Transportation Industry
Job Demand and Skills Data
and Implications for Workforce Development
Xinge Wang
Transportation Learning Center
April 8, 2015
This draft information is confidential and not for public viewing, dissemination or distribution.
The work reported herein was supported with funding from the Department of Transportation through a contract under the Advancing Career and Technical
Education in State and Local Career Pathways Systems project, Contract Number (ED-VAE-12-C-0068) as administered by the Office of Career, Technical, and
Adult Education, U.S. Department of Education. However, the contents do not necessarily represent the positions or policies of the Department of
Transportation or the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education or the U.S. Department of Education and you should not assume endorsement by the
Federal Government.
Six Transportation Subsectors
•
•
•
•
•
•
Trucking Transportation
Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation
Air Transportation
Highway Construction and Maintenance
Rail Transportation
Maritime Transportation
2
Data Analysis
• Current industry employment and demographics
• Projected industry and occupational job openings
• Net job growth
• Separations (retirement, turnover, and other exits)
• Job openings by career area
• Top occupations by long-term projections and
recent online job postings
• Wage and entry requirements of high-demand jobs
• Geographic “hot spots”
• Labor supply from educational programs
3
Transportation Overview (A)
Trucking and Transit take up the largest share
of transportation’s 4 million workers.
Maritime
164k Rail
4% 273k
7%
Trucking
1.7M
42%
4 million +
Employed in
Transportation
Highway
500k
12%
Air
625k
15%
Transit
817k
20%
4
Transportation Overview (B)
55% of transportation workforce is 45+, 9% more
than national average. Transit and Rail have the
highest % of older workers.
<25
25-44
45-54
55-64
>65
Transportation
5%
40%
29%
19%
5%
Trucking
5%
41%
30%
19%
5%
Transit 4%
Air
Highway
Rail
Maritime
All US Industries
6%
33%
28%
41%
8%
5%
7%
10%
23%
32%
44%
38%
28%
27%
44%
44%
12%
18%
3%
16%
4%
26%
27%
23%
18%
17%
3%
4%
6%
5
Transportation Overview (C)
Women are
highly underrepresented in
transportation,
particularly
Highway, Rail,
Trucking and
Maritime
6
Transportation Overview (D)
African-Americans and Hispanics underrepresented in
higher paid and skilled transportation jobs
White
Generally Higher
Wages, Skills &
Career Potential
Black or African American
Aircraft pilots
88%
Highway maintenance
57%
Laborers
56%
10% 1%
16%
8%
64%
Bus drivers
All US Workforce
6%
74%
Truck drivers
Vehicles cleaners
9%
77%
Aircraft mechanics
9%
15%
19%
27%
18%
43%
14%
23%
21%
68%
Asian
3% 5% 4%
81%
Bus and truck mechanics
Generally Lower
Wages, Skills &
Career Potential
Hispanic or Latin American
33%
11%
1%
9%
2%
2%
3%
3%
16%
6%
7
Transportation Overview (E)
Growth and separations will generate 4.6 million
total job openings in ten years, 1.2 times the
current workforce
2014
2012-22
Projections
Growth 0.4 M
Actual
Employment
Separations
4 Million
4.2 Million
2012-22 Total
Projected Job
Openings:
4.6 Million
or
1.2 x 2014
Employment
8
Transportation Overview (F)
Trucking and Transit will generate the most
projected job openings
Estimated Job Openings due to Industry Growth
Estimated Job Openings due to Separations
Growth &
Separations
2 Million
1M
0.7 M
0.5 M
0.3 M
Trucking
Transit
Air
Highway
Rail
0.2 M
Maritime
9
Transportation Overview (G)
Across the six modes, growth and separations
together will create hiring needs 1 to 1.3 times the
current workforce size
Estimated Job Openings due to Industry Growth
Estimated Job Openings due to Separations
Growth &
Separations
132%
12%
125%
11%
120%
12%
121%
114%
Transit
Maritime
106%
4%
106%
12%
105%
8%
108%
102%
94%
97%
Trucking
Air
Highway
Rail
10
Transportation Overview (H)
Heavy Truck Drivers, Bus Drivers, Laborers, Taxi
Drivers and Highway Maintenance Workers will
have the largest projected 2012-22 job openings
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers
1,225,280
School or Special Client Bus Drivers
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers
330,700
264,210
Transit and Intercity Bus Drivers
200,530
Taxi Drivers and Chauffeurs
194,110
Highway Maintenance Workers
Flight Attendants
141,010
96,210
Construction Laborers
89,990
Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists
86,850
Projected Total Job
Openings (Growth and
Separations)
11
Transportation Overview (I)
Future transportation job openings will be
concentrated in frontline operations and
maintenance (92% total)
12
Transportation Overview (J)
Net transportation job growth in all but two states;
North Dakota - highest % growth
13
Transportation Overview (K)
Highest number of projected transportation job
openings in NYC, Dallas, LA, and Houston
14
Transportation Overview (L)
Many high-demand transportation jobs offer above
national median wages and career
pathways/ladders potentials
$140,000
Top 20 Jobs in Transportation Subsectors by Projected Total Job :
Median Wages vs. Edu/Work Exp./Training Requirements for Entry
Annual Median Wages
$120,000
$100,000
$80,000
Size of the bubbles represents
total job openings 2012-2022
$60,000
National Median Wage
$34,750
$40,000
$20,000
$0
Little/No
Some
Medium
Considerable
Edu/Training Requirements for Entry
Extensive
15
Transportation Overview (M)
Projected annual job openings are 68% larger than
annual completions of related educational
programs across selected transportation job groups
Projected Annual Job Openings
Related Educational Program Annual Completions
27,680
% Shortfall
23,040
86%
59%
67%
38%
14,080
9,461
9,430
97%
33%
11,920
8,684
5,610
3,829
3,747
3,071
337
Dispatchers and
Cargo Agents
Bus and Truck
Mechanics
Airline Pilots
Aircraft
Maintenance
Rail
Transportation
Workers
Captains, Mates
and Ship
Engineers
16
See the full detail in the
Transportation, Distribution and Logistics Competency Model
www.CareerOneStop.org/CompetencyModel