Traffic technician vs traffic controller

The differences between traffic technicians and traffic controllers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a traffic technician has an average salary of $42,175, which is higher than the $39,099 average annual salary of a traffic controller.

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

Traffic technician vs traffic controller overview

	Traffic Technician	Traffic Controller
Yearly salary	$42,175	$39,099
Hourly rate	$20.28	$18.80
Growth rate	1%	1%
Number of jobs	25,473	17,859
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 31%	High School Diploma, 41%
Average age	44	38
Years of experience	4	-

Traffic technician vs traffic controller salary

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

	Traffic Technician	Traffic Controller
Average salary	$42,175	$39,099
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $64,000	Between $24,000 And $63,000
Highest paying City	Pleasanton, CA	Hartford, CT
Highest paying state	Washington	Alaska
Best paying company	AECOM	Siemens
Best paying industry	Government	Non Profits

Differences between traffic technician and traffic controller education

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

	Traffic Technician	Traffic Controller
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 31%	High School Diploma, 41%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	SUNY Farmingdale

Traffic technician vs traffic controller demographics

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

	Traffic Technician	Traffic Controller
Average age	44	38
Gender ratio	Male, 76.0% Female, 24.0%	Male, 66.2% Female, 33.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.0% Unknown, 6.7% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 6.7% White, 52.3% 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 technician and traffic controller duties and responsibilities

Traffic technician example responsibilities.

Lead team providing cargo, personal property and passenger movements for DoD personnel.
Compose written reports of data collect from patient evaluation and present to department chief for thorough analysis of patient diagnosis.
Used CarteGraph software to track traffic signal and street light assets.

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 technician vs traffic controller skills

Common traffic technician skills

Traffic Control Devices, 14%
Traffic Data, 10%
Traffic Safety, 8%
Street Lights, 8%
Construction Projects, 5%
Autocad, 5%

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 Technician vs Traffic Controller

Updated January 8, 2025

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