Traffic Technicians Salary: $77,090 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 7,580 traffic technicians nationally earn a mean of $77,090. Employment in the series shown fell about 100% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 0.6% annual decline.
Key Statistics
Traffic Technicians: what the data shows
Common questions about traffic technicians careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a traffic technicians?
Traffic Technicians is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 53-6041.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 7,580 workers.
What does a traffic technicians do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Getting Information, Working with Computers, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Processing Information, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Documenting/Recording Information, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a traffic technicians make?
BLS national median annual wage: $58,480 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $77,090 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $54,329 |
| 25th percentile | $59,574 |
| Median (50th) | $82,529 |
| 75th percentile | $86,820 |
| 90th percentile | $100,372 |
What education do you need?
For Traffic Technicians, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Active Listening, Complex Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, Speaking, Judgment and Decision Making, Reading Comprehension, and knowledge areas including Public Safety and Security, Transportation, Computers and Electronics, English Language. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is traffic technicians in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 0.6% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -3.0%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -5.8%.
Current U.S. headcount: 7,580.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do traffic technicianss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 7,580 | 18.4% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 5,470 | 13.2% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 5,470 | 13.2% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 5,470 | 13.2% |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | 4,300 | 10.4% |
| Local Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | 4,300 | 10.4% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Traffic Technicians in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks | 127,440 | $41,460 |
| Air Traffic Controllers | 22,400 | $144,580 |
| Transportation Inspectors | 23,320 | $85,750 |
| Transportation Security Screeners | 46,340 | $63,360 |
| Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment | 7,310 | $82,730 |
| Pest Control Workers | 96,110 | $44,730 |
| Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door | 46,920 | $74,690 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Traffic Technicians workforce.
Employment Over Time
7,580 Workforce in 2023
The Traffic Technicians workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Traffic Technicians.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$77,090 Average Wage
In 2023, Traffic Technicians earned an average of $77,090.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Traffic Technicians.
Salary distribution for Traffic Technicians.
Employment Growth Projections
-0.6% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
1,727 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -3.0%
1,675 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -5.8%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Traffic Technicians.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Traffic Technicians and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Traffic Technicians employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Traffic Technicians.
Wage Trends by Industry
3.5% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Traffic Technicians.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Traffic Technicians.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- NY: 970 employees, $70,490 avg wage
- FL: 760 employees, $54,650 avg wage
- TX: 700 employees, $50,050 avg wage
- GA: 290 employees, $56,860 avg wage
- AZ: 280 employees, $63,230 avg wage
- MO: 240 employees, $57,920 avg wage
- NV: 220 employees, $59,330 avg wage
- TN: 210 employees, $55,590 avg wage
- SC: 130 employees, $54,070 avg wage
- KS: 130 employees, $44,250 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Traffic Technicians.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 790 employees, $71,490 avg wage
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 340 employees, $66,470 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 340 employees, $72,660 avg wage
- Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL: 290 employees, $61,010 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA: 230 employees, $72,730 avg wage
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 200 employees, $59,480 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 180 employees, $56,450 avg wage
- Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV: 170 employees, $59,810 avg wage
- Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ: 160 employees, $69,420 avg wage
- Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL: 130 employees, $48,370 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Traffic Technicians.
Diversity
Demographic information on Traffic Technicians in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Traffic Technicians in 2023 was 7,580 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Traffic Technicians.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Traffic Technicians.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Traffic Technicians.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Traffic Technicians in 2023 were Technical Training, Engineering, Mechanical Engineering.
Common majors for Traffic Technicians.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Traffic Technicians workers.
Education level distribution for Traffic Technicians.
Skills
Traffic Technicians need many skills, but most especially Active Listening, Complex Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, Speaking, Judgment and Decision Making.
Required skills for Traffic Technicians.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Traffic Technicians.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Traffic Technicians include Public Safety and Security, Transportation, Computers and Electronics, English Language, Engineering and Technology.
Knowledge areas required for Traffic Technicians.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Traffic Technicians include Problem Sensitivity, Oral Expression, Oral Comprehension, Inductive Reasoning, Written Comprehension.
Required abilities for Traffic Technicians.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Traffic Technicians.
Daily Activities
Traffic Technicians spend their time on activities such as Getting Information, Working with Computers, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Processing Information, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates.
Most important work activities for Traffic Technicians.
About
Traffic Technicians
The average yearly wage for Traffic Technicians was $77,090 in 2023.
SOC Code
53-6041 - Traffic Technicians
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Traffic Technicians reports an average salary of $77,090.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 7,580 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -0.6%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.