Is Caltrans a good company to work for as a Transportation Planner/Engineer?

Transportation Planner/Engineer professionals working at Caltrans have rated their employer with 4.4 out of 5 stars in 15 Glassdoor reviews. This is a higher than average score with the overall rating of Caltrans employees being 4.1 out of 5 stars. Search open Transportation Planner/Engineer Jobs at Caltrans now and start preparing for your job interview by browsing frequently asked Transportation Planner/Engineer interview questions at Caltrans .

Does Caltrans pay Transportation Planner/Engineer employees well?

Transportation Planner/Engineer professionals rate their compensation and benefits at Caltrans with 4.3 out of 5 stars based on 15 anonymously submitted employee reviews. This is 7.2% better than the company average rating for salary and benefits. Find out more about Transportation Planner/Engineer salaries at Caltrans.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Caltrans?

Transportation Engineer (89) , Student Assistant (74) , Transportation Engineer, Civil (41) , Associate Governmental Program Analyst (AGPA) (27) , Environmental Planner (23) , Right of Way Agent (15) , Civil Engineer (14) , Engineer (14) , Intern (14) , Associate Transportation Planner (13) , Associate Right of Way Agent (11) , Highway Maintenance Worker (11) , Senior Transportation Engineer (11) , Associate Environmental Planner (10) , Transportation Planner (10)

What are the pros of working at Caltrans according to real employee reviews?

"Great benefits and Hours." ((in 94 reviews)); "Great work/life balance and a genuine feeling of positive work for the public (even though the public may not see it that way)." ((in 62 reviews)); "Great people to work with and to learn the legal profession" ((in 49 reviews)); "Great place to work.. Job Security ,... very family oriented amongst Co workers ..." ((in 25 reviews)); "Respectful and friendly coworkers" ((in 21 reviews))

What are the cons of working at Caltrans according to real employee reviews?

"High turnover because of low pay" ((in 46 reviews)); "Bad management and quarter review" ((in 29 reviews)); "San Diego is expensive and the salaries are low" ((in 20 reviews)); "Lots of red tape, nepotism." ((in 10 reviews)); "Upper management is incompetent." ((in 8 reviews))

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Caltrans

Caltrans Transportation Planner/Engineer reviews

4.4

99% would recommend to a friend

(15 total reviews)

Malcolm Dougherty

66% approve of CEO

99% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

5.0

Work/Life balance

4.9

Career opportunities

4.8

Diversity & inclusion

4.7

Senior management

4.3

Compensation and benefits

3.3

Culture & values

Transportation Planner/Engineer employees have rated Caltrans with 4.4 out of 5 stars, based on 15 company reviews on Glassdoor. This indicates that most Transportation Planner/Engineer professionals have an excellent working experience there. Caltrans is rated 21% above average by Transportation Planner/Engineer professionals compared to other employers within the Government & Public Administration industry (3.6 stars).

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

15 reviews

4.0

Jul 5, 2026

Supportive leadership and diversity, but pay cuts persist

Senior transportation planner

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

* most executives and office chief leaderships are supportive and easy to talk to. * great diversity in the workplace, with many people from varying background being represented and promoted. * great work-life balance if you're a specialist.

Cons

* some senior branch chiefs end up working on weekends. * not specific to department, but state workers keep getting their raises cut.

5.0

Apr 13, 2026

Good work-life balance and hybrid options, but pay lags

Transportation planner

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

work life balance pension hybrid

Cons

slow to change pay for industry standard

4.0

Jul 8, 2025

Great starter

Transportation planner

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Room to grow. New programs with more planners.

Cons

Hard to navigate salaries in comparison to engineers

Viewing 1 - 3 of 15 Reviews

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Jobs at Caltrans

SUPERVISING TRANSPORTATION ENGINEER, CALTRANS

SENIOR TRANSPORTATION ENGINEER, CALTRANS

SUPERVISING TRANSPORTATION ENGINEER, CALTRANS

SUPERVISING TRANSPORTATION ENGINEER, CALTRANS

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Caltrans

Caltrans Transportation Planner/Engineer reviews

Ratings by category

Ratings by demographic groups

Reviews by job title

Supportive leadership and diversity, but pay cuts persist

Good work-life balance and hybrid options, but pay lags

Great starter

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