Traffic control technician vs traffic controller

The differences between traffic control technicians and traffic controllers 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 $39,099 average annual salary of a traffic controller.

The top three skills for a traffic control technician include DOT, safety regulations and traffic cones. The most important skills for a traffic controller are construction sites, DOT, and safety regulations.

Traffic control technician vs traffic controller overview

	Traffic Control Technician	Traffic Controller
Yearly salary	$40,714	$39,099
Hourly rate	$19.57	$18.80
Growth rate	1%	1%
Number of jobs	58,811	17,859
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 40%	High School Diploma, 41%
Average age	44	38
Years of experience	4	-

What does a traffic control technician do?

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.

What does a traffic controller do?

The primary role of a traffic controller is to direct the flow of machinery and vehicles on roads and any other work sites. Traffic controllers coordinate, setup, manage, and remove traffic control. They direct traffic in disruption areas like accidents, planned maintenance, building sites, and roadworks. They have to direct pedestrians for safety maintenance around road conditions and changed vehicles. They need to be keen on directing traffic flow.

Traffic control technician vs traffic controller salary

Traffic control technicians and traffic controllers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Traffic Control Technician	Traffic Controller
Average salary	$40,714	$39,099
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $60,000	Between $24,000 And $63,000
Highest paying City	Richmond, VA	Hartford, CT
Highest paying state	Washington	Alaska
Best paying company	City of San Diego	Siemens
Best paying industry	Government	Non Profits

Differences between traffic control technician and traffic controller education

There are a few differences between a traffic control technician and a traffic controller in terms of educational background:

	Traffic Control Technician	Traffic Controller
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 40%	High School Diploma, 41%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	SUNY Farmingdale

Traffic control technician vs traffic controller demographics

Here are the differences between traffic control technicians' and traffic controllers' demographics:

	Traffic Control Technician	Traffic Controller
Average age	44	38
Gender ratio	Male, 84.2% Female, 15.8%	Male, 66.2% Female, 33.8%
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, 8.0% Unknown, 7.1% Hispanic or Latino, 18.7% Asian, 5.4% White, 60.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	8%	7%

Differences between traffic control technician and traffic controller duties and responsibilities

Traffic control technician example 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.

Traffic controller example responsibilities.

Lead team providing cargo, personal property and passenger movements for DoD personnel.
Provide support for traffic control set-ups within ATSSA compliance and regulations.
Control air and grind traffic movement for private, commercial, and military aircraft in IFR and VFR conditions.
Ensure compliance with FAA, USAF, ANG and all local directives.
Register traffic controller, certify in CPR and first aid.
Direct staff training and the FAA qualification of facility personnel.

Traffic control technician vs traffic controller skills

Common traffic control technician skills

DOT, 21%
Safety Regulations, 20%
Traffic Cones, 12%
Road Signs, 9%
Traffic Control Devices, 7%
ATSSA, 6%

Common traffic controller skills

Construction Sites, 13%
DOT, 10%
Safety Regulations, 10%
Safety Procedures, 7%
Direct Traffic, 7%
TMA, 6%

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Traffic Control Technician
Traffic Control Technician vs Traffic Controller

Updated January 8, 2025

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