by our College Data Analytics TeamIn the latest year, 271 U.S. colleges awarded 19,489 degrees and certificates in Ground Transportation. Master’s degrees are the most popular award, at 51% of graduates. College Factual ranks 231 schools in its 2027 Best Ground Transportation Schools ranking and compares their cost in a Best Value ranking. Graduates earn a median $44,612 one year after completing, rising to $52,752 after four years.
Are you interested in driving vehicles and transporting material goods or people? Do you want to drive large construction vehicles or small commercial trucks? A major in ground transportation may be a good fit for you. This wide-reaching field can lead to a number of different career options.
The transportation field offers careers in busing and public transportation, commercial trucking and heavy machine operation. You could be anything from a long distance truck driver to working heavy machines on a construction site.
Approximately 10 million people work in the ground transportation industry, and according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, many transportation-related careers will see average growth over the next ten years.
When it comes to education, the required skills and education will vary with position, but for most heavy vehicles you will need a commercial driver's license. If you will be transporting hazardous materials, a Hazmat certification will also be needed. Vocational schools offering degrees in ground transportation will teach you about transportation-related rules and regulations, machine operation and safety. They may also receive instruction in basic land surveying techniques and how to work from plans and marking stakes. More advanced degrees will delve into the areas of supply chains and logistics.
Studying Ground Transportation involves the study of Ground Transportation.
Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; BLS; O*NET; College Factual rankings 2027. Data as of: July 2026.
Across the country, ground transportation is a widely-pursued major, with 19,489 degrees awarded annually. 271 colleges award ground transportation degrees, an average of 72 graduates per school; the largest program awarded 952.
By level, the 19,489 awards include 892 certificates, 109 associate degrees and 9,880 master’s degrees.
Women earned 12% of ground transportation degrees and certificates in the latest year (2,338 of 19,489). The largest groups of graduates by race and ethnicity are White (8,073) and Black or African American (6,039), and international students earned 52.
College Factual ranks 231 schools in its 2027 Best Ground Transportation Schools ranking, including 4 for associate degrees. It also ranks ground transportation schools within 1 state. In all, 271 colleges offer ground transportation programs; compare them by degree level below or in the Best Value Ground Transportation Colleges ranking, which weighs quality against cost.
The most common ground transportation credential is the master’s degree: 9,880 of the 19,489 awarded in the latest year. Jobs related to ground transportation call most for Operation and Control, Operations Monitoring and Monitoring, and for knowledge of Public Safety and Security, Transportation and English Language, according to O*NET. The most important abilities are Control Precision, Far Vision and Problem Sensitivity.
Besides educational requirements, you will also need a number of other skills to ensure public safety.
You will need to be in good health and free of conditions that could cause you to lose consciousness or other impairment. You must also have good hand-eye coordination and decent eyesight and hearing - all important traits for working in transportation.
If you plan to work in the public arena, you will also want to have good customer service and interpersonal skills.
Top skills, rated 0–5:
Top knowledge areas, rated 0–5:
How long a ground transportation degree takes:
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate | Varies | 892 |
| Associate Degree | 2 years | 109 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 9,880 |
High school diploma or equivalent is the most common level of education among workers in jobs related to ground transportation, at 68.6%.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| High school diploma or equivalent | 68.6% |
| Less than a high school diploma | 12.4% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 9.7% |
| Some college courses | 6.5% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 1.6% |
| Bachelor’s degree | 0.9% |
| Master’s degree | 0.1% |
| Doctoral degree | 0.1% |
Source: O*NET Online.
30 occupations are related to Ground Transportation, with an average median salary of $47,062; the strongest outlook belongs to Dredge Operators, at 12.3% projected job growth. Typical job titles include Bus Driver, Train Operator, Vehicle Operator and Equipment Operator.
The occupation related to ground transportation with the most projected jobs is Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers, at 1,518,529.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers | 1,518,529 | 10.4% |
| Shuttle Drivers and Chauffeurs | 1,517,174 | 7.5% |
| Rail Transportation Workers, All Other | 1,424,783 | 5.9% |
| Subway and Streetcar Operators | 1,309,856 | -4.4% |
| Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters | 1,270,833 | 3.3% |
| Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity | 1,223,795 | -1.9% |
| Dredge Operators | 938,261 | 12.3% |
| Hoist and Winch Operators | 906,578 | -0.0% |
Ground Transportation graduates earn a median $44,612 one year after completing their program, $52,752 after four years and $45,932 after five years, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $44,612 |
| 4 years | $52,752 |
| 5 years | $45,932 |
Source: College Scorecard.
The highest-paying occupation related to ground transportation is Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary, with a median salary of $86,398.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary | $86,398 |
| Extraction Workers, All Other | $76,527 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Material-Moving Machine and Vehicle Operators | $66,225 |
| Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators | $64,008 |
| Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters | $61,311 |
| Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators | $60,332 |
| Rail Transportation Workers, All Other | $58,561 |
| Continuous Mining Machine Operators | $55,998 |
Ground Transportation includes 5 concentrations that together award 19,489 degrees a year; by graduates, the largest are Truck and Bus Driver/Commercial Vehicle Operator and Instructor (17,965), Construction/Heavy Equipment/Earthmoving Equipment Operation (1,010) and Forklift Operation/Operator (318). It has 3 similar majors in the Transportation & Materials Moving field, which together award 13,115 degrees a year; the largest are Air Transportation (12,000), Marine Transportation (1,088) and Transportation and Materials Moving, Other (27). Browse all Transportation & Materials Moving majors or the full list of college majors.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Air Transportation | 12,000 |
| Marine Transportation | 1,088 |
| Transportation and Materials Moving, Other | 27 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
