How to hire a traffic officer

How to hire a traffic officer, step by step

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a traffic officer, 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

   A traffic officer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, traffic officers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of traffic officer salaries for various roles:

   Type of Traffic Officer	Description	Hourly rate
   Traffic Officer	Police officers protect lives and property. Detectives and criminal investigators, who are sometimes called agents or special agents, gather facts and collect evidence of possible crimes.	$11-25
   Police Cadet	Police cadets require multiple police department-relevant skills in traffic control, police reports, public safety, and special events. Those who choose this career will be responsible for participating in training programs that will introduce them to the fundamentals of law enforcement and prepare them for becoming police officers, supporting police operations like traffic control, working on criminal investigation, and performing administrative duties at the station.	$11-22
   Patrol Sergeant	A Patrol Sergeant oversees and performs security operations on an assigned shift. They conduct vehicular patrol of an assigned area, investigate the scenes of accidents, and make arrests, when required.	$21-34

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2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Traffic Flow
   • Emergency Situations
   • Patrol
   • Public Safety
   • Traffic Control
   • Motor Vehicle
   • Direct Traffic
   • Law Enforcement
   • Parking Enforcement
   • Traffic Laws
   • Crowd Control
   • Hazardous Materials
   • Logistics
   • Traffic Management

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead team providing cargo, personal property and passenger movements for DoD personnel.
   • Dispatch road rangers to motorist needing assistance.
   • Check road sensor data and confirm the data using CCTV video.
   • Operate all CCTV cameras to locate and observe incidents and dispatch D.O.T.
   • Train and recruit transportation personnel ensuring compliance with numerous transportation and DoD regulations.
   • Involve in the recovery and scoring of the dropped sandbags and JPADS using GPS coordinate tracking equipment.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your traffic officer job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A traffic officer salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, traffic officers' average salary in mississippi is 56% less than in alaska.
   • Seniority. Entry-level traffic officers earn 56% less than senior-level traffic officers.
   • Certifications. A traffic officer with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a traffic officer's salary.

   Average traffic officer salary

   $36,790yearly

   $17.69 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level traffic officer salary

   $24,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

4. Writing a traffic officer job description

   A good traffic officer job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a traffic officer job description:

   Traffic officer job description example

   San Diego International was built upon the vision that every team member has a stake in bringing our "Good Feelings, Nonstop" brand to life for every passenger and fellow employee. Here at the Airport Authority, we love San Diego as much as we love flying, and we see our airport as an extension of the always friendly and sunny city we call home. If you are looking for a team that values each other, does great work, and most importantly, has a lot of fun along the way, we invite you to apply today.
   
   The Ground Transportation Department is searching for an individual to provide customer service to the public, facilitate airport vehicular and pedestrian traffic flow on roadways, parking lots, and terminals; process lost and found properties; enforce airport for-hire and public transportation vehicle operations codes and policies.
   Required Skills
   
   The selected candidate will have responsibilities for the following:
   
   + Provide assistance, directions, and customer service to the traveling public and stakeholders; patrol, control and enforce curbside traffic, airport roadways, parking lots, passenger loading/unloading zones, and for-hire and other commercial vehicles codes and regulations; issue violation citations;
   
   + Report hazards, unsafe conditions, unattended baggage, and suspicious situations; participate in vehicle safety inspections of ground transportation vehicles;
   
   + Assist with security breach situations and terminal emergency situation evacuation; resolve ground transportation drivers, customers, and customer service representative conflicts;
   
   + When assigned Lost & Found responsibilities, in addition to the duties above and below, individuals collect, document, maintain custody and disposal of unclaimed airport properties; inspect found articles and contact identified owner;
   
   + Operate radios, cell phones, hand-held citation electronic devices, microcomputer databases to enter and retrieve data and information; operate vehicles to work sites; perform other duties as assigned.
   
   Required Experience
   
   + Graduation from high school or possession of a G.E.D.;
   
   + One year of work experience requiring the exercise of tact and diplomacy in dealing with the public;
   
   + Or an equivalent combination of training and experience;
   
   + Maintain a California Class C driver's license.
   
   Starting hourly wage is $23.26.
   
   To accomplish work assignments, you will:
   
   + Have flexible availability to work rotating work shifts during day or nights;
   
   + Complete a ten-year background check successfully;
   
   + Have an acceptable driving record;
   
   + Be attentive and communicate with the public and others in a clear, easy-to-understand way;
   
   + Demonstrate listening, understanding skills and communicate accordingly in routine and challenging situations;
   
   + Be personable, provide information and instructions in all interaction;
   
   + Use effective judgment to analyze situation, resolve the issues;
   
   + Demonstrate experience with Microsoft Access, PowerPoint, and Word;
   
   + Proficiently exchange information through verbal and written forms;
   
   + Build and maintain relationships with peers and others.
   
   EEO Statement:
   
   It is the policy of the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority to provide equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. In addition, SDCRAA will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.
   
   Covid-19 Vaccination Requirement:
   
   As a condition of employment, the selected candidate must provide proof of fully-vaccinated COVID-19 vaccination status prior to their first day of employment unless a medical or religious accommodation is approved by the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority's Talent, Culture & Capability Department.

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5. Post your job

   To find the right traffic officer for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with traffic officers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit traffic officers who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with traffic officer candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   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 officer

   Once you've found the traffic officer candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   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.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new traffic officer. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

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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