PublicPay

Transportation Specialist federal salary series 2101

Full-time federal employees in the Transportation Specialist series earned a median of $117,081 in annualized adjusted basic pay in September 2026, 7% above the all-federal median of $109,641. The middle half earned between $102,967 and $137,513.

Median pay
$117,081
full-time, September 2026
Middle 50%
$102,967–$137,513
25th–75th percentile
Employees
8,537
in this series, all schedules
Change in median
+0.1%
vs. September 2025
Pay distribution, full-time employees with published pay, September 2026
Transportation Specialist
All federal (full-time)

What shapes transportation specialist pay

The most common grade with published pay is GS-13 (485 employees, median $133,964). The largest employer of this series with published pay is the Department of Transportation (6,670 employees). Among states with at least 30 full-time employees with published pay, the median is highest in District of Columbia ($163,104) and lowest in North Dakota ($102,362), a gap that partly reflects locality pay differences. Federal pay depends mostly on grade and step, plus a locality adjustment for where the job is located; see the GS pay scale explainer.

OPM withheld pay for 14% of employees in this series. The figures here describe only employees with published pay; withholding is concentrated in certain agencies (see data coverage).

Transportation Specialist pay by grade

Grades with at least 30 full-time employees with published pay. GS grades are listed first; other pay plans follow.

Transportation Specialist pay by grade
Pay plan–grade Employees Median pay Middle 50%
GS-9 358 $68,819 $65,838–$76,368
GS-11 365 $85,488 $81,965–$92,252
GS-12 451 $109,303 $102,632–$117,227
GS-13 485 $133,964 $125,845–$142,120
GS-14 362 $163,104 $148,894–$172,700
GS-15 201 $193,005 $180,565–$197,200
FG-13 168 $120,629 $117,081–$131,273
GW-12 117 $107,321 $104,068–$110,573
GW-13 40 $124,951 $116,584–$132,071

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

Transportation Specialist pay by agency

Transportation Specialist pay by agency
Agency Employees Median pay Middle 50%
Department of Transportation 6,670 $117,775 $103,998–$137,973
Department of Agriculture 225 $107,321 $100,816–$120,345
Department of Homeland Security 170 $133,964 $116,071–$158,306
Department of Veterans Affairs 159 $82,913 $74,866–$89,407
Department of the Interior 63 $112,824 $98,516–$132,748

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

Transportation Specialist pay by state

The 10 states with the most employees in this series and published pay.

Transportation Specialist pay by state
State Employees Median pay Middle 50%
California 629 $127,966 $113,648–$145,876
Texas 531 $118,746 $105,788–$139,029
Florida 392 $114,384 $98,182–$126,302
District of Columbia 389 $163,104 $138,024–$187,093
Alaska 297 $116,429 $102,026–$132,420
New York 292 $127,864 $114,049–$145,951
Georgia 286 $123,398 $106,678–$146,501
Virginia 280 $129,715 $111,016–$148,745
Illinois 265 $119,650 $108,029–$136,076
Oklahoma 260 $120,629 $113,533–$134,822

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

Compare transportation specialist pay across all states and agencies →

Change since September 2025

The median moved +0.1% from $116,988 in September 2025 to $117,081 in September 2026. Headcount went from 8,728 to 8,537 (−2.2%). 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.

Related occupations in Transportation Group