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Traffic Technician resume example

A resume for a Traffic Technician needs to show the work itself: conduct field studies to determine traffic volume, speed, effectiveness of signals, adequacy of lighting, and other factors influencing traffic conditions, under direction of traffic engineer. Day to day that means work like this: study traffic delays by noting times of delays, the numbers of vehicles affected, and vehicle speed through the delay area; interact with the public to answer traffic-related questions, respond to complaints or requests, or discuss traffic control ordinances, plans, policies, or procedures. Recruiters and applicant tracking systems both read for the tasks and tools this role actually involves, so the strongest resume names them in your own experience rather than describing the job in the abstract. Below are the tasks O*NET records for this occupation, the software and tools it uses, the titles it is advertised under, and the skills worth naming if they are genuinely yours.

Also advertised as

The same job is posted under many titles. Searching only your own job title hides most of the openings you could apply to.

  • Traffic Control Technician
  • Traffic Signal Technician
  • TST
  • Transportation Technician
  • Field Traffic Investigator
  • Traffic Analyst
  • Traffic Investigator
  • Traffic Survey Technician
  • Transportation Planning Technician
  • Collection Technician
  • Highway Traffic Control Technician
  • Pavement Engineer
  • Permit Technician
  • Radar Signal Processing Engineers
  • Sign Technician
  • Street Light Technician
  • Survey Field Technician
  • Traffic Control Specialist

O*NET records 21 titles for this occupation in total.

What this work actually involves

Tasks recorded for this occupation, in O*NET's words. If your experience covers one of these, it belongs on your resume in your own words.

  • Study traffic delays by noting times of delays, the numbers of vehicles affected, and vehicle speed through the delay area.
  • Interact with the public to answer traffic-related questions, respond to complaints or requests, or discuss traffic control ordinances, plans, policies, or procedures.
  • Prepare graphs, charts, diagrams, or other aids to illustrate observations or conclusions.
  • Analyze data related to traffic flow, accident rates, or proposed development to determine the most efficient methods to expedite traffic flow.
  • Prepare work orders for repair, maintenance, or changes in traffic systems.
  • Plan, design, and improve components of traffic control systems to accommodate current or projected traffic and to increase usability and efficiency.
  • Compute time settings for traffic signals or speed restrictions, using standard formulas.
  • Prepare drawings of proposed signal installations or other control devices, using drafting instruments or computer-automated drafting equipment.
  • Study factors affecting traffic conditions, such as lighting or sign and marking visibility, to assess their effectiveness.
  • Gather and compile data from hand count sheets, machine count tapes, or radar speed checks and code data for computer input.
  • Measure and record the speed of vehicular traffic, using electrical timing devices or radar equipment.
  • Lay out pavement markings for striping crews.

23 tasks are recorded in total; these are the most central.

Example bullets for this role

Built from this occupation's own tasks. The brackets stay empty on purpose: we will not invent a number for you, and a fabricated metric is the fastest way to lose an interview you had already won.

  • Study traffic delays by noting times of delays, the numbers of vehicles affected, and vehicle speed through the delay area, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].
  • Interact with the public to answer traffic-related questions, respond to complaints or requests, or discuss traffic control ordinances, plans, policies, or procedures, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].
  • Prepare graphs, charts, diagrams, or other aids to illustrate observations or conclusions, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].
  • Analyze data related to traffic flow, accident rates, or proposed development to determine the most efficient methods to expedite traffic flow, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].

Software used in this role

Recorded for this occupation by O*NET. An applicant tracking system matches the exact product name, so write the tool the way the posting writes it.

  • Autodesk AutoCAD
  • Bentley MicroStation
  • C++
  • Computer aided design and drafting software CADD
  • Dowling Associates TRAFFIX
  • ESRI ArcGIS software
  • ESRI ArcView
  • Geographic information system GIS systems
  • JAMAR Technologies PETRAPro
  • Microsoft Access
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Microsoft PowerPoint

29 software entries are recorded in total.

Tools and equipment

The physical equipment this occupation is recorded as using. Worth naming when a posting asks for it by name.

  • 35 millimeter cameras
  • Data collectors
  • Desktop computers
  • Digital cameras
  • Digital plotters
  • Drafting instruments
  • Dynamic message signs
  • Electric timing devices
  • Notebook computers
  • Pavement cutting saws
  • Personal computers
  • Pneumatic traffic counters

What this job rates as most important

O*NET rates every skill for importance to this occupation. These are the highest rated, in order.

  1. 01Active Listening
  2. 02Complex Problem Solving
  3. 03Critical Thinking
  4. 04Judgment and Decision Making
  5. 05Reading Comprehension
  6. 06Speaking
  7. 07Monitoring
  8. 08Writing
  9. 09Active Learning
  10. 10Coordination

Knowledge areas

The subject knowledge this occupation draws on, rated by importance.

  • Public Safety and Security
  • Computers and Electronics
  • Transportation
  • English Language
  • Engineering and Technology
  • Law and Government
  • Mathematics
  • Customer and Personal Service

What qualifications people in this job have

From O*NET's survey of people doing this work. This is what postholders reported, not a requirement any single employer sets.

  • 43%High School Diploma, or the equivalent
  • 23%Some College Courses
  • 12%Associate's Degree

What level this role is pitched at

O*NET places this occupation in “Medium Preparation Needed”. Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.

Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.

Common questions

What does a Traffic Technician do?
Conduct field studies to determine traffic volume, speed, effectiveness of signals, adequacy of lighting, and other factors influencing traffic conditions, under direction of traffic engineer. Day to day that includes work like study traffic delays by noting times of delays, the numbers of vehicles affected, and vehicle speed through the delay area and Interact with the public to answer traffic-related questions, respond to complaints or requests, or discuss traffic control ordinances, plans, policies, or procedures.
What skills should a Traffic Technician put on a resume?
O*NET rates Active Listening, Complex Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, Judgment and Decision Making, and Reading Comprehension among the most important skills for this occupation. Name the ones that are genuinely yours and show where you used them. A resume that lists skills you do not have is weaker than one that lists fewer.
What software should a Traffic Technician list?
Software recorded for this occupation includes Autodesk AutoCAD, Bentley MicroStation, C++, Computer aided design and drafting software CADD, and Dowling Associates TRAFFIX. Applicant tracking systems match on the exact product name, so write the tool as the posting writes it rather than describing it in general terms.
What other job titles cover Traffic Technician work?
O*NET records 21 titles for this occupation, including Traffic Control Technician, Traffic Signal Technician, TST, and Transportation Technician. Searching only your own job title hides most of the openings you could apply to.
What qualifications does a Traffic Technician need?
In O*NET's survey of people doing this job, 43% reported their level of education as "High School Diploma, or the equivalent". That is what current postholders reported, not a requirement any single employer sets.
Will this resume pass an ATS for a Traffic Technician role?
No tool outside an employer can tell you how that employer's system is configured, including ours. What you can control is that the resume parses cleanly, names the work in the words the posting uses, and does not claim anything you cannot back up.

Related roles

Occupations O*NET records as closest to this one, and worth looking at if this search is not moving.

What this page cannot tell you

  • No tool outside an employer can tell you how that employer’s ATS is configured, including ours.
  • This page makes no claim about pay, demand or how many people hold this job. O*NET does not publish that here and we will not estimate it.
  • Keyword overlap is one input to a resume’s score, not a verdict on you. A resume that names skills you do not have is worse than one that names fewer.

If this is the job you are aiming at, the guide to tailoring a resume covers how to aim one posting properly, and building and exporting a resume here is free.

Occupation data from the O*NET 29.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. SpartanResume is not endorsed by USDOL/ETA.