Transportation and Material Moving · Holland code RCI
Traffic Technicians
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.
Also called: Traffic Control Technician (Traffic Control Tech), Traffic Signal Technician (TST), Traffic Systems Technician (Traffic Systems Tech), Transportation Technician (Transportation Tech), Field Traffic Investigator, Traffic Field Investigator, Traffic Investigator, Traffic Monitor Specialist.
O*NET 53-6041.00
At a glance
- US median annual pay
- $59,090
- Middle half earn $46,440 to $75,850. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
- Most common education
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
- 43% of workers surveyed by O*NET report this level.
- Preparation needed
- Job Zone 3 of 5
- Medium preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.
What the work involves
The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.
- Prepare drawings of proposed signal installations or other control devices, using drafting instruments or computer-automated drafting equipment.
- 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.
Skills and knowledge it leans on
Skills
- Active Listening3.6 / 5
- Reading Comprehension3.3 / 5
- Speaking3.3 / 5
- Critical Thinking3.3 / 5
- Writing3.1 / 5
- Monitoring3.1 / 5
Knowledge areas
- Public Safety and Security3.9 / 5
- Computers and Electronics3.9 / 5
- Transportation3.9 / 5
- English Language3.6 / 5
- Engineering and Technology3.5 / 5
- Law and Government3.3 / 5
Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.
Who tends to enjoy it
How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.
- Realistic65
- Investigative56
- Artistic7
- Social16
- Enterprising16
- Conventional58
The same work abroad
Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.
European occupation titles (ESCO)
- transport engineer · DE Verkehrsingenieur/Verkehrsingenieurin · FR ingénieur infrastructures de transport/ingénieure infrastructures de transport
- transport planner · DE Verkehrsplaner/Verkehrsplanerin · FR responsable des transports et déplacements
- civil engineering technician · DE Bautechniker/Bautechnikerin · FR conducteur génie civil/conductrice génie civil
- bridge inspector · DE Brückenwärter/Brückenwärterin · FR inspecteur de ponts/inspectrice de ponts
- road maintenance technician · DE Straßeninstandhaltungstechniker/Straßeninstandhaltungstechnikerin · FR opérateur entretien et surveillance du réseau routier/opératrice entretien et surveillance du réseau routier
- road construction supervisor · DE Polier Straßenbau/Polierin Straßenbau · FR chef de chantier travaux publics et voirie
Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)
- Construction and building trades supervisors (5330)53,100 employed
- Building and civil engineering technicians (3114)20,100 employed
- Rail construction and maintenance operatives (8153)7,600 employed
Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.
Pay across Europe, for the whole group
Median annual earnings of all employees in “Technicians and associate professionals”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.
| Country | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Belgium | €50,992 |
| Austria | €46,986 |
| Germany | €44,473 |
| Netherlands | €42,448 |
| Ireland | €41,613 |
| Sweden | €41,155 |
| Italy | €34,882 |
| France | €34,816 |
| Spain | €29,757 |
| Portugal | €18,080 |
| Poland | €12,108 |
Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.
Exposure to AI
This occupation sits in the middle third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of +0.40. The scores are standardized across those occupations, so 0 is the average and a score of 1 is about one standard deviation above it.
Our note on reading it: the dataset links AI applications to the abilities that occupations require, so the score reflects overlap between the two. It is a comparison between occupations, not a forecast about jobs. It does not say whether exposure means tasks are replaced or workers get more done with the tools, and it says little about one employer or one role.
Source: Felten, E., Raj, M., & Seamans, R. (2021). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses. Strategic Management Journal, 42(12), 2195-2217. Matched to this page by 6-digit SOC code (53-6041).
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