Traffic control technician vs traffic systems technician

The differences between traffic control technicians and traffic systems technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a traffic control technician and a traffic systems technician. Additionally, a traffic systems technician has an average salary of $46,063, which is higher than the $40,714 average annual salary of a traffic control technician.

The top three skills for a traffic control technician include DOT, safety regulations and traffic cones. The most important skills for a traffic systems technician are CDL, traffic signals, and safety procedures.

Traffic control technician vs traffic systems technician overview

	Traffic Control Technician	Traffic Systems Technician
Yearly salary	$40,714	$46,063
Hourly rate	$19.57	$22.15
Growth rate	1%	5%
Number of jobs	58,811	67,232
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

Traffic control technician vs traffic systems technician salary

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

	Traffic Control Technician	Traffic Systems Technician
Average salary	$40,714	$46,063
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $60,000	Between $29,000 And $72,000
Highest paying City	Richmond, VA	-
Highest paying state	Washington	-
Best paying company	City of San Diego	-
Best paying industry	Government	-

Differences between traffic control technician and traffic systems technician education

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

	Traffic Control Technician	Traffic Systems Technician
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Most common major	Business	Electrical Engineering
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	California State University - Long Beach

Traffic control technician vs traffic systems technician demographics

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

	Traffic Control Technician	Traffic Systems Technician
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 84.2% Female, 15.8%	Male, 92.6% Female, 7.4%
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, 16.4% Unknown, 6.6% Hispanic or Latino, 13.3% Asian, 5.1% White, 55.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.7%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between traffic control technician and traffic systems technician 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 systems technician example responsibilities.

Administer and manage the domain including servers, workstations, and mobile data systems.
Install, maintain, modify/adjust, test troubleshoot and/or repair electronic traffic control information and illumination systems and devices.
Maintain the LAN and network interfaces for all inner office personnel, including Cisco routers, hubs, and PC's.
Implement action plans including performing require upgrades and installation of PC's and require peripheral equipment.
Used CarteGraph software to track traffic signal and street light assets.

Traffic control technician vs traffic systems technician 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 systems technician skills

CDL, 50%
Traffic Signals, 26%
Safety Procedures, 11%
Test Equipment, 7%
Conflict Monitors, 2%
Troubleshoot, 2%

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Traffic Control Technician
Traffic Control Technician vs Traffic Systems Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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