Traffic technical officer

How to become a traffic technical officer

There are several routes to becoming a traffic technical officer. You could do a college course, an apprenticeship, on- the-job training or apply to an employer directly.

You should explore these routes to become a traffic technical officer to find out which is the right one for you. Although some of these options have certain qualification requirements, many employers are more interested in people who are enthusiastic, willing to learn and can follow instructions.

You may need a Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) card to work on a construction site.

College/training provider

There are no formal qualifications required to become a traffic technical officer; however, you may want to complete GCSEs in maths and English.

You’ll generally need:

• Up to 2 GCSEs (or equivalent) at grades 3 to 1 (D to G) (level 1 course)
• 2 or more GCSEs (or equivalent) at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D) (level 2 or 3 course).

For a more senior traffic technical officer role, training or experience in traffic management, health and safety or logistics might be useful.

• Equivalent entry requirements explained
• Find a course near you
• Funding advice

Apprenticeship

An apprenticeship is a good way into the industry, either with a local authority or a construction company specialising in infrastructure.

Apprenticeships are open to anyone over the age of 16. As an apprentice, you will be fully employed by your company and expected to work a minimum of 30 hours a week. Your time will be split between on-the-job experience and a college or training provider.

• Find an apprenticeship near you
• Guide to apprenticeships

Work

If you have some basic experience, you could apply directly to a local authority or construction company to gain experience as a traffic technical officer. You might start out as an assistant to a more experienced traffic technical officer and progress as your abilities improve.

Work experience

Work experience is essential to gaining employment within the construction industry. You could gain this at school, or by working weekends and holidays with a company or relative who works as a traffic technical officer. Potential employers will always be pleased to see work experience listed on your CV.

• Find out more about work experience

Skills

Additional skills which may benefit anyone considering a job as a traffic technical officer include: 

• Knowledge of transport methods, costs and benefits
• Ability to think analytically and problem solve
• Excellent verbal communication skills
• Good attention to detail
• Flexible and open to change
• Ability to use your judgement and make decisions.

What does a traffic technical officer do?

As a traffic technical officer you could be:

• Guiding traffic and management processes and road safety improvements
• Monitoring compliance to the relevant legislation/directives
• Working as part of an integrated team
• Working on location to assess risks and potential problems
• Surveying locations and recording findings
• Inspecting work completed to check for errors
• Working out of hours when necessary
• Overseeing the work of other traffic operatives
• Organising logistics.

How much could you earn as a traffic technical officer?

The expected salary for a traffic technical officer varies as you become more experienced.

• Newly trained traffic technical officers can earn £20,000 - £25,000
• Trained traffic technical officers with some experience can earn £25,000 - £30,000.*

Hours and salary depend on location, employer and any overtime you may do.

* Salaries have been collected from multiple industry sources

Check out the latest traffic technical officer vacancies:

• Indeed
• Totaljobs

As these are external websites, the number of vacancies related to your preferred role may vary. New opportunities will be posted as they come up.

Career path and progression

As a traffic technical officer, you could progress in your career to become a traffic safety and control officer, or highways engineer.