Minnesota / Transportation Department

Agency file

Transportation Department

Source file: Minnesota — State Employee Payroll / ingested Jun 18, 2026

The Transportation Department plans, builds, and maintains transportation infrastructure — roads, bridges, transit, and motor-vehicle services.

In 2025, this agency had 6,009 employees with median total compensation of $74,811; the highest distinct record was $222,661.

Year: 2025
Total payroll: $452.5M
Employees: 6,009
Median total: $74,811
Highest record: $222,661

What the records show

Compensation analytics

These summaries compare pay within the agency before listing individual records.

Salary distribution

$169$151,286+

Hover a bar for its range; click to filter the list below.

How 2025 total compensation is spread across the 6,009 employees. Each bar is a pay range; taller bars mean more people earn in that range. The amber line marks the median ($74,811) — half earn less, half more. The far-right bar collects the highest earners.

Average pay composition

Base — $72,071 (96%)
Overtime — $1,857 (2%)
Other — $1,369 (2%)
Benefits — $0 (0%)

What an average paycheck here is made of — base salary versus overtime, other pay (bonuses, allowances), and benefits. A large overtime or other-pay share means take-home often exceeds base salary.

Pay percentiles

10th

25th

Median

75th

90th

$22,141

$60,698

$74,811

$96,121

$116,640

The pay ladder for this department. Someone at the 90th percentile earns $116,640 — more than 90% of the department; the 10th percentile earns $22,141. The shaded band is the middle half of employees (25th–75th percentile).

Largest job titles

Transp Generalist

1,385 · $63,783

Transp Generalist Senior

529 · $70,954

Transp Specialist

367 · $78,937

Engineering Specialist

226 · $95,514

Engineer Princ

196 · $129,142

The most common job titles in this department by headcount, with the median total compensation for each. Click a title to see everyone who holds it.

Trend

Year over year

How this department's total payroll, headcount, and median pay changed across the 2 published years.

Year	Total payroll	Employees	Median pay
2024	$411.3M —	5,582 —	$72,251 —
2025	$452.5M ▲ 10.0%	6,009 ▲ 7.6%	$74,811 ▲ 3.5%

Record list

Employees

Page 4

Jaymie Eisenschenk

Transp Generalist/Transportation Department

2025 total comp

$38,449

Sub-department: Clearwater Truck Station
Base pay: $37,501
Overtime: $620
Other pay: $328
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $38,449
Hire date: 2024-10-09
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay grade: 67
Union / bargaining unit: Craft, Maintenance, Labor
Pay basis: Hourly
Full-time equivalent (FTE): 1
Work county: Wright

Source-specific fields

Active on June 30, 2025: Yes
Agency Number: T79
Bargaining Unit Number: 202
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Classified
Classified Status: Classified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

Jaymie Eisenschenk works as a Transp Generalist for Transportation Department within Clearwater Truck Station. They have served since 2024 (about a year) as a full-time employee. Jaymie earned $38,449 in 2025. They are represented by Craft, Maintenance, Labor.

Michael Mertes

Transp Generalist/Transportation Department

2025 total comp

$38,437

Sub-department: Clearwater Truck Station
Base pay: $37,501
Overtime: $620
Other pay: $317
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $38,437
Hire date: 2024-10-09
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay grade: 67
Union / bargaining unit: Craft, Maintenance, Labor
Pay basis: Hourly
Full-time equivalent (FTE): 1
Work county: Wright

Source-specific fields

Active on June 30, 2025: Yes
Agency Number: T79
Bargaining Unit Number: 202
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Classified
Classified Status: Classified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

At Transportation Department, Michael Mertes serves as a Transp Generalist within Clearwater Truck Station. Hired in 2024, they have about a year of service, working full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $38,437. Union affiliation: Craft, Maintenance, Labor.

Timothy Gearns

Engineer Senior/Transportation Department

2025 total comp

$38,428

Sub-department: Right-of-way Section
Base pay: $38,428
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $38,428
Hire date: 2013-05-28
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay grade: 10
Union / bargaining unit: MN Govt Engineers Council
Pay basis: Hourly
Full-time equivalent (FTE): 1
Work county: St Louis

Source-specific fields

Active on June 30, 2025: Yes
Agency Number: T79
Bargaining Unit Number: 212
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Classified
Classified Status: Classified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

Timothy Gearns works as a Engineer Senior for Transportation Department within Right-Of-Way Section. They have served since 2013 (about 12 years) as a full-time employee. Timothy earned $38,428 in 2025. Their bargaining unit is MN Govt Engineers Council.

Logan Hansen

Transp Associate/Transportation Department

2024 total comp

$38,334

Sub-department: Golden Valley Subarea
Base pay: $38,225
Overtime: $33
Other pay: $77
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $38,334
Hire date: 2023-07-19
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay grade: 64
Union / bargaining unit: Craft, Maintenance, Labor
Pay basis: Hourly
Full-time equivalent (FTE): 1
Work county: Hennepin

Source-specific fields

Active on June 30, 2024: Yes
Agency Number: T79
Bargaining Unit Number: 202
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Classified
Classified Status: Classified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

Logan Hansen holds the role of Transp Associate at Transportation Department within Golden Valley Subarea. Hired in 2023, they have about a year of service as a full-time employee. In 2024, their total compensation was $38,334. Their bargaining unit is Craft, Maintenance, Labor.

Daniel Swanson

Engineer Senior/Transportation Department

2025 total comp

$38,316

Sub-department: Planning
Base pay: $38,316
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $38,316
Hire date: 2014-01-06
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay grade: 10
Union / bargaining unit: MN Govt Engineers Council
Pay basis: Hourly
Full-time equivalent (FTE): 1
Work county: Blue Earth

Source-specific fields

Active on June 30, 2025: Yes
Agency Number: T79
Bargaining Unit Number: 212
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Classified
Classified Status: Classified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

Daniel Swanson works as a Engineer Senior for Transportation Department within Planning. Hired in 2014, they have about 11 years of service as a full-time employee. Daniel earned $38,316 in 2025. They are represented by MN Govt Engineers Council.

Caleb Bills

Transp Associate/Transportation Department

2024 total comp

$38,267

Sub-department: Traffic Services - Metro West
Base pay: $38,264
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $3
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $38,267
Hire date: 2023-07-19
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay grade: 64
Union / bargaining unit: Craft, Maintenance, Labor
Pay basis: Hourly
Full-time equivalent (FTE): 1
Work county: Hennepin

Source-specific fields

Active on June 30, 2024: Yes
Agency Number: T79
Bargaining Unit Number: 202
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Classified
Classified Status: Classified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

Caleb Bills holds the role of Transp Associate at Transportation Department within Traffic Services - Metro West. They have served since 2023 (about a year) as a full-time employee. In 2024, their total compensation was $38,267. Their bargaining unit is Craft, Maintenance, Labor.

Zachary Ruehling

Transp Generalist/Transportation Department

2025 total comp

$38,254

Sub-department: Shakopee Subarea
Base pay: $33,804
Overtime: $1,702
Other pay: $2,748
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $38,254
Hire date: 2024-11-20
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay grade: 67
Union / bargaining unit: Craft, Maintenance, Labor
Pay basis: Hourly
Full-time equivalent (FTE): 1
Work county: Scott

Source-specific fields

Active on June 30, 2025: Yes
Agency Number: T79
Bargaining Unit Number: 202
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Classified
Classified Status: Classified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

Zachary Ruehling is a Transp Generalist at Transportation Department within Shakopee Subarea. They have served since 2024 (about a year), working full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $38,254. They are represented by Craft, Maintenance, Labor.

Michelle Lichtig

State Program Administrative Principal/Transportation Department

2025 total comp

$38,092

Sub-department: Transit Operations
Base pay: $15,679
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $22,413
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $38,092
Hire date: 2014-04-30
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay grade: 14
Union / bargaining unit: MN Assoc of Professional Empl
Pay basis: Hourly
Full-time equivalent (FTE): 1
Work county: Ramsey

Source-specific fields

Active on June 30, 2025: No
Agency Number: T79
Bargaining Unit Number: 214
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Classified
Classified Status: Classified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

Michelle Lichtig is a State Program Administrative Principal at Transportation Department within Transit Operations. Their tenure dates to 2014, about 11 years, working full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $38,092. Their bargaining unit is MN Assoc of Professional Empl.

Dominique Swanigan

Transp Generalist/Transportation Department

2024 total comp

$38,035

Sub-department: Camden Subarea
Base pay: $37,895
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $139
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $38,035
Hire date: 2016-10-12
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay grade: 67
Union / bargaining unit: Craft, Maintenance, Labor
Pay basis: Hourly
Full-time equivalent (FTE): 1
Work county: Hennepin

Source-specific fields

Active on June 30, 2024: No
Agency Number: T79
Bargaining Unit Number: 202
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Classified
Classified Status: Classified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

Dominique Swanigan is a Transp Generalist at Transportation Department within Camden Subarea. Hired in 2016, they have about 8 years of service, working full-time. 2024 total compensation came to $38,035. They are represented by Craft, Maintenance, Labor.

Julie Smith

Grants Specialist Coordinator/Transportation Department

2025 total comp

$37,985

Sub-department: Grant Support
Base pay: $37,256
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $729
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $37,985
Hire date: 2022-10-06
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay grade: 15
Union / bargaining unit: MN Assoc of Professional Empl
Pay basis: Hourly
Full-time equivalent (FTE): 1
Work county: Ramsey

Source-specific fields

Active on June 30, 2025: No
Agency Number: T79
Bargaining Unit Number: 214
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Classified
Classified Status: Classified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

At Transportation Department, Julie Smith serves as a Grants Specialist Coordinator within Grant Support. They have served since 2022 (about 3 years), working full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $37,985. Their bargaining unit is MN Assoc of Professional Empl.