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.
- O*NET-SOC code
53-6041.00 - Preparation Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Wages
Median annual wage, U.S.$59,090
Employment, U.S.7,860
Median hourly wage$28.41
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $39,090 | $46,440 | $59,090 | $75,850 | $85,130 |
By state (36)
| State | Employment | Median annual | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 130 | $52,060 | 1.25 |
| Arizona | 310 | $59,980 | 1.88 |
| Arkansas | 50 | $49,550 | 0.74 |
| California | 1,250 | $79,110 | 1.36 |
| Connecticut | $50,400 | ||
| Florida | 710 | $51,220 | 1.42 |
| Georgia | 220 | $48,110 | 0.89 |
| Idaho | 70 | $57,180 | 1.71 |
| Illinois | 40 | $70,970 | 0.12 |
| Indiana | 120 | $71,000 | 0.72 |
| Iowa | 30 | $68,100 | 0.39 |
| Kansas | 160 | $47,100 | 2.25 |
| Louisiana | 130 | $42,710 | 1.37 |
| Maryland | 140 | $60,650 | 1.04 |
| Massachusetts | 90 | $63,780 | 0.50 |
| Michigan | 100 | $37,890 | 0.45 |
| Minnesota | 60 | $77,810 | 0.40 |
| Missouri | 220 | $56,720 | 1.46 |
| Nebraska | 40 | $61,380 | 0.86 |
| Nevada | 190 | $53,100 | 2.44 |
| New Jersey | 110 | $64,240 | 0.51 |
| New Mexico | 80 | $49,280 | 1.82 |
| New York | 950 | $71,670 | 1.94 |
| North Carolina | 110 | $56,800 | 0.43 |
| Ohio | 210 | $61,460 | 0.74 |
| Oklahoma | 90 | $60,750 | 1.03 |
| Pennsylvania | 60 | $65,610 | 0.20 |
| South Carolina | 150 | $57,080 | 1.31 |
| Tennessee | 460 | $44,970 | 2.76 |
| Texas | 650 | $48,770 | 0.92 |
| Utah | 30 | $61,970 | 0.36 |
| Virginia | 90 | $62,270 | 0.45 |
| Washington | 70 | $71,960 | 0.39 |
| West Virginia | 70 | $53,400 | 1.89 |
| Wisconsin | 40 | $58,940 | 0.29 |
| Wyoming | 30 | $50,120 | 2.47 |
Similar occupations
Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.
Circles are the 20 most similar occupations, coloured by Job Zone. Lines join pairs where one is among the other's 10 most similar; darker lines are pairs O*NET also lists as related. Drag a circle to move it out of the way; select one to open it.
| # | Occupation | Job Zone | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians | 3 | 0.958 |
| 2 | Airfield Operations Specialists | 3 | 0.957 |
| 3 | Power Distributors and Dispatchers | 3 | 0.957 |
| 4 | Government Property Inspectors and Investigators | 3 | 0.956 |
| 5 | Transportation Inspectors | 4 | 0.953 |
| 6 | Marine Engineers and Naval Architects | 4 | 0.953 |
| 7 | Energy Auditors | 3 | 0.951 |
| 8 | Construction and Building Inspectors | 3 | 0.950 |
| 9 | Environmental Engineering Technologists and Technicians | 4 | 0.948 |
| 10 | Hydroelectric Production Managers | 3 | 0.947 |
One skill away
Among the 50 occupations most similar to Traffic Technicians, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.
| Occupation | Skill to build | Level gap | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Facilities Managers | Monitoring | 0.76 | 0.937 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Helpers, Laborers, and Material Movers, Hand | Management of Personnel Resources | 0.87 | 0.934 |
| Solar Energy Installation Managers | Management of Personnel Resources | 1.00 | 0.932 |
Software to learn next
Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Traffic Technicians, excluding software Traffic Technicians already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.
| Software | Similar jobs using it | Lift |
|---|---|---|
| SAP software | 15 of 20 | 2.4x |
| Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D | 6 of 20 | 9.2x |
| Geomechanical design analysis GDA software | 4 of 20 | 13.2x |
| Bentley Systems InRoads Suite | 3 of 20 | 27.7x |
| HEC-RAS | 3 of 20 | 15.4x |
| Geographic information system GIS software | 6 of 20 | 3.9x |
| Graphics software | 5 of 20 | 4.4x |
| Oracle Primavera Systems | 3 of 20 | 10.7x |
| National Instruments LabVIEW | 5 of 20 | 3.7x |
| Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software | 5 of 20 | 3.7x |
Skills
From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.
| Skill | Type | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active Listening | Essential skill | 3.62 | 3.62 |
| Reading Comprehension | Essential skill | 3.25 | 4.00 |
| Complex Problem Solving | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 3.62 |
| Critical Thinking | Essential skill | 3.25 | 3.50 |
| Speaking | Essential skill | 3.25 | 3.38 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 3.12 |
| Writing | Essential skill | 3.12 | 3.25 |
| Monitoring | Essential skill | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Systems Analysis | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.50 |
| Systems Evaluation | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.25 |
| Active Learning | Essential skill | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Time Management | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Coordination | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Social Perceptiveness | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Operations Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 3.38 |
| Mathematics | Essential skill | 2.88 | 3.12 |
| Instructing | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Persuasion | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Service Orientation | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Operations Monitoring | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.75 |
| Negotiation | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.88 |
| Science | Essential skill | 2.75 | 2.88 |
| Operation and Control | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.75 |
| Learning Strategies | Essential skill | 2.62 | 2.88 |
| Quality Control Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.38 | 2.50 |
| Troubleshooting | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Technology Design | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 1.38 |
| Equipment Selection | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 1.25 |
| Programming | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 1.25 |
| Management of Financial Resources | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 1.12 |
| Management of Material Resources | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 1.12 |
| Equipment Maintenance | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 1.00 |
| Repairing | Transferable skill | 1.88 | 1.00 |
| Installation | Transferable skill | 1.12 | not rated |
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Public Safety and Security | 3.91 | 3.94 |
| Computers and Electronics | 3.90 | 4.51 |
| Transportation | 3.90 | 4.23 |
| English Language | 3.62 | 3.72 |
| Engineering and Technology | 3.50 | 4.15 |
| Law and Government | 3.34 | 3.21 |
| Mathematics | 3.32 | 4.02 |
| Customer and Personal Service | 3.29 | 4.33 |
| Administrative | 3.28 | 3.97 |
| Education and Training | 3.15 | 3.85 |
| Mechanical | 3.11 | 3.61 |
| Design | 3.10 | 3.54 |
| Building and Construction | 3.05 | 3.20 |
| Administration and Management | 2.99 | 3.09 |
| Telecommunications | 2.67 | 2.18 |
| Geography | 2.65 | 3.00 |
| Personnel and Human Resources | 2.60 | 2.26 |
| Physics | 2.45 | 2.37 |
| Communications and Media | 2.42 | 2.47 |
| Production and Processing | 2.29 | 2.05 |
| Economics and Accounting | 1.94 | 1.35 |
| Psychology | 1.77 | 1.47 |
| Chemistry | 1.73 | 1.57 |
| History and Archeology | 1.39 | not rated |
| Sales and Marketing | 1.37 | not rated |
| Sociology and Anthropology | 1.36 | 0.67 |
| Biology | 1.32 | not rated |
| Foreign Language | 1.32 | 0.53 |
| Therapy and Counseling | 1.29 | not rated |
| Philosophy and Theology | 1.23 | not rated |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 1.19 | not rated |
| Food Production | 1.12 | not rated |
| Fine Arts | 1.09 | not rated |
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Oral Expression | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Oral Comprehension | 3.88 | 3.88 |
| Problem Sensitivity | 3.88 | 3.38 |
| Inductive Reasoning | 3.75 | 3.38 |
| Written Comprehension | 3.62 | 3.62 |
| Deductive Reasoning | 3.38 | 3.88 |
| Speech Recognition | 3.38 | 3.12 |
| Speech Clarity | 3.38 | 3.00 |
| Near Vision | 3.25 | 3.12 |
| Information Ordering | 3.12 | 3.50 |
| Written Expression | 3.12 | 3.38 |
| Category Flexibility | 3.12 | 3.25 |
| Far Vision | 3.12 | 3.25 |
| Flexibility of Closure | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Visualization | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Perceptual Speed | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Selective Attention | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Fluency of Ideas | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Mathematical Reasoning | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Number Facility | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Originality | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Visual Color Discrimination | 2.75 | 2.75 |
| Finger Dexterity | 2.75 | 2.62 |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 2.50 | 2.50 |
| Speed of Closure | 2.38 | 2.50 |
| Time Sharing | 2.38 | 2.38 |
| Depth Perception | 2.38 | 2.00 |
| Control Precision | 2.25 | 2.62 |
| Auditory Attention | 2.25 | 2.38 |
| Reaction Time | 2.25 | 2.38 |
| Memorization | 2.25 | 2.25 |
| Hearing Sensitivity | 2.25 | 2.12 |
| Multilimb Coordination | 2.25 | 2.00 |
| Manual Dexterity | 2.12 | 2.25 |
| Spatial Orientation | 2.12 | 1.88 |
| Response Orientation | 2.00 | 1.88 |
| Glare Sensitivity | 2.00 | 1.75 |
| Night Vision | 2.00 | 1.75 |
| Peripheral Vision | 2.00 | 1.75 |
| Rate Control | 2.00 | 1.62 |
| Sound Localization | 2.00 | 1.38 |
| Trunk Strength | 1.62 | 1.25 |
| Extent Flexibility | 1.62 | 1.12 |
| Explosive Strength | 1.62 | 1.00 |
| Static Strength | 1.62 | 1.00 |
| Dynamic Strength | 1.62 | 0.88 |
| Wrist-Finger Speed | 1.62 | 0.75 |
| Stamina | 1.62 | 0.62 |
| Gross Body Equilibrium | 1.50 | 0.62 |
| Gross Body Coordination | 1.50 | 0.50 |
| Speed of Limb Movement | 1.50 | 0.50 |
| Dynamic Flexibility | 1.00 | not rated |
Software used
Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.
- Microsoft Excel in demand
- Microsoft Office software in demand
- Autodesk AutoCAD hot
- Bentley MicroStation hot
- C++ hot
- ESRI ArcGIS software hot
- Microsoft Access hot
- Microsoft Outlook hot
- Microsoft PowerPoint hot
- Microsoft Windows hot
- Microsoft Word hot
- Oracle Database hot
- Python hot
- R hot
- SAS hot
- Salesforce software hot
- Tableau hot
- The MathWorks MATLAB hot
- Computer aided design and drafting software CADD
- Dowling Associates TRAFFIX
- ESRI ArcView
- Geographic information system GIS systems
- JAMAR Technologies PETRAPro
- Pd' Programming Intersection Magic
- Structure query language SQL
- Traffic control software
- Traffic signal software
- Trafficware SimTraffic
Where it concentrates
Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.
| Metro area | Employment | Location quotient | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chattanooga, TN-GA | 110 | 8.06 | $44,690 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | 130 | 5.61 | $67,010 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 230 | 3.02 | $85,100 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 210 | 2.92 | $62,300 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | 150 | 2.63 | $56,470 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 300 | 1.91 | $70,100 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | 100 | 1.81 | $52,520 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 750 | 1.56 | $81,910 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 190 | 1.55 | $92,710 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 100 | 1.51 | $58,820 |