Traffic technician vs traffic investigator

The differences between traffic technicians and traffic investigators 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 technician and a traffic investigator. Additionally, a traffic investigator has an average salary of $48,535, which is higher than the $42,175 average annual salary of a traffic technician.

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

Traffic technician vs traffic investigator overview

	Traffic Technician	Traffic Investigator
Yearly salary	$42,175	$48,535
Hourly rate	$20.28	$23.33
Growth rate	1%	3%
Number of jobs	25,473	6,113
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 31%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

Traffic technician vs traffic investigator salary

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

	Traffic Technician	Traffic Investigator
Average salary	$42,175	$48,535
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $64,000	Between $33,000 And $71,000
Highest paying City	Pleasanton, CA	-
Highest paying state	Washington	-
Best paying company	AECOM	-
Best paying industry	Government	-

Differences between traffic technician and traffic investigator education

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

	Traffic Technician	Traffic Investigator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 31%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Most common major	Business	Criminal Justice
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	Savannah State University

Traffic technician vs traffic investigator demographics

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

	Traffic Technician	Traffic Investigator
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 76.0% Female, 24.0%	Male, 85.2% Female, 14.8%
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, 12.5% Unknown, 7.0% Hispanic or Latino, 19.1% Asian, 6.6% White, 52.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.8%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between traffic technician and traffic investigator 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 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 technician vs traffic investigator 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 investigator skills

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

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Traffic Technician
Traffic Technician vs Traffic Investigator

Updated January 8, 2025

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