The Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT), Systems Planning Bureau, is accepting applications for summer jobs as video manual traffic counter, traffic recorder operator, and communication shop worker. Additionally, the Modal Transportation Bureau is seeking rail inventory workers to visit each railroad crossing to take measurements and photos, collect data concerning railroad crossing attributes, and enter the information on a tablet. Applicants must be at least 18 years old at the time of employment and available from May 18 through mid-August 2026. These positions require a valid driver’s license as some will travel statewide and stay overnight from Sunday afternoons through Friday mornings. Note, some of the video manual traffic counter positions work in an office setting in Ames, which allows for a few positions to be filled with 16 and 17 year-old applicants as well as those who may not have a driver’s license. Several positions may start in early April.

These positions pay $17.60 per hour, with additional pay available for recorder operators. Employees working outside of the office are reimbursed for eligible expenses incurred for lodging and food; vehicles are supplied by the Iowa DOT.

Position Descriptions: 

Most applicants must be at least 18 years old at the time of employment, with a limited number of workers being 16-17 years old.  Most applicants must possess a valid U.S. driver’s license, with a limited number of workers able to work in the Ames office without a driver’s license.