How to hire a traffic control technician

How to hire a traffic control technician, step by step

Here's a step-by-step traffic control technician 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 technician job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new traffic control technician
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a traffic control technician do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a traffic control technician, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a traffic control technician to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a traffic control technician that fits the bill.

   The following list breaks down different types of traffic control technicians and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Traffic Control Technician	Description	Hourly rate
   Traffic Control Technician		$12-28
   Traffic Analyst	A traffic analyst is responsible for providing traffic insights and developing strategies to optimize the organization's daily operations. Even though the extent of their responsibilities depends on their place or industry of employment, it usually includes conducting extensive research and analyses, developing action plans according to project goals and daily objectives, conducting risk assessments, and maintaining records... Show more	$21-41
   Technician	Technicians are skilled professionals who primarily work with technology in different industries. They are knowledgeable about the technical aspects of the various items they work with... Show more	$11-27

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • DOT
   • Safety Regulations
   • Traffic Cones
   • Road Signs
   • Traffic Control Devices
   • ATSSA
   • Message Boards
   • Safety Barriers
   • Warning Signs
   • Traffic Control
   • MUTCD
   • Vehicle Problems
   • Construction Sites
   • Direct Traffic

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Install the load switches and loop detectors.
   • Operate light to medium size equipment, some which may require a valid CDL.
   • Operate various heavy equipment; bucket trucks, truck cranes, small excavators, forklifts, and bore rigs.
   • Maintain airspace boundaries and issue traffic alerts as necessary, providing mission coordination assistance, and disseminate weather information as required.
   • Set up devices including but not limit to: cones, barricades, signs according to MUTCD guidelines.

   More traffic control technician duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, traffic control technicians' average salary in louisiana is 47% less than in washington.
   • Seniority. Entry-level traffic control technicians 55% less than senior-level traffic control technicians.
   • Certifications. A traffic control technician 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 technician's salary.

   Average traffic control technician salary

   $40,714yearly

   $19.57 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level traffic control technician salary

   $27,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 19, 2025

   Average traffic control technician salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Virginia	$49,013	$24
   2	California	$48,571	$23
   3	Pennsylvania	$46,507	$22
   4	Ohio	$44,699	$21
   5	South Carolina	$42,337	$20
   6	Colorado	$42,218	$20
   7	Arizona	$39,579	$19
   8	Nevada	$39,102	$19
   9	Oklahoma	$38,238	$18
   10	Utah	$37,434	$18
   11	Indiana	$37,375	$18
   12	Florida	$36,936	$18
   13	North Carolina	$36,827	$18
   14	Texas	$36,677	$18
   15	Kansas	$34,862	$17
   16	Georgia	$33,937	$16

   Average traffic control technician salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	City of San Diego	$41,820	$20.11	5
   2	City of Charleston	$41,547	$19.97	1
   3	City of Tucson	$41,346	$19.88	1
   4	MasTec	$39,284	$18.89	49
   5	City of Laredo	$39,191	$18.84	1
   6	Fort Bend County	$38,563	$18.54	2
   7	Pennsylvania State Treasurer	$38,207	$18.37	4
   8	Commonwealth Of Pennsylvania	$38,187	$18.36
   9	RoadSafe Traffic Systems	$38,157	$18.34	7
   10	Statewide Safety Systems	$38,132	$18.33
   11	Primoris Services	$38,038	$18.29	4
   12	C.W. Matthews Contracting Co.	$37,963	$18.25	2
   13	NPL Construction Co.	$37,960	$18.25
   14	Rogers Group	$37,855	$18.20	6
   15	TransCore	$37,029	$17.80	3
   16	Metro	$36,480	$17.54
   17	Randstad North America, Inc.	$36,343	$17.47	3
   18	Adecco	$33,363	$16.04	93
   19	PeopleReady	$33,309	$16.01	6
   20	Sonic Drive-In	$29,653	$14.26

4. Writing a traffic control technician job description

   A traffic control technician 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 technician job description:

   Traffic control technician job description example

   • Must have a valid driver license & clear driving record
   • Must be able to lift up to 50lbs & stand for many hours
   • Bend and lift repeatedly
   • Will need to join union, if hired

   WHAT YOU WILL GET:

   • Competitive pay and overtime opportunities
   • 3 Guaranteed pay increases within your first two years
   • Safety bonuses
   • Access to DailyPay: Make any day payday!
   • Paid, on-the-job training: ATSSA certification, defensive driver training, and handling emergencies
   • Quick promotion for Protectors interested in doing more - you can become a Senior Protector, Lead Protector, project manager, or manager with no college degree required.
   • Three Medical plan options through Anthem
   • Dental: choice of two dental plans
   • Vision plan
   • Company provided Life/AD&D benefit of $50,000
   • Short Term and Long Term Disability available
   • voluntary Life for yourself, spouse and dependents available
   • Accident and Critical Illness coverage available
   • 401(k) for all team members after 90 days - Note: Union team members are not eligible for 401(k) participation.
   • Pay rates and safety bonuses increase the longer you stay and the more promotions you receive with AWP. We reward hard work and loyalty.

   *Must have worked 1560 hours for the year to qualify for benefits*

   AWP is a Fair Chance Employer and will consider employment for, qualified applicants with criminal histories. All positions require the completion of a pre-employment background check. Please be aware that acknowledging or having criminal convictions does not constitute an automatic bar to employment.

   AWP is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE). Women, minorities, veterans, and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status or disability.

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5. Post your job

   To find traffic control technicians for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any traffic control technicians they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level traffic control technicians with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting traffic control technicians 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 to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   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 technician

   Once you've decided on a perfect traffic control technician candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is 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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How much does it cost to hire a traffic control technician?