How To Become A Traffic Signal Technician: What It Is and Career Path

What is a traffic signal technician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Traffic signals are crucial for the safety of all motorists and pedestrians. Traffic signal technicians are the unsung heroes that ensure that traffic signals are functioning as they should so as to prevent road mishaps. The essential job functions of a traffic signal technician include performing inspections on traffic signals, conducting repairs, replacing worn parts, installing upgrades or new traffic signals, and maintaining control equipment.

Aside from traffic signals on public roads, traffic signal technicians also work with signals in work zones as well as hallway lighting systems. Like other technical jobs, the main requirement for the role of a traffic signal technician is an apprenticeship in electrical engineering or other related fields.

Furthermore, most employers require traffic signal technicians to have prior work experience or on-the-job training to prove competency and credibility. The job of a traffic signal technician often involves frequent site visits and lots of physical labor. The compensation is fairly high, though, with the average at around $57,000 per year.

ScoreTraffic Signal TechnicianUS Average

Salary

3.6

Avg. Salary $45,817

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

5.8

Growth rate 10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

10.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 2.79%

Asian 6.73%

Black or African American 14.88%

Hispanic or Latino 19.46%

Unknown 6.77%

White 49.36%

Gender

female 2.13%

male 97.87%

Age - 45

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 45

Stress level

5.8

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.6

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

7.6

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a traffic signal technician

Explore traffic signal technician education requirements

Most common traffic signal technician degrees

Associate

36.4 %

High School Diploma

21.7 %

Bachelor's

21.0 %

Start to develop specific traffic signal technician skills

Skills	Percentages
CDL	14.87%
IMSA	9.25%
Traffic Control Devices	8.43%
DOT	8.28%
Hand Tools	5.77%

Complete relevant traffic signal technician training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New traffic signal technicians learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a traffic signal technician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real traffic signal technician resumes.

Research traffic signal technician duties and responsibilities

Used UNIX base analysis systems to accomplish all tasks.
Work with team members to troubleshoot fail systems by isolating faults.
Operate and perform preventive maintenance checks and services (PMCS) on assign vehicles.
Install, operate and perform PMCS on power generators, and review other PMCSs for completeness.

Prepare your traffic signal technician resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your traffic signal technician resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a traffic signal technician resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable traffic signal technician resume templates

Build a professional traffic signal technician resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your traffic signal technician resume.