Transportation Planner (19-3099.01)

Career Family

Life, Physical, & Social Science → Urban & Transportation Planning

Fit Summary

Investigative (I) + Social (S) and Conventional (C). INTJ/ENFJ who enjoy data, maps, and stakeholder engagement.

Career Overview

Analyze travel patterns; develop plans for transit, roads, biking, and walking; model demand; prepare reports and maps; run public meetings; coordinate with agencies to prioritize projects and secure funding.

Credential Pathways

Typical Education: Bachelor’s to master’s in planning, civil engineering, or geography; GIS/modeling experience (Job Zone 4–5).

Pathways: Assistant planner → planner → senior/transportation planner → project manager; routes into policy or consulting.

Regulatory Moat: Public process requirements; environmental review; funding program rules (e.g., MPO, federal/state).

Alternative Pathways: From GIS analyst or engineering tech; planning certificates.

Environment & Lifestyle

• Work Environment: Offices with field/site visits; public meetings after hours at times.
• Sensory/Social Load: Moderate—stakeholder engagement and coordination.
• Physicality/Fieldwork: Low to medium—site walks.
• Geographic Anchoring: Municipalities, MPOs, DOTs, and consultancies.
• Remote Amenability: High—analysis/mapping can be remote.

Future-Proofing Snapshot

• AI Augmentation Potential: High — modeling, scenario analysis, and visualization.
• AI Displacement Risk: Low — public process and policy judgment remain human.
• AI New Task Creation: Some — micromobility and curb management analytics.
• AI Skill Shift Intensity: Medium — data science and communication tools.
• Automation Risk Score: Low.
• Human-Core Score: Strong — systems thinking and public interest.
• Overall Vulnerability/Resilience: Stable with infrastructure investment.
• Emerging Trends: Complete streets, climate resilience, Vision Zero, electrification.

Risks / Watchpoints

• Public opposition to projects
• Data uncertainty in models
• Funding/political shifts

Notes on Fit

Great for civic-minded analysts who like maps, meetings, and making travel safer and cleaner.

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