Traffic Technicians Salary
In Columbia, SC, traffic technicians earn $57,080 at the median, or about $27.44 an hour. The range runs from $46K at the entry level to $75K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.66), which stretches that salary to about $60,944 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,276/month, about 34% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $57K get you in Columbia?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Columbia’s Regional Price Parity (93.66). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About traffic technicians
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Columbia
Traffic technicians pay in Columbia tracks closely to the national median, $57K locally vs. $59K nationwide, a 3% difference. Rent runs $1,276/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 33.4% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.66 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for traffic technicians in metros near Columbia, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer | $54K | $57K |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell | $50K | $50K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Columbia, SC
Entry-level traffic technicians (10th percentile) start around $46K. Mid-career wages sit at $57K. Top earners bring in $75K or more, a $29K spread from bottom to top.
Traffic Technicians pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Traffic Technicians salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $79K | +34% | 1,250 |
| Minnesota | $78K | +32% | 60 |
| Washington | $72K | +22% | 70 |
| New York | $72K | +21% | 950 |
| Indiana | $71K | +20% | 120 |
| Illinois | $71K | +20% | 40 |
| Iowa | $68K | +15% | 30 |
| Pennsylvania | $66K | +11% | 60 |
| New Jersey | $64K | +9% | 110 |
| Massachusetts | $64K | +8% | 90 |
| Virginia | $62K | +5% | 90 |
| Utah | $62K | +5% | 30 |
| Ohio | $61K | +4% | 210 |
| Nebraska | $61K | +4% | 40 |
| Oklahoma | $61K | +3% | 90 |
| Maryland | $61K | +3% | 140 |
| Arizona | $60K | +2% | 310 |
| Wisconsin | $59K | -0% | 40 |
| Idaho | $57K | -3% | 70 |
| South Carolina | $57K | -3% | 150 |
| North Carolina | $57K | -4% | 110 |
| Missouri | $57K | -4% | 220 |
| West Virginia | $53K | -10% | 70 |
| Nevada | $53K | -10% | 190 |
| Alabama | $52K | -12% | 130 |
| Florida | $51K | -13% | 710 |
| Connecticut | $50K | -15% | N/A |
| Wyoming | $50K | -15% | 30 |
| Arkansas | $50K | -16% | 50 |
| New Mexico | $49K | -17% | 80 |
| Texas | $49K | -17% | 650 |
| Georgia | $48K | -19% | 220 |
| Kansas | $47K | -20% | 160 |
| Tennessee | $45K | -24% | 460 |
| Louisiana | $43K | -28% | 130 |
| Michigan | $38K | -36% | 100 |
Showing 1–10 of 36 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track traffic technicians salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Columbia numbers change.
Related careers in Transportation
Frequently asked questions
Can a traffic technician afford a 2BR apartment alone in Columbia?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $57K, rent takes 33.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,276/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for traffic technicians in Columbia?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new traffic technicians typically earn — is $46K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,746/month. At HUD’s $1,276/month FMR, rent would take 46% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is traffic technician a high-paying job in Columbia?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $57K locally vs. $59K nationally, a 3% difference.
How does Columbia compare to the national average for traffic technicians?
Columbia pays $57K median vs. the U.S. average of $59K — that’s -3%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.66), the purchasing-power equivalent is $61K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do traffic technicians make in Columbia, SC?
The median is $57,080 a year, that works out to about $27 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $45,770, and experienced traffic technicians can clear $74,680. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $57K enough to live in Columbia?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,823/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,276/month, which eats 33.4% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a traffic technicians salary go in Columbia?
Columbia has a Regional Price Parity of 93.66 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median traffic technicians salary is worth about $60,944 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do traffic technicians get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.