The US News & World Report includes Traffic Engineer as one of "the nation's eight most secure career tracks" [February 18, 2002].

TRAFFIC ENGINEER: Undam that traffic jam

For millions of Americans, girding for gridlock is a teeth-grinding daily ritual. And with more cars on the road every day, engineers and other professionals trained to reduce traffic congestion are finding plenty of job opportunities. One enticement: Transportation engineers can quickly produce results, on city streets and interstate freeways. "I wanted to find a way I could physically make the world better," says 24-year-old rookie traffic engineer Britt Thesen. Her work in San Francisco-planning bus lanes, putting speed humps on residential streets, and timing traffic signals-sounds disarmingly simple, but to harried commuters and concerned civic leaders it can provide overdue relief. As the population density of cities and suburbs increases, traffic gridlock is likely to generate new jobs for sociology and political science graduates, too. They will work with engineers on behalf of neighborhood groups seeking solutions to sprawl and congestion.

PAY AND PERKS: $45,000 to $150,000. Producing tangible change is a source of job satisfaction for many.

TRAINING: Most traffic engineers have a B.S. in civil or electrical engineering or computer science. A master's degree and state certification are often helpful.