How to hire a traffic control officer

How to hire a traffic control officer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step traffic control officer hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a traffic control officer job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new traffic control officer
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The traffic control officer hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A traffic control officer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, traffic control officers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of traffic control officers.

   Type of Traffic Control Officer	Description	Hourly rate
   Traffic Control Officer	Police officers protect lives and property. Detectives and criminal investigators, who are sometimes called agents or special agents, gather facts and collect evidence of possible crimes.	$11-26
   Ranger	A ranger is responsible for protecting and conserving natural resources and environmental conditions. Rangers coordinate with environmental institutions and landowners to identify land conservation strategies to prevent destructible threats of wildfires and calamities... Show more	$11-21
   Police Cadet	Police cadets require multiple police department-relevant skills in traffic control, police reports, public safety, and special events. Those who choose this career will be responsible for participating in training programs that will introduce them to the fundamentals of law enforcement and prepare them for becoming police officers, supporting police operations like traffic control, working on criminal investigation, and performing administrative duties at the station.	$11-22

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Parking Enforcement
   • Patrol
   • Traffic Flow
   • Emergency Situations
   • Public Safety
   • Vehicle Traffic
   • Law Enforcement
   • Pedestrian Traffic
   • Traffic Laws
   • Crowd Control
   • Direct Traffic
   • CPR
   • Emergency Vehicle
   • Air Traffic Control

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage all inbound material which include part shortages, EC changes, QC inspection parts and sequence material.
   • Patrol, assist disabled motorists, write tickets, traffic control for fire/accidents, boot cars, animal control, office work
   • Maintain airspace boundaries and issue traffic alerts as necessary, providing mission coordination assistance, and disseminate weather information as required.
   • Work impact evaluating and impacts in legislative, DOD and DA regulations on long range goals/objectives.
   • Direct traffic at major intersections and issue summonses to illegally park vehicles.
   • Train and recruit transportation personnel ensuring compliance with numerous transportation and DoD regulations.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your traffic control officer job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A traffic control officer can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, traffic control officers' average salary in mississippi is 55% less than in alaska.
   • Seniority. Entry-level traffic control officers 58% less than senior-level traffic control officers.
   • Certifications. A traffic control officer with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a traffic control officer's salary.

   Average traffic control officer salary

   $36,286yearly

   $17.45 hourly rate

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   Entry-level traffic control officer salary

   $23,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 28, 2025

4. Writing a traffic control officer job description

   A traffic control officer job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a traffic control officer job description:

   Traffic control officer job description example

   Allied Universal , North America's leading security and facility services company, provides rewarding careers that give you a sense of purpose. While working in a dynamic, diverse and inclusive workplace, you will be part of a team that fuels a culture that will reflect in our communities and customers we serve. We offer medical, dental and vision coverage, life insurance, 401K, employee assistance programs, company discounts, perks and more for all full-time positions!
   
   Schedule: Full Time, Weekdays & Weekends
   Evening & Overnight (3:30pm-12:00am) (11:30pm-08:00am)
   
   Perks: Competitive pay, Weekly and Daily Pay, Growth Opportunities, and Benefits Package
   
   Pay: $16.97 / Hourly
   
   As a Security Officer, you will serve and safeguard clients in a range of industries such as Commercial Real Estate, Healthcare, Education, Government and more.
   
   Responsibilities:
   
   * Provide customer service to our clients by carrying out safety and security procedures, site-specific policies and when appropriate, emergency response activities
   * Respond to incidents and critical situations in a calm, problem solving manner
   * Conduct regular and random patrols around the business and perimeter. Working environments and conditions may vary by client site.
   
   Minimum Requirements:
   
   * Be at least 20 years of age for unarmed roles; 21+ years of age for armed roles
   * Possess a high school diploma or equivalent, or 5 years of verifiable experience
   * As a condition of employment, applicants will be subject to a background investigation in accordance with all federal, state, and local laws. Allied Universal will consider qualified applications with criminal histories in a manner consistent with applicable laws.
   * As a condition of employment, applicants will be subject to a drug screen to the extent permitted by law.
   * Licensing requirements are subject to state and/or local laws and regulations and may be required prior to employment.
   * A valid driver's license will be required
   
   Perks and Benefits:
   
   * Health insurance and 401k plans for full-time positions
   * Flexible part time and full-time schedules that fit with your personal life goals
   * Ongoing paid training programs and career growth opportunities
   * Employee discounts through our perks program to your favorite restaurants, entertainment venues and much more…
   
   Allied Universal is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race/ethnicity, age, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, genetic information, disability, protected veteran status or relationship/association with a protected veteran, or any other basis or characteristic protected by law. For more information: www.aus.com
   
   If you have any questions regarding Equal Employment Opportunity, Affirmative Action, Diversity and Inclusion, have difficulty using the online system and require an alternate method to apply, or require an accommodation at any time during the recruitment and/or employment process, please contact our local Human Resources department. To find an office near you, please visit: www.aus.com/offices.

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5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right traffic control officer for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your traffic control officer job on Zippia to find and recruit traffic control officer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting traffic control officers requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new traffic control officer

   Once you've found the traffic control officer candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new traffic control officer. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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