Traffic Technicians Salary
In Pennsylvania, traffic technicians earn $65,610 at the median, or about $31.55 an hour. The range runs from $49K at the entry level to $79K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.97), which stretches that salary to about $69,085 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,351/month, about 30.8% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Pennsylvania. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $66K get you in Pennsylvania?
About traffic technicians
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What this looks like in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania sits well above the national pay line for traffic technicians, local pay runs about 11% higher than the U.S. median of $59K. Rent runs $1,351/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 30.9% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.97 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 5% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Pennsylvania
Entry-level traffic technicians (10th percentile) start around $49K. Mid-career wages sit at $66K. Top earners bring in $79K or more, a $29K spread from bottom to top.
Traffic Technicians salary by metro in Pennsylvania
1 metro area with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $66K | +1% | 30 |
Compare to other states
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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Pennsylvania numbers change.
Related careers in Transportation
Frequently asked questions
Can a traffic technician afford a 2BR apartment alone in Pennsylvania?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $66K, rent takes 30.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,351/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,300/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for traffic technicians in Pennsylvania?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new traffic technicians typically earn — is $49K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,958/month. At HUD’s $1,351/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 Pennsylvania?
Local pay is 11% above the national median — $66K here vs. $59K nationally.
How does Pennsylvania compare to the national average for traffic technicians?
Pennsylvania pays $66K median vs. the U.S. average of $59K — that’s +11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.97), the purchasing-power equivalent is $69K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do traffic technicians make in Pennsylvania?
The median is $65,610 a year, that works out to about $32 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $49,300, and experienced traffic technicians can clear $78,580. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $66K enough to live in Pennsylvania?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,377/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,351/month, which eats 30.9% 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 Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania has a Regional Price Parity of 94.97 (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 $69,085 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.