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Traffic, Customs & Transportation

Types of Degrees Traffic, Customs & Transportation Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Traffic, Customs & Transportation may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	199
Master’s Degree	88

What Traffic, Customs & Transportation Majors Need to Know

Programs in Traffic, Customs & Transportation emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Traffic, Customs & Transportation graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Traffic, Customs & Transportation emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Transportation — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Public Safety and Security — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set built by a Traffic, Customs & Transportation program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.
• Coordination — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Traffic, Customs & Transportation careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Traffic, Customs & Transportation graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.0 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.9 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	3.8 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	3.8 / 7
Working with Computers	3.7 / 7
Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People	3.7 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	3.7 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	3.7 / 7
Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others	3.6 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Traffic, Customs & Transportation professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Database software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Transportation management software	Mobile location based services software	—
Microsoft OneNote	Word processing software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Traffic, Customs & Transportation graduates include:

• Cargo Agent
• Export Coordinator
• Freight Specialist
• Freight Router
• Freight Forwarder
• Transportation Clerk
• Air Export Coordinator
• Intermodal Dispatcher
• Logistics Service Representative
• Import Customs Clearing Agent
• Operations Clerk
• Ship Broker
• Freight Clerk
• Import Coordinator
• Logistics Technician

What Can You Do With a Traffic, Customs & Transportation Degree?

Graduates with a degree in Traffic, Customs & Transportation commonly enter the following occupations:

Occupation	Job Growth	Median Salary	25th–75th Pctile
Cargo and Freight Agents	8.2%	$54,941	$45,304–$64,578
Freight Forwarders	0.3%	$46,360	$38,810–$53,910
Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance	2.0%	$62,885	$48,824–$76,946

^{Job-growth = projected employment change for the parent occupation. Source: ONET / BLS Employment Projections.*}

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Traffic, Customs & Transportation graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	31.1%
High school diploma or equivalent	23.1%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	15.6%
Some college courses	13.7%
Postsecondary certificate	9.7%
Master’s degree	5.1%
Less than a high school diploma	1.7%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Traffic, Customs & Transportation?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 71.8% of Traffic, Customs & Transportation degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	81	28.2%
Men	206	71.8%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Traffic, Customs & Transportation graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	124	43.2%
Asian	8	2.8%
Hispanic or Latino	51	17.8%
Black or African American	87	30.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	1	0.3%
Two or More Races	3	1.0%
Race Unknown	13	4.5%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Traffic, Customs & Transportation Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Traffic, Customs & Transportation graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$24,716
4 years	$28,352
5 years	$31,368

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $31,368 — roughly 27% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Traffic, Customs & Transportation Programs

Distance learning are documented by IPEDS for Traffic, Customs & Transportation. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Bachelor’s	1	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Traffic, Customs & Transportation Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Traffic, Customs & Transportation graduates earn a median of $28,352 four years after completion — about 25% below the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000). On earnings alone, this program does not show an income premium over the baseline; non-financial outcomes (career interests, certification requirements, advancement potential) are typically the stronger argument for fields in this range.

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Business Operations Support and Assistant Services	16,153
Administrative Assistant and Secretarial Science, General	6,607
Customer Service Support/Call Center/Teleservice Operation	3,621
Business/Office Automation/Technology/Data Entry	1,964
General Office Occupations and Clerical Services	1,543
Executive Assistant/Executive Secretary	1,380
Business Operations Support and Secretarial Services, Other	368
Parts, Warehousing, and Inventory Management Operations	296
Receptionist	87

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.