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Transportation Economist

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April 11, 2024 Updated April 18, 2025 18 minute read

Transportation Economist

Transportation economists apply the principles of economics to understand and analyze transportation systems. This specialized field examines how people and goods move, the costs and benefits associated with different modes of transport, and the impact of transportation infrastructure and policies on the wider economy and society. It's an interdisciplinary area, often blending insights from economics, civil engineering, urban planning, and data science to tackle complex challenges related to mobility, efficiency, and sustainability.

Working as a transportation economist can be intellectually stimulating. You might find yourself evaluating multi-billion dollar infrastructure projects, designing innovative pricing schemes to manage traffic congestion, or forecasting how new technologies like autonomous vehicles will reshape our cities and economies. The role offers the chance to influence decisions that directly affect how people live, work, and connect with each other, making it a potentially rewarding path for those interested in applying economic reasoning to real-world problems.

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Salaries for Transportation Economist

City
Median
New York
$170,000
San Francisco
$146,000
Seattle
$163,000
See all salaries
City
Median
New York
$170,000
San Francisco
$146,000
Seattle
$163,000
Austin
$136,000
Toronto
$98,000
London
£75,000
Paris
€75,000
Berlin
€86,000
Tel Aviv
₪344,000
Singapore
S$124,800
Beijing
¥114,000
Shanghai
¥140,000
Shenzhen
¥288,000
Bengalaru
₹550,000
Delhi
₹578,000
Bars indicate relevance. All salaries presented are estimates. Completion of this course does not guarantee or imply job placement or career outcomes.

Reading list

We haven't picked any books for this reading list yet.
A comprehensive handbook covering the latest advances in transportation science, including research on transportation modeling, optimization, and simulation. Suitable for researchers and practitioners.
Comprehensive handbook of transportation engineering. It covers all aspects of transportation engineering, from the basics to the most advanced topics.
A journal on transport policy, publishing research on the development, implementation, and evaluation of transport policies and strategies.
Explores the relationship between transportation and economic development, focusing on the role of transportation in promoting economic growth and development.
Addresses the planning and practice of sustainable transportation, with an emphasis on reducing the environmental and social impacts of transportation.
Provides a comprehensive overview of the economic and policy issues related to transportation, including pricing, regulation, and investment.
Provides a comprehensive overview of the field of transport planning, covering topics such as land use planning, transportation planning, and transportation policy. It good starting point for students and practitioners who want to learn more about the field.
Provides a comprehensive overview of the field of transport and climate change, covering topics such as the impact of transport on climate change, and the role of transport in mitigating climate change. It good starting point for students and practitioners who want to learn more about the field.
Provides a comprehensive overview of the field of sustainable transport planning, covering topics such as transportation planning, land use planning, and environmental impact assessment.
This handbook provides a comprehensive overview of the field of traffic engineering, covering topics such as traffic analysis, traffic signal design, and intersection design.
Provides a comprehensive overview of the field of highway engineering, covering topics such as highway planning, design, and construction. It good starting point for students and practitioners who want to learn more about the field.
A textbook on transportation economics, providing an economic analysis of transportation systems, including pricing, investment, regulation, and environmental issues.
A textbook on integrated transport, providing a model-based approach to understanding the interactions between different modes of transportation and their impact on accessibility, mobility, and sustainability.
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