by our College Data Analytics TeamPeople and goods travel by air, ground, or sea and need trained professionals to build, operate and manage transportation equipment, as well as to plan routes and direct traffic. A program in Transportation and Materials Moving will provide with the technical knowledge and skills needed to operate and maintain these means of transportation.
Two majors associated with this field are Air Transportation and Marine Transportation. Students involved in these majors will learn the historic and present uses for these crafts. Courses in an Air Transportation program include: ground support operations, aviation safety, air traffic control, and federal aviation regulations. Marine Transportation students will take courses in crew supervision, catch identification, safety procedures, decompression systems, and diving safety procedures.
This major is commonly offered as a Bachelor's degree, however depending on which concentration you choose you can receive it as an associate's degree or certification.
Transportation & Materials Moving was the 33rd most popular major in the 2020-2021 school year. Colleges in the United States reported awarding 29,084 degrees in this year alone. This represents a 8.3% increase in transportation and materials moving degrees awarded over the prior year's total of 26,683.
This year's Best Transportation & Materials Moving Schools ranking compares 53 of them to identify the best overall programs in the country. Explore this or one of our many other custom transportation and materials moving rankings further below.
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
BS in Operations Management - Logistics & Transportation
Enhance your Bachelor of Science in Operations Management with a concentration in Logistics and Transportation at Southern New Hampshire University.
Careers in this field often involve working outdoors lifting heavy materials and braving extreme weather conditions. Students should enjoy working outdoors and possess physical strength and stamina. Working at sea or in the sky can be unpredictable. You will be required to make quick decisions and remain calm under chaotic conditions.
Communication skills are essential to this major, as you will be working directly with others and need to follow directions carefully. If you are a problem solver and are able to make quick decisions, this major is for you. Many programs require or encourage internships to allow students to gain first-hand experience in the field.
New students will need to have completed high school or a GED program and each school will have their own minimum GPA and SAT/ACT test requirements. Once you obtain your degree, additional transportation and materials moving certifications required to pursue a career in this field.
Transportation & Materials Moving degree levels vary. You can spend many years getting as high as a in transportation and materials moving to something that takes less time like a . Different transportation and materials moving degrees vary in how long they take.
| Degree | Credit Requirements | Typical Program Length |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree | 60-70 credits | 2 years |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 120 credits | 4 years |
| Master’s Degree | 50-70 credits | 1-3 years |
| Doctorate | Program required coursework including thesis or dissertation | At least 4 years |
A bachelor's degree is the most common level of education achieved by those in careers related to transportation and materials moving, with approximately 9.5% of workers getting one. People currently working in careers related to transportation and materials moving tend obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma | 50.2% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 16.1% |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 9.6% |
| Less than a High School Diploma | 8.8% |
| Some College Courses | 6.3% |
See the chart below for the most common degree level workers in transportation and materials moving have received.
This of course varies depending on which transportation and materials moving career you choose.
Careers in this field involve transportation vehicles and spending time working outdoors. Some jobs in the field of air transportation are: Aircraft Pilot, Air Traffic Controller, Airline Flight Attendant, and Aircraft and Avionics equipment mechanics and technicians. Jobs in the Marine Transportation field are : ship captain, executive officer, engineers and ranking mates, fisher and related fishing worker, fishing operations supervisor, deep-water or scuba diver, or diving instructor. Other positions include warehouse manager, trucking manager, logistics specialist, regional planner and others.
Want a job when you graduate with your transportation and materials moving degree? Transportation & Materials Moving careers are expected to grow 6.3% between 2016 and 2026.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to transportation and materials moving.
| Occupation Name | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 1,980,100 | 5.8% |
| Light Truck or Delivery Services Drivers | 1,015,600 | 6.5% |
| Operating Engineers and Construction Equipment Operators | 416,900 | 12.3% |
| Transportation Supervisors | 217,700 | 6.6% |
| Highway Maintenance Workers | 160,200 | 6.9% |
Transportation & Materials Moving graduates between 2017-2019 reported earning an average of $42,489 in the 2019-2020 timeframe. Earnings can range from as low as $20,297 to as high as $90,576. As you might expect, salaries for transportation and materials moving graduates vary depending on the level of education that was acquired.
Salaries for transportation and materials moving graduates can vary widely by the occupation you choose as well. The following table shows the top highest paying careers transportation and materials moving grads often go into.
| Occupation Name | Median Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $169,560 |
| Air Traffic Controllers | $120,830 |
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $102,850 |
| Commercial Pilots | $96,530 |
| Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels | $82,380 |
With over 976 different transportation and materials moving degree programs to choose from, finding the best fit for you can be a challenge. Fortunately you have come to the right place. We have analyzed all of these schools to come up with hundreds of unbiased transportation and materials moving school rankings to help you with this.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Ground Transportation | 17,893 |
| Air Transportation | 9,984 |
| Marine Transportation | 1,203 |
| Other Transportation & Materials Moving | 4 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Personal & Culinary Services | 130,328 |
| Mechanic & Repair Technologies | 96,336 |
| Precision Production | 52,913 |
| Construction Trades | 35,794 |
Image Credit: By Alessandro Aceri under License More about our data sources and methodologies.
