Traffic investigator vs traffic engineering technician

The differences between traffic investigators and traffic engineering 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 investigator and a traffic engineering technician. Additionally, a traffic engineering technician has an average salary of $49,538, which is higher than the $48,535 average annual salary of a traffic investigator.

The top three skills for a traffic investigator include patrol, traffic safety and physical evidence. The most important skills for a traffic engineering technician are traffic control devices, traffic studies, and hand tools.

Traffic investigator vs traffic engineering technician overview

	Traffic Investigator	Traffic Engineering Technician
Yearly salary	$48,535	$49,538
Hourly rate	$23.33	$23.82
Growth rate	3%	3%
Number of jobs	6,113	61,692
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

Traffic investigator vs traffic engineering technician salary

Traffic investigators and traffic engineering technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Traffic Investigator	Traffic Engineering Technician
Average salary	$48,535	$49,538
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $71,000	Between $33,000 And $73,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between traffic investigator and traffic engineering technician education

There are a few differences between a traffic investigator and a traffic engineering technician in terms of educational background:

	Traffic Investigator	Traffic Engineering Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Civil Engineering
Most common college	Savannah State University	University of Southern California

Traffic investigator vs traffic engineering technician demographics

Here are the differences between traffic investigators' and traffic engineering technicians' demographics:

	Traffic Investigator	Traffic Engineering Technician
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 85.2% Female, 14.8%	Male, 89.8% Female, 10.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.5% Unknown, 7.0% Hispanic or Latino, 19.1% Asian, 6.6% White, 52.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.8%	Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.8% Asian, 7.1% White, 58.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.5%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between traffic investigator and traffic engineering technician duties and responsibilities

Traffic investigator example responsibilities.

Draft and execute subpoenas, search warrants, arrest warrants, and surveillance activities.
Investigate allegations of abuse and neglect of the elderly and mentally handicap citizens residing in Medicaid or state operate facilities.
Skil with the use and maintenance of firearms.
Investigate allegations of abuse and neglect of the elderly and mentally handicap citizens residing in Medicaid or state operate facilities.

Traffic engineering technician example responsibilities.

Manage and distribute cad standards to contributing design consultants and assist with any design issues as necessary.
Perform tests on RF and digital electronic assemblies and systems to characterize performance, uncover specification deficiencies and repair damage circuitry.
Test an repair uhf, vhf, Am/fm, ssb radios recording devices for a working airport.

Traffic investigator vs traffic engineering technician skills

Common traffic investigator skills

Patrol, 17%
Traffic Safety, 16%
Physical Evidence, 16%
Criminal Investigations, 10%
Traffic Accidents, 9%
Traffic Control, 8%

Common traffic engineering technician skills

Traffic Control Devices, 40%
Traffic Studies, 17%
Hand Tools, 16%
Traffic Counts, 8%
GPS, 8%
GIS, 7%

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Traffic Investigator vs Traffic Engineering Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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