Salary data is based on the Albuquerque, NM metropolitan area and applied to Albuquerque using local cost-of-living adjustments.

Traffic Technicians Salaries in Albuquerque, NM

Average Base Pay

$47,250/yr

22% below national average

Monthly

$3,938

Hourly

$23

Cost Index

Traffic Technicians in Albuquerque, NM earn an average of $47,250 per year, with most salaries falling between $37,800 and $56,700 depending on experience, employer, and specialization. At 22% below the national average, Albuquerque offers a more modest rate for this role, in part reflecting a local cost of living index of 79. For professionals evaluating a move or negotiating an offer, the headline salary is only part of the picture—what matters most is how far that income actually goes once taxes, rent, and daily expenses are factored in. The sections below break that down in full for Albuquerque.

Salary Range

The chart below shows the full compensation spectrum for this role, from entry-level to senior positions. The highlighted center bars represent the 25th–75th percentile band where most professionals are paid.

$35K
Low

$47K
Median

$59K
High

25th percentile: $40K75th percentile: $54K

About Traffic Technicians

Transportation Planners analyze travel patterns, model transportation system performance, and develop plans and policies for improving how people and goods move through urban, suburban, and rural areas. They work for metropolitan planning organizations, state departments of transportation, municipal governments, consulting firms, and transit agencies. The long-range planning function involves developing regional transportation plans that identify major infrastructure investments over a 20-to-30-year horizon, coordinating with local governments and state agencies, and ensuring that plans comply with federal transportation law and air quality requirements. Short-range planning involves programming near-term capital projects, developing transit service plans, and designing bicycle and pedestrian networks. Transportation planners analyze traffic data, conduct travel demand modeling using platforms like TransCAD or Cube, and evaluate the performance impacts of proposed projects. They engage communities through public meetings and comment processes, balancing competing mobility needs across income levels and modes of transportation. Environmental justice—ensuring that transportation investments do not disproportionately burden low-income and minority communities—is a growing analytical responsibility.

What Traffic Technicians Do

Develop long-range regional transportation plans
Conduct traffic studies and travel demand modeling
Analyze land use and transportation system interactions
Evaluate transportation project alternatives for performance and impact
Coordinate with federal, state, and local agencies on planning compliance
Engage the public through meetings, workshops, and comment processes
Program capital projects in Transportation Improvement Programs
Conduct environmental justice analysis of transportation impacts

Key Skills & Qualifications

Travel demand modeling using TransCAD, Cube, or Visum
GIS for transportation data analysis and mapping
Transportation policy knowledge including federal transportation legislation
Traffic engineering fundamentals
Environmental planning and NEPA documentation
Public engagement facilitation
AICP certification from the American Institute of Certified Planners
Data analysis and statistical methods

Career Path

Transportation Analyst
Transportation Planner
Senior Transportation Planner
Principal Planner / Project Manager
Planning Director

Traffic Technicians Market in Albuquerque, NM

Salary Competitiveness

Albuquerque currently pays 22% below the national median for Traffic Technicians. This gap can reflect a lower regional cost base, thinner employer density, or a surplus of qualified candidates relative to open roles—factors worth factoring into any offer negotiation or relocation calculation.

Cost of Living Impact

Albuquerque's cost of living runs below the national average, which works in favor of this salary. Essential monthly expenses account for approximately 74% of take-home pay—a ratio that leaves meaningful room for savings, debt reduction, and discretionary spending compared with higher-cost metros.

Effective Purchasing Power

Despite a competitive gross salary, a Traffic Technicians earning $47,250 in Albuquerque operates in a tight purchasing-power band once taxes and local cost of living are applied. Careful planning around housing, transportation, and discretionary spending is essential to avoid running negative disposable income month to month.

vs. National Avg

-22%

Cost Pressure

74%

Purchasing Power

Tight

Take-Home Pay Calculator

Enter any gross salary to see how federal and state taxes affect your actual take-home pay, broken down by year, month, and week. Results use an estimated effective tax rate of 27% based on this location and income level.

Annual Salary

Take-home (73%)Taxes (27%)

Annual Net

$34,493

Monthly

$2,874

Weekly

$663

Eff. Tax Rate

27%

A gross salary of $47,250 for a Traffic Technicians in Albuquerque translates to roughly $2,874 in monthly take-home pay after estimated federal and state taxes. Set against monthly living costs of $2,116—covering housing, food, transportation, utilities, and healthcare—that leaves approximately $758 per month in disposable income. That margin, not the gross number, is what determines whether you can comfortably cover rent, build savings, and afford discretionary spending in Albuquerque's current market.

How far does this salary go in Albuquerque?

Cost of Living in Albuquerque

Estimated monthly expenses for a single person in Albuquerque, benchmarked against US regional price indices for housing, food, transportation, utilities, and healthcare.

Cost Index

Below Avg — US average is 100. Based on a single person (1-bed apartment).

🏠Housing / Rent$1,130/mo

🍔Food & Groceries$430/mo

🚗Transportation$118/mo

💡Utilities$160/mo

🏥Healthcare$278/mo

Monthly$2,116

Annual$25,392

Disposable Income$758

Financial Reality Check

This section compares estimated monthly take-home pay against typical living costs in Albuquerque to show your real disposable income—the amount remaining after essential bills are paid each month.

Monthly Take-Home

$2,874

Living Costs

$2,116

Disposable

$758

Cost Index

Lifestyle

Tight

With a monthly take-home of $2,874, your estimated living costs in Albuquerque are $2,116 ($25,392/yr). This leaves $758 per month in disposable income, indicating a tight standard of living. Albuquerque's cost of living is 21% below the national average.

Overall, a Traffic Technicians earning $47,250 in Albuquerque falls into a tight lifestyle tier and will need to budget carefully—essential costs consume a significant share of take-home pay, leaving limited room for savings or emergencies. With a cost index of 79, Albuquerque is 21% more affordable than the national average, which extends your purchasing power. Regardless of tier, prioritizing retirement contributions, an emergency fund of three to six months' expenses, and incremental debt reduction will yield the greatest long-term financial stability—especially as living costs in Albuquerque continue to evolve.