10 Best Paying Jobs In Transportation – Driving Towards A High-Paying Career

What are the best paying jobs in transportation? You can work simply as a truck driver and earn a decent salary. But transportation means more than driving trucks or cabs. Air traffic control, highway engineering, air traffic controls, and water vessel captains also come under transportation jobs.

You will be shocked to know that 14.9 million US citizens (10.2% of the US laborers) worked in the transportation and warehousing industry. According to current predictions, the transportation sector will grow at a CAGR of 3.4% through 2027.

So, do you have a job opportunity in the transportation sector? Well, you do. There are many jobs in the transportation sector. You might be interested in some popular job roles in this sector. Want to know more? Give this article a read –

Best Paying Jobs In Transportation

If you don’t want to work in the other sepcialty stores, or computer software prepackaged software, you can try the transportation sector. So, if you are interested in working in this large and growing industry, you can look for the job opportunities I have listed in this article.

1. Tractor-Trailer Truck Driver

One of the best paying jobs in transportation is the job of a truck driver. Truck drivers usually have to drive for long hours, requiring extreme focus. They need to get driver’s permits and certifications and plan trip routes.

Some additional responsibilities of truck or trailer drivers also include inspecting their vehicles and the goods or the raw materials that they are delivering to someplace else. They also need good communication skills and need to stay attuned with their employers, other truck drivers, and dispatchers.

• Annual Salary In The US: $73,322 per year

2. Transportation Coordinator

When looking for the best paying jobs in trucking freight/courier services, you may come across the role of transportation coordinator. In the role of Transportation coordinator, you don’t have to do a lot of moving around. Your work will generally revolve around reviewing different schedules, cargo, requisitions, and other similar information.

You may use different software and plan the efficiency of different routes by planning different events, constructions, and peak travel periods. As a coordinator, you will assign routes, schedule drivers’ shifts, and create reports regarding operations.

• Annual Salary In The US: $53,091 per year

3. Dump Truck Driver

The role of a dump truck driver is one of the best paying jobs in transportation. As a dump truck driver, you will be transporting waste from one construction site to another site. You need to have different permits for carrying loads on your truck, administer landing bills, and also communicate with other drivers, customers, dispatchers, and other drivers when needed. You may have to do minor work of using logbooks and onboard computers sometimes.

• Annual Salary In The US: $57,458 per year

4. Air Traffic Controllers

what do transportation jobs pay? Well, they pay you a good salary, to begin with. Talking about a well-paying job in the transportation sector, you can choose to be an air traffic controller. They manage aircraft movements both on the ground and in the air.

You have to provide the pilots with the necessary informations and perform well under stress, similar to the pilots. You may have to work at night, on days, and also on Holidays. It is clearly one of the most stressful jobs in transportation. It is also one of the best paying jobs in transportation.

• The median annual salary of air traffic controllers is $129,750.

5. Captains Of Water Vessels

As a ship or a water vessel captain, you will be responsible for lots of operations responsibility. You will have the highest authority in the vessel you are serving. Due to the seriousness and criticality of the legal and other risks you have to take, it is one of the best paying jobs in transportation.

• You can earn an average median salary of $81,640 as a water vessel captain.

6. Bus Driver

As a bus driver, you will be transporting passengers through specific routes. You can work at different transit systems, urban transportation authorities, and in private transportation companies. Bus drivers are also needed for school buses, fire brigades, and hospitals.

Aside from driving, some of your common responsibilities will be checking the vehicles’ mechanical problems, reporting delays, checking bus passes, etc.

• The average salary of Bus drivers in the US is – $46,060 per year.

7. Highway Engineers

When planning and working on road construction designs, the highway engineers have to consider many things. They have to think about traffic patterns, drainage, lighting, pedestrian activity, native wildlife, and more during the planning and construction of roads.

Yes, engineering is also part of the transportation sector. But you need to have a degree in civil engineering and earn other necessary certifications.

• The annual salary of a highway construction engineer is $101,824 per year.

8. Railroad Conductor

How can we leave the railway transportation out of the picture when talking about the best paying jobs in construction? As a railway conductor, you have to take care of rail car inspection, ticket inspection, reviewing freight orders, and preparing and managing records. You also have to work closely with locomotive engineers.

You will typically need a high school or equivalent degree for this job. Having on-the-job training experience also works well on your behalf.

• Here is the salary you can earn – $63,960 per year.

9. Marine Engineers

Do transportation jobs pay well? You can ask the Marine engineers. As a marine engineer, you will be responsible for building the internal system of a ship, propulsion, electricity, and refrigeration, etc. Some marine engineers often hold specialty creating ships like submarines, sailboats, or tankers.

• You can expect a good salary of $93,370 per year.

10. Flight Attendants

When looking for the best paying jobs in transportation, you can look for the role of a flight attendant. Aside from taking care of the passengers, you have to help them with preflight briefings with the pilot, emergency checks before take-off, and more. You have to also attend to their different requirements during the flight.

• You can expect a yearly salary of $70000 in this transportation job.

11. Owner Operator Tank Jobs

Owner operator tank jobs are among the best-paying jobs in transportation. Operating specialized tanker trucks for transporting liquids and gases, such as chemicals and petroleum, offers lucrative earnings through a percentage of the total freight revenue. The flexibility of choosing routes and schedules further enhances income potential. However, safety compliance is crucial due to handling hazardous materials.

Bottom Line

Most of the jobs listed in this article are well-paid options in the transportation industry. You can choose from the different best paying jobs in transportation listed here. But, you must know that the salary figures are average numbers based on data from different US employees. They vary under various jurisdictions and in different places.

However, the difference will not be greater. You will not regret choosing one of the jobs listed here. I hope that you have found the answer to your query. However, if you have any additional questions, we are ready to hear them. Just leave them in the comment section.

Additional Reading:

• What Are The Best Paying Jobs In Major Banks?
• How Many Jobs Are Available In Other Specialty Stores?
• What Are The Best Paying Jobs In Computer Software Prepackaged Software?