Traffic Technicians
Traffic Technicians (SOC 53-6041) earn a median $59,090 a year ($28.41 an hour) in the United States, with 7,860 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is California.
What traffic technicians do
Traffic technicians collect the field data that traffic engineers use to judge how well a road is working. Working under an engineer's direction, they count vehicles, time delays, and measure the speed of vehicles through a problem area, noting how many vehicles a delay affects and for how long. They also check whether signals are timed effectively and whether street lighting, signs, and markings are adequate. Their observations are turned into graphs, charts, and diagrams that support recommendations about signal changes, new signs, or other improvements. Technicians deal with the public too, answering questions and responding to complaints or requests about traffic control, ordinances, plans, and policies. O*NET alternate titles such as permit technician, sign technician, street light technician, and traffic analyst show how the work spreads across studies, signs, lighting, and paperwork. All of it is field work done under the direction of a traffic engineer, so the technician gathers evidence while the engineer draws the conclusions.
Typical entry: O*NET reports that most workers in this occupation have a high school diploma or equivalent.
Also called: Collection Technician, Field Traffic Investigator, Highway Traffic Control Technician, Pavement Engineer, Permit Technician.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $18.79 | $22.33 | $28.41 | $36.47 | $40.93 | $29.83 | 7,860 |
| Annual | $39,090 | $46,440 | $59,090 | $75,850 | $85,130 | $62,050 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where traffic technicians earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $25.48 | $28.42 | $38.03 | $40.98 | $46.67 | $36.49 | 1,250 | 0.07 | 1.36 |
| Annual | $52,990 | $59,120 | $79,110 | $85,240 | $97,080 | $75,890 | ||||
| Minnesota | Hourly | $29.93 | $31.57 | $37.41 | $39.61 | $40.81 | $35.22 | 60 | 0.02 | 0.40 |
| Annual | $62,240 | $65,660 | $77,810 | $82,390 | $84,880 | $73,250 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $29.32 | $30.82 | $34.59 | $45.69 | $49.64 | $37.04 | 70 | 0.02 | 0.39 |
| Annual | $60,990 | $64,110 | $71,960 | $95,030 | $103,260 | $77,040 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $22.12 | $25.09 | $34.46 | $40.27 | $50.83 | $35.18 | 950 | 0.10 | 1.94 |
| Annual | $46,000 | $52,190 | $71,670 | $83,770 | $105,720 | $73,180 | ||||
| Indiana | Hourly | $21.15 | $27.06 | $34.14 | $35.45 | $40.93 | $31.22 | 120 | 0.04 | 0.72 |
| Annual | $43,990 | $56,290 | $71,000 | $73,730 | $85,140 | $64,930 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $25.48 | $28.42 | $38.03 | $40.98 | $46.67 | $36.49 | 1,250 | 0.07 | 1.36 |
| Annual | $52,990 | $59,120 | $79,110 | $85,240 | $97,080 | $75,890 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $22.12 | $25.09 | $34.46 | $40.27 | $50.83 | $35.18 | 950 | 0.10 | 1.94 |
| Annual | $46,000 | $52,190 | $71,670 | $83,770 | $105,720 | $73,180 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $17.63 | $20.00 | $24.62 | $30.85 | $37.36 | $26.32 | 710 | 0.07 | 1.42 |
| Annual | $36,670 | $41,600 | $51,220 | $64,160 | $77,700 | $54,740 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $18.24 | $20.23 | $23.45 | $28.59 | $33.51 | $24.96 | 650 | 0.05 | 0.92 |
| Annual | $37,930 | $42,070 | $48,770 | $59,480 | $69,710 | $51,910 | ||||
| Tennessee | Hourly | $20.91 | $21.20 | $21.62 | $26.05 | $29.88 | $23.82 | 460 | 0.14 | 2.76 |
| Annual | $43,480 | $44,090 | $44,970 | $54,190 | $62,140 | $49,540 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $28.44 | $32.35 | $44.57 | $46.67 | $50.37 | $41.21 | 190 | 0.08 | 1.55 |
| Annual | $59,150 | $67,290 | $92,710 | $97,080 | $104,760 | $85,710 | ||||
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | Hourly | $28.41 | $28.41 | $40.91 | $40.92 | $41.70 | $36.40 | 230 | 0.15 | 3.02 |
| Annual | $59,090 | $59,090 | $85,100 | $85,110 | $86,740 | $75,710 | ||||
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | Hourly | $28.26 | $28.26 | $40.70 | $40.70 | $44.41 | $35.88 | 70 | 0.34 | 6.68 |
| Annual | $58,780 | $58,780 | $84,650 | $84,650 | $92,370 | $74,620 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $21.72 | $22.12 | $39.38 | $40.27 | $51.77 | $36.19 | 750 | 0.08 | 1.56 |
| Annual | $45,190 | $46,000 | $81,910 | $83,770 | $107,670 | $75,280 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $25.18 | $28.37 | $37.81 | $40.84 | $46.11 | $35.77 | 400 | 0.06 | 1.25 |
| Annual | $52,370 | $59,000 | $78,640 | $84,940 | $95,910 | $74,400 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $21.72 | $22.12 | $39.38 | $40.27 | $51.77 | $36.19 | 750 | 0.08 | 1.56 |
| Annual | $45,190 | $46,000 | $81,910 | $83,770 | $107,670 | $75,280 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $25.18 | $28.37 | $37.81 | $40.84 | $46.11 | $35.77 | 400 | 0.06 | 1.25 |
| Annual | $52,370 | $59,000 | $78,640 | $84,940 | $95,910 | $74,400 | ||||
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | Hourly | $26.46 | $29.58 | $33.70 | $37.50 | $39.01 | $33.61 | 300 | 0.10 | 1.91 |
| Annual | $55,030 | $61,530 | $70,100 | $78,000 | $81,140 | $69,900 | ||||
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | Hourly | $28.41 | $28.41 | $40.91 | $40.92 | $41.70 | $36.40 | 230 | 0.15 | 3.02 |
| Annual | $59,090 | $59,090 | $85,100 | $85,110 | $86,740 | $75,710 | ||||
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | Hourly | $18.29 | $23.93 | $29.95 | $37.36 | $37.86 | $29.99 | 210 | 0.15 | 2.92 |
| Annual | $38,050 | $49,780 | $62,300 | $77,700 | $78,760 | $62,380 | ||||
Top industries employing traffic technicians
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) employ 56.0% of traffic technicians nationally (4,400 jobs) at a median $60,700 a year ($29.19 an hour), followed by State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) (16.0%) and Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (11.6%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999300 | 4,400 | 56.0% | $60,700 | $29.19 |
| State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999200 | 1,260 | 16.0% | $60,270 | $28.97 |
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services NAICS 541300 | 910 | 11.6% | $67,290 | $32.35 |
| Employment Services NAICS 561300 | 70 | 0.9% | $38,820 | $18.67 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (7,860). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $48,610 for traffic technicians in May 2021 and $59,090 in May 2025, with employment of 7,770 and 7,860.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $48,610 | $23.37 | 7,770 |
| May 2022 | $50,050 | $24.06 | 7,310 |
| May 2023 | $52,240 | $25.12 | 7,530 |
| May 2024 | $58,480 | $28.12 | 7,580 |
| May 2025 | $59,090 | $28.41 | 7,860 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
36 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California profile | $38.03 | $79,110 | $52,990 | $97,080 | 1,250 | 0.07 | 1.36 |
| 2 | Minnesota profile | $37.41 | $77,810 | $62,240 | $84,880 | 60 | 0.02 | 0.40 |
| 3 | Washington profile | $34.59 | $71,960 | $60,990 | $103,260 | 70 | 0.02 | 0.39 |
| 4 | New York profile | $34.46 | $71,670 | $46,000 | $105,720 | 950 | 0.10 | 1.94 |
| 5 | Indiana profile | $34.14 | $71,000 | $43,990 | $85,140 | 120 | 0.04 | 0.72 |
| 6 | Illinois profile | $34.12 | $70,970 | $37,010 | $96,150 | 40 | 0.01 | 0.12 |
| 7 | Iowa profile | $32.74 | $68,100 | $36,070 | $89,590 | 30 | 0.02 | 0.39 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania profile | $31.55 | $65,610 | $49,300 | $78,580 | 60 | 0.01 | 0.20 |
| 9 | New Jersey profile | $30.88 | $64,240 | $48,020 | $87,660 | 110 | 0.03 | 0.51 |
| 10 | Massachusetts profile | $30.66 | $63,780 | $44,730 | $116,500 | 90 | 0.03 | 0.50 |
| 11 | Virginia profile | $29.94 | $62,270 | $46,500 | $82,460 | 90 | 0.02 | 0.45 |
| 12 | Utah profile | $29.79 | $61,970 | $41,590 | $81,740 | 30 | 0.02 | 0.36 |
| 13 | Ohio profile | $29.55 | $61,460 | $34,670 | $77,520 | 210 | 0.04 | 0.74 |
| 14 | Nebraska profile | $29.51 | $61,380 | $35,580 | $77,780 | 40 | 0.04 | 0.86 |
| 15 | Oklahoma profile | $29.21 | $60,750 | $41,840 | $79,640 | 90 | 0.05 | 1.03 |
| 16 | Maryland profile | $29.16 | $60,650 | $48,500 | $92,900 | 140 | 0.05 | 1.04 |
| 17 | Arizona profile | $28.84 | $59,980 | $38,010 | $89,400 | 310 | 0.10 | 1.88 |
| 18 | Wisconsin profile | $28.34 | $58,940 | $51,400 | $76,100 | 40 | 0.02 | 0.29 |
| 19 | Idaho profile | $27.49 | $57,180 | $45,700 | $80,050 | 70 | 0.09 | 1.71 |
| 20 | South Carolina profile | $27.44 | $57,080 | $41,050 | $74,680 | 150 | 0.07 | 1.31 |
| 21 | North Carolina profile | $27.31 | $56,800 | $45,640 | $80,530 | 110 | 0.02 | 0.43 |
| 22 | Missouri profile | $27.27 | $56,720 | $45,940 | $76,210 | 220 | 0.07 | 1.46 |
| 23 | West Virginia profile | $25.67 | $53,400 | $43,560 | $56,560 | 70 | 0.10 | 1.89 |
| 24 | Nevada profile | $25.53 | $53,100 | $39,480 | $101,280 | 190 | 0.12 | 2.44 |
| 25 | Alabama profile | $25.03 | $52,060 | $35,290 | $65,740 | 130 | 0.06 | 1.25 |
| 26 | Florida profile | $24.62 | $51,220 | $36,670 | $77,700 | 710 | 0.07 | 1.42 |
| 27 | Connecticut profile | $24.23 | $50,400 | $37,680 | $79,950 | ** | ** | ** |
| 28 | Wyoming profile | $24.10 | $50,120 | $37,980 | $65,200 | 30 | 0.13 | 2.47 |
| 29 | Arkansas profile | $23.82 | $49,550 | $37,820 | $73,910 | 50 | 0.04 | 0.74 |
| 30 | New Mexico profile | $23.69 | $49,280 | $39,610 | $58,610 | 80 | 0.09 | 1.82 |
| 31 | Texas profile | $23.45 | $48,770 | $37,930 | $69,710 | 650 | 0.05 | 0.92 |
| 32 | Georgia profile | $23.13 | $48,110 | $37,910 | $76,610 | 220 | 0.05 | 0.89 |
| 33 | Kansas profile | $22.65 | $47,100 | $37,870 | $64,170 | 160 | 0.11 | 2.25 |
| 34 | Tennessee profile | $21.62 | $44,970 | $43,480 | $62,140 | 460 | 0.14 | 2.76 |
| 35 | Louisiana profile | $20.54 | $42,710 | $35,720 | $55,320 | 130 | 0.07 | 1.37 |
| 36 | Michigan profile | $18.22 | $37,890 | $33,180 | $77,980 | 100 | 0.02 | 0.45 |
Part of Transportation and Material Moving Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 53-6041 Traffic Technicians.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 53-6041, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 53-6041.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.