SalaryExplorer

SOC 53-6041 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS

Traffic Technicians — Columbus

Columbus, OH · 2 metro areas compared

$75,420 /year
$36.26per hour
+27.6%vs US median

The median wage for Traffic Technicians in Columbus, OH is $75,420 per year, well above the national median of $59,090.

Wage distribution · annual

Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners

US MEDIAN $59,09010TH$69,040MEDIAN$75,42090TH$78,210

How pay has moved

$80,253$51,258201920202021202320242025$75,420
$56,090 in 2019 to $75,420 in 2025, +34.5% before inflation. BLS states that OEWS estimates are not designed for comparison across years: the occupational classification, the sampling frame and the survey method have all changed inside this window. Read the direction, not the exact difference.

The next ten years

Projected to grow about as fast as average

Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
+3.7%
Openings per year
800
Typical entry-level education
High school diploma or equivalent
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training

Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.

Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Columbus, OH.

Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.

Salary overview

The median wage for Traffic Technicians in Columbus, OH is $75,420 per year, well above the national median of $59,090. The gap of 27.6% is among the widest recorded for this occupation. Pay ranges from under $69,040 at the tenth percentile to more than $78,210 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $75,420 to $75,420.

Toledo leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $60,780. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 219th of 611 by median pay.

Percentile breakdown

Annual wages by percentile · Columbus, OH · May 2025
PercentileAnnualvs US median
10th$69,040+16.8%
25th$75,420+27.6%
Median (50th)$75,420+27.6%
75th$75,420+27.6%
90th$78,210+32.4%
Mean$74,510+26.1%

Why the average earner is usually not a typical earner

Other metro areas in Ohio

Median annual wage for Traffic Technicians, by metro area
#Metro areaMedianJobsRelative
1Toledo$60,78040
2Akron$34,67040

What the pay is worth locally

Prices in Columbus run 4.5% below the national average, so the median of $75,420 goes as far as $78,974 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 33.7% above the national median in real terms.

Published median

$75,420as reported by BLS

Local price level

95.5US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Adjusted for local prices

$78,974US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest

Key takeaways

  • Median pay is $75,420 a year, 27.6% above the national median.
  • Published pay spans $69,040 to $78,210 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
  • The highest-paying metro area covered is Toledo, at $60,780.

Frequently asked questions

What is the median wage for Traffic Technicians in Columbus, OH?

The median annual wage is $75,420, or $36.26 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.

Is that higher than the national average?

The national median for this occupation is $59,090, so pay in Columbus, OH is 27.6% higher. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.

What do the top earners make?

The top tenth of this occupation in Columbus, OH earns more than $78,210 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.

What is the starting range?

The tenth percentile wage is $69,040 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.

Which area nearby pays the most?

The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Toledo, at $60,780 per year.

Source and methodology

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.