What Does it Take to Be a Traffic Technician?
Traffic Technician Job Description 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.
Traffic Technician Responsibilities
- Develop plans or long-range strategies for providing adequate parking space.
- Time stoplights or other delays, using stopwatches.
- Plan, design, and improve components of traffic control systems to accommodate current or projected traffic and to increase usability and efficiency.
- Interview motorists about specific intersections or highways to gather road-condition information for use in planning.
- Lay out pavement markings for striping crews.
- Prepare graphs, charts, diagrams, or other aids to illustrate observations or conclusions.
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Things a Traffic Technician Should Know How to Do
When polled, Traffic Technicians say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Related Job Titles for this Occupation:
- Survey Field Technician
- Transportation Technician
- Engineering Technician
- Traffic Engineering Technician
- Traffic Analyst
Job Opportunities for Traffic Technicians
In the United States, there were 6,600 jobs for Traffic Technician in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 9.1% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 600 new jobs for Traffic Technician by 2026. There will be an estimated 800 positions for Traffic Technician per year.

The states with the most job growth for Traffic Technician are North Dakota, Arkansas, and Kentucky. Watch out if you plan on working in South Carolina, Pennsylvania, or New Jersey. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
How Much Does a Traffic Technician Make?
The average yearly salary of a Traffic Technician ranges between $29,750 and $79,070.

Traffic Technicians who work in Oregon, Nevada, or New York, make the highest salaries.
How much do Traffic Technicians make in each U.S. state?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Arizona | $49,730 |
Arkansas | $41,200 |
California | $61,750 |
Florida | $41,970 |
Georgia | $39,520 |
Hawaii | $55,020 |
Illinois | $56,940 |
Iowa | $44,960 |
Kansas | $48,860 |
Kentucky | $37,720 |
Louisiana | $40,830 |
Maryland | $42,550 |
Massachusetts | $49,030 |
Michigan | $42,420 |
Missouri | $45,820 |
Nevada | $69,320 |
New Jersey | $52,130 |
New Mexico | $37,560 |
New York | $62,100 |
North Carolina | $41,310 |
Ohio | $51,270 |
Oklahoma | $40,350 |
Oregon | $70,500 |
Pennsylvania | $56,240 |
South Carolina | $43,630 |
Tennessee | $42,730 |
Texas | $46,110 |
Utah | $47,170 |
Virginia | $51,260 |
Washington | $63,560 |
Wisconsin | $50,380 |
Wyoming | $45,870 |
What Tools do Traffic Technicians Use?
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Traffic Technicians may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Outlook
- Python
- Microsoft Access
- Word processing software
- Microsoft Windows
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- The MathWorks MATLAB
- SAS
- R
- Oracle software
- Salesforce software
- Tableau
- Bentley Microstation
- ESRI ArcView
- Computer aided design and drafting software CADD
- Structure query language SQL
Becoming a Traffic Technician
What kind of Traffic Technician requirements are there?

How Long Does it Take to Become a Traffic Technician?

Traffic Technicians Sector

Below are examples of industries where Traffic Technicians work:

Similar Careers
Are you already one of the many Traffic Technician in the United States? If you’re thinking about changing careers, these fields are worth exploring:
References:
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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