Transportation Design Engineer Salary in District of Columbia

How much does a Transportation Design Engineer make in District of Columbia?

As of July 01, 2026, the average salary for a Transportation Design Engineer in District of Columbia is $136,200 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $65.

However, a Transportation Design Engineer's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $157,253
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $126,950 to $147,220
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $118,528
Compensation Planning
Develop a Job Description
Pay Equity
2026 Compensation Trend
AI Onboarding
Recruit with AI
Salary Salary + Bonus Benefits
Paid Annually Paid Monthly Paid Semimonthly Paid Biweekly Paid Weekly Paid Hourly
View as table View as graph 25% $126,950 10% $118,528 90% $157,253 75% $147,220 $136,200 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Transportation Design Engineer Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary		 Monthly
Pay		 Weekly
Pay		 Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $147,220 $12,268 $2,831 $71
Average $136,200 $11,350 $2,619 $65
25th Percentile $126,950 $10,579 $2,441 $61
Check out Transportation Design Engineer Job Openings in District of Columbia
Senior Electrical Design Engineer

Energi People - Washington, DC

Desktop Workstation Design Engineer

Contact Government Services, LLC - Washington, DC

Senior Civil PM Transportation Design&amp Client Growth

Timmons Group - Washington, DC

Transportation Engineer

Precision Systems, Inc. - Washington, DC

Search More Transportation Design Engineer Jobs in District of Columbia
Select State
Select City in DC
Choose Similar Job
Choose Category
Cost of Living
Average Salary for United States
See it in Action

Key Factors That Influence Transportation Design Engineer Salaries

A Transportation Design Engineer's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Transportation Design Engineer Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Transportation Design Engineer's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Engineer, Entry - Transportation (0-2 years): $75,813
  • Engineer, Experienced - Transportation (2-4 years): $96,576
  • Engineer, Senior - Transportation (4-7 years): $117,167
  • Transportation Design Engineer (7+ years): $136,199
Job Role Years of Experience Average Salary
Engineer, Entry - Transportation0-2 years$75,813
Engineer, Experienced - Transportation2-4 years$96,576
Engineer, Senior - Transportation4-7 years$117,167
Transportation Design Engineer7+ years$136,199
$75,813 Engineer,...
$96,576 Engineer,...
$117,167 Engineer,...
$136,199 Transport...
View as Table
View as Graph

What Am I Worth?

Top Paying Cities for Transportation Design Engineers

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • Parcel Return Service: $135,460
  • Washington: $135,470
  • Naval Anacost Annex: $135,460

Transportation Design Engineer Salary by Company Size: Startups vs. Enterprise

Transportation Design Engineer salary potential scales significantly with company size. Data shows that Enterprise companies (5,000+ employees) pay the highest average salary at around $152,339. While startup companies pay approximate $128,833.

Transportation Design Engineer Salary by Company Size

Company Size Employees Average Salary
Startup1~50$128,833
Growth Stage51~500$136,261
Established501~5000$147,112
Enterprise5000+$152,339

Transportation Design Engineer Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Transportation Design Engineer roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 20% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Aerospace & Defense and Biotechnology sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 10% above the average. In contrast, Transportation Design Engineer positions in Transportation or Telecom typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Transportation Design Engineer as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a Transportation Design Engineer

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Aerospace & Defense$149,820$72.010%
Biotechnology$149,820$72.010%
Business Services$149,820$72.010%
Chemicals$149,820$72.010%
Construction$149,820$72.010%

Transportation Design Engineer Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Transportation Design Engineer's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

  • Yearly
  • Monthly
  • Weekly
  • Hourly
  • Table View
Last Updated on July 01, 2026
$126,950
Average $136,200/year
$147,220
$10,579
Average $11,350/month
$12,268
$2,441
Average $2,619/week
$2,831
$61
Average $65/hour
$71
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $147,220 $12,268 $2,831 $71
Average $136,200 $11,350 $2,619 $65
25th Percentile $126,950 $10,579 $2,441 $61

Transportation Design Engineer Salary Growth & Career Path

Transportation Design Engineer
Civil Infrastructure Engineer V
Supervisor, Entry - Civil Engineering

For a Transportation Design Engineer, the most direct path to higher earnings is advancing to the Civil Infrastructure Engineer V role. This promotion typically comes with a significant pay increase, bringing the average annual salary to $163,990 - a projected growth of 20% over your current level.

Salaries of jobs related to Transportation Design Engineer

Find Your Next Transportation Design Engineer Job

Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Transportation Design Engineer job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.

United States
For Employees

Get a Salary Increase

Analyze the market and your qualifications to negotiate your salary with confidence.

Search Job Openings

Search thousands of open positions to find your next opportunity.

For Employers

Adjust Employee Salary

Individualize employee pay based on unique job requirements and personal qualifications.

Price My Industry Jobs

Get the latest market price for benchmark jobs and jobs in your industry.

Cost of Living In District of Columbia

Cost of Living in District of Columbia is
10.7% Higher
than the National Average

Use Salary.com's Cost of Living Calculator to find out what income you need to maintain your standard of living in a different city and how much more or less money you need to budget for basic expenses.

Explore Cost of Living Calculator
Empower Your Team

Salary.com experts will help you thrive your workplaces.

Find Salary.com Comp Consulting
See Salary Trends in 2025

Salary.com provides salary survey data for thousands of industry Jobs.

Price Your Company Jobs and Make Pay Fair

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third-party data sources. We also provide multiple percentiles of salary information for your reference, click here to know Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial to Getting Pay Equity Right. With more online, real-time compensation data than any other website, Salary.com helps you determine your exact pay target.

Are you an HR manager or compensation specialist?

Salary.com's CompAnalyst platform offers:

  • Detailed skills and competency reports for specific positions
  • Job and employee pricing reports
  • Compensation data tools, salary structures, surveys and benchmarks.
Learn about CompAnalyst
lower level job