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The differences between traffic control technicians and flaggers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a traffic control technician has an average salary of $40,714, which is higher than the $29,484 average annual salary of a flagger.
The top three skills for a traffic control technician include DOT, safety regulations and traffic cones. The most important skills for a flagger are work ethic, safety rules, and construction sites.
| Traffic Control Technician | Flagger | |
| Yearly salary | $40,714 | $29,484 |
| Hourly rate | $19.57 | $14.18 |
| Growth rate | 1% | 1% |
| Number of jobs | 58,811 | 6,597 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 40% | High School Diploma, 55% |
| Average age | 44 | 53 |
| Years of experience | 4 | - |
The job of a Traffic Control Technician is to make sure construction projects are not disturbed or hindered by pedestrians and motorists. As a construction laborer with extensive training in fabrication, repair, and installation of traffic control signs and devices, your key role is to install barricades and markers to control traffic passing nearby and in work zones. Your job is to direct pedestrians and vehicular traffic to another route to ensure the safety of workers in the construction zone and the safety of those passing.
A flagger is an employee who is hired by government agencies or construction companies to control the flow of traffic around road construction sites. To control the flow of traffic, flaggers must erect warning signs and position traffic cones and barricades to guide drivers through the traffic flow. They are responsible for informing the construction crew of any issues that may affect their safety. Flaggers are also required to record the license plate numbers of motorists who did not obey traffic signs and directions.
Traffic control technicians and flaggers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Traffic Control Technician | Flagger | |
| Average salary | $40,714 | $29,484 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $60,000 | Between $22,000 And $38,000 |
| Highest paying City | Richmond, VA | Buffalo, NY |
| Highest paying state | Washington | North Dakota |
| Best paying company | City of San Diego | Walsh Electric |
| Best paying industry | Government | Construction |
There are a few differences between a traffic control technician and a flagger in terms of educational background:
| Traffic Control Technician | Flagger | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 40% | High School Diploma, 55% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | - |
Here are the differences between traffic control technicians' and flaggers' demographics:
| Traffic Control Technician | Flagger | |
| Average age | 44 | 53 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 84.2% Female, 15.8% | Male, 64.0% Female, 36.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 6.8% Hispanic or Latino, 19.7% Asian, 5.5% White, 54.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.8% | Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 2.8% White, 66.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 4% |