Traffic Technicians
US occupation · SOC 53-6041
Job titles people report: Field Traffic Investigator, Traffic Control Technician (Traffic Control Tech), Traffic Field Investigator, Traffic Investigator, Traffic Monitor Specialist, Traffic Signal Technician (TST), Traffic Survey Technician (Traffic Survey Tech), Traffic Systems Technician (Traffic Systems Tech), Transportation Planning Technician (Transportation Planning Tech), Transportation Technician (Transportation Tech)
Pay and outlook
- Median annual wage, May 2025
- $59,090
- Half earn more, half earn less
- Middle half earn
- $46,440 – $75,850
- 25th to 75th percentile
- People employed, May 2025
- 7,860
- Wage and salary jobs (OEWS)
- Projected change, 2025–35
- +4%
- At or above the all-jobs rate (3.5% to under 7%)
- Openings a year (projected)
- 900
- New jobs plus replacing people who leave
- Typical education to enter
- High school diploma or equivalent
- BLS
- All figures are for the United States as a whole. Pay varies a lot by state and city.
- Wages are for everyone working in the occupation in May 2025, at every career stage. They are not starting salaries or figures for new graduates.
- Growth and openings are BLS projections for 2025–35. They are estimates, not promises. Openings include jobs that open up when people retire or change occupation, not just new jobs.
What the work involves
Conduct field studies to determine traffic volume, speed, effectiveness of signals, adequacy of lighting, and other factors influencing traffic conditions, under direction of traffic engineer.
Main tasks
- Study factors affecting traffic conditions, such as lighting or sign and marking visibility, to assess their effectiveness.
- Interact with the public to answer traffic-related questions, respond to complaints or requests, or discuss traffic control ordinances, plans, policies, or procedures.
- Prepare work orders for repair, maintenance, or changes in traffic systems.
- Plan, design, and improve components of traffic control systems to accommodate current or projected traffic and to increase usability and efficiency.
- Analyze data related to traffic flow, accident rates, or proposed development to determine the most efficient methods to expedite traffic flow.
- Visit development or work sites to determine projects' effect on traffic and the adequacy of traffic control and safety plans or to suggest traffic control measures.
- Operate counters and record data to assess the volume, type, and movement of vehicular or pedestrian traffic at specified times.
- Measure and record the speed of vehicular traffic, using electrical timing devices or radar equipment.
Description and tasks from the O*NET® 31.0 Database.
Getting in
- Typical education to enter (BLS)
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Training once hired: moderate-term on-the-job training
- O*NET Job Zone 3
- Medium preparation
- Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Interests it suits
The strongest of the six O*NET interest types for this occupation, highest first. The short glosses are ours.
- Realistic: hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals
- Conventional: organising information, records and procedures
- Investigative: research, analysis and solving problems with ideas
Fields of study that lead here
From the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk, which links 2 programmes to this occupation. A link means the programme prepares people for this kind of work. It doesn't mean the programme is required, or that it's the only route.
Fields
Our college matcher doesn't offer these fields as a major, so we can't suggest colleges for them here.
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians
- Civil Engineering Technologies/Technicians
Public Administration and Social Service Professions
- Transportation and Infrastructure Planning/Studies
Related careers
Related occupations from the O*NET database, in its order.
- Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians
$64,950 median · +3.2% projected
- Construction and Building Inspectors
$74,690 median · 0% projected
- Air Traffic Controllers
$148,080 median · +1.7% projected
- Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters
$78,000 median · +0.9% projected
- Highway Maintenance Workers
$50,260 median · +3.4% projected
- Locomotive Engineers
$81,410 median · +0.5% projected
Sources
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CollegeMatcher has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET 31.0 Database · CC BY 4.0
Changes: we show the core tasks in the O*NET database with the highest importance ratings (up to eight, in that order), the top three O*NET interest types by score, and shortened Job Zone names. Titles, descriptions and task text are unchanged.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Projections, typical entry education and training: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35. Fields of study: NCES and BLS CIP 2020–SOC 2018 Crosswalk. All public domain. OEWS · Employment Projections · CIP–SOC crosswalk