Traffic Technicians Salary
In Columbus, OH, traffic technicians earn $75,420 at the median, or about $36.26 an hour. The range runs from $69K at the entry level to $78K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.47), that's roughly $78,999 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,430/month, or 28.9% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $75K get you in Columbus?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Columbus’s Regional Price Parity (95.47). 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
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What this looks like in Columbus
Columbus sits well above the national pay line for traffic technicians, local pay runs about 28% higher than the U.S. median of $59K. Rent runs $1,430/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 28.6% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 95.47) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for traffic technicians in metros near Columbus, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Akron | $35K | $37K |
| Toledo | $61K | $66K |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn | $38K | $38K |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $66K | $64K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Columbus, OH
Entry-level traffic technicians (10th percentile) start around $69K. Mid-career wages sit at $75K. Top earners bring in $78K or more, a $9K 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 with published data
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 Columbus numbers change.
Related careers in Transportation
Frequently asked questions
Can a traffic technician afford a 2BR apartment alone in Columbus?
Yes — at the median salary of $75K, rent takes 28.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,430/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for traffic technicians in Columbus?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new traffic technicians typically earn — is $69K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,142/month. At HUD’s $1,430/month FMR, rent would take 35% 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 Columbus?
Local pay is 28% above the national median — $75K here vs. $59K nationally.
How does Columbus compare to the national average for traffic technicians?
Columbus pays $75K median vs. the U.S. average of $59K — that’s +28%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.47), the purchasing-power equivalent is $79K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do traffic technicians make in Columbus, OH?
The median is $75,420 a year, that works out to about $36 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $69,040, and experienced traffic technicians can clear $78,210. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $75K enough to live in Columbus?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,005/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,430/month, which eats 28.6% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a traffic technicians salary go in Columbus?
Columbus has a Regional Price Parity of 95.47 (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 $78,999 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.