| Applied Demography. | 6 |
| Survey Research/Methodology. | 1 |
| Geoarcheaology. | 1 |
| Linguistics and Anthropology. | 1 |
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What Skills Do Transit Planners Need?
Education and experience have been covered, so what are the specific skills and traits needed by transit planners to secure a job?
A good way to understand this is to examine actual job postings for skills commonly sought by employers. Continue reading for a breakdown of specialized skills found in job postings for transit planners, as well as common skills that can help you thrive in the workplace.
In-Demand Skills for Today's Transit Planners
Based on 20,662 job postings
Top 5 Specialized Skills for Transit Planners
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation Planning | 3,119 | 15% |
| Project Management | 2,603 | 13% |
| Data Analysis | 1,873 | 9% |
| Supply Chain | 1,554 | 8% |
| Civil Engineering | 1,396 | 7% |
Top 5 Common Skills for Transit Planners
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Communication | 8,609 | 42% |
| Management | 7,014 | 34% |
| Operations | 6,703 | 32% |
| Planning | 6,214 | 30% |
| Customer Service | 4,686 | 23% |
Based on 20,662 job postings related to transit planners, transportation planning was the top specialized skill sought by employers, with 15% of all postings looking for that skillset. Skills for project management, data analysis, supply chain, civil engineering and auditing were also highly sought.
As for common skills, communication was the most desired skill found in job postings for transit planners, followed by management, operations, planning, customer service and writing.
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation Planning | 3,119 | 15% |
| Project Management | 2,603 | 13% |
| Data Analysis | 1,873 | 9% |
| Supply Chain | 1,554 | 8% |
| Civil Engineering | 1,396 | 7% |
| Auditing | 1,377 | 7% |
| Urban Planning | 1,307 | 6% |
| Geographic Information Systems | 1,265 | 6% |
| Data Collection | 1,212 | 6% |
| Finance | 1,125 | 5% |
| Invoicing | 1,118 | 5% |
| Transportation Analysis | 1,070 | 5% |
| Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) | 1,019 | 5% |
| Warehousing | 1,016 | 5% |
| Accounting | 1,014 | 5% |
| Process Improvement | 1,005 | 5% |
| Regional Planning | 985 | 5% |
| Procurement | 980 | 5% |
| Intelligent Transportation Systems | 924 | 4% |
| Social Sciences | 900 | 4% |
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Communication | 8,609 | 42% |
| Management | 7,014 | 34% |
| Operations | 6,703 | 32% |
| Planning | 6,214 | 30% |
| Customer Service | 4,686 | 23% |
| Writing | 4,028 | 19% |
| Coordinating | 3,802 | 18% |
| Research | 3,748 | 18% |
| Microsoft Office | 3,518 | 17% |
| Microsoft Excel | 3,303 | 16% |
| Leadership | 3,125 | 15% |
| Detail Oriented | 3,002 | 15% |
| Problem Solving | 2,857 | 14% |
| Presentations | 2,440 | 12% |
| Sales | 2,303 | 11% |
| Scheduling | 2,065 | 10% |
| Verbal Communication Skills | 1,994 | 10% |
| Organizational Skills | 1,805 | 9% |
| Multitasking | 1,796 | 9% |
| Good Driving Record | 1,703 | 8% |
Additional Links
Ready to dig deeper into career information about transit planners? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for transit planners.
What do transit planners do?
How much do transit planners make?
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The Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has compiled data for dozens of in-demand jobs. Explore our full catalog of occupation data by visiting the link below.