PublicPay

Department of Transportation salaries

Full-time civilian employees of the Department of Transportation earned a median of $140,650 in annualized adjusted basic pay in September 2026, 28% above the all-federal median of $109,641. The middle half earned between $109,107 and $180,621.

Median pay
$140,650
full-time, September 2026
Middle 50%
$109,107–$180,621
25th–75th percentile
Employees
52,754
all schedules
Pay published for
97.1%
of employees
Pay distribution, full-time employees with published pay, September 2026
Transportation
All federal (full-time)

Department of Transportation pay by occupation

The 25 largest occupations at this agency with at least 30 full-time employees with published pay.

Department of Transportation pay by occupation
Occupation Employees Median pay Middle 50%
Air Traffic Control Series 2152 19,772 $161,120 $110,673–$197,752
Transportation Specialist Series 2101 6,670 $117,775 $103,998–$137,973
Aviation Safety Series 1825 4,156 $142,984 $122,247–$163,514
Management and Program Analysis Series 0343 2,382 $138,517 $113,862–$169,600
General Engineering Series 0801 1,494 $161,498 $136,622–$188,392
Information Technology Management Series 2210 1,477 $163,534 $135,080–$188,392
Miscellaneous Administration and Program Series 0301 1,335 $141,708 $113,107–$172,700
Program Management Series 0340 1,029 $197,200 $171,476–$225,543
Civil Engineering Series 0810 975 $129,678 $110,001–$146,143
Aerospace Engineering Series 0861 834 $164,510 $137,522–$185,481
Technical Systems Program Manager Series 2186 666 $193,810 $166,939–$221,990
Management and Program Clerical and Assistance Series 0344 591 $81,328 $74,094–$85,723
Engineering Technical Series 0802 559 $100,022 $87,204–$112,900
Electronics Engineering Series 0855 553 $140,335 $112,545–$171,036
Human Resources Management Series 0201 489 $133,964 $108,058–$163,104
Motor Carrier Safety Series 2123 473 $94,001 $79,668–$109,141
Railroad Safety Series 2121 465 $113,586 $104,427–$127,725
General Attorney Series 0905 464 $186,207 $159,980–$197,200
Financial Administration and Program Series 0501 421 $123,540 $95,384–$159,294
Contracting Series 1102 409 $145,418 $119,677–$177,497
Navigational Information Series 1361 363 $150,935 $132,640–$172,700
Administrative Officer Series 0341 336 $102,760 $90,602–$118,744
Environmental Protection Specialist Series 0028 264 $146,422 $123,841–$163,104
Computer Science Series 1550 247 $154,094 $131,272–$180,662
Mechanical Engineering Series 0830 245 $108,995 $98,437–$129,083

middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)

Department of Transportation pay by state

States where the agency has at least 30 full-time employees with published pay and a published duty station.

Department of Transportation pay by state
State Employees Median pay Middle 50%
District of Columbia 5,929 $168,156 $133,142–$197,200
Texas 4,449 $141,388 $106,568–$185,010
California 3,675 $151,520 $119,239–$197,411
Oklahoma 2,935 $120,629 $95,999–$147,391
Florida 2,896 $145,412 $113,356–$174,496
Georgia 2,420 $146,525 $113,533–$183,255
New York 2,224 $138,271 $107,182–$193,363
Virginia 2,062 $164,318 $121,743–$201,780
Washington 1,915 $141,367 $113,753–$177,776
Illinois 1,811 $146,770 $110,214–$193,721
New Jersey 1,562 $154,637 $128,153–$190,596
Colorado 1,451 $150,324 $113,107–$189,007
Ohio 1,190 $139,996 $110,401–$179,692
Alaska 1,105 $130,011 $102,016–$158,677
Tennessee 988 $134,162 $104,508–$169,143
Minnesota 937 $162,398 $113,354–$190,624
Pennsylvania 905 $132,672 $105,481–$167,966
Indiana 889 $137,522 $103,925–$176,423
Massachusetts 839 $145,093 $114,893–$175,695
Michigan 742 $122,384 $100,162–$155,771

middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)

Change since September 2025

The median moved +1.0% from $139,239 in September 2025 to $140,650 in September 2026. Headcount went from 56,763 to 52,754 (−7.1%). A change in the median reflects both pay adjustments and who joined or left the workforce, so it is not the same as a pay raise.