Parking Enforcement Workers

Government and Public AdministrationO*NET 33-3041.00United States

Patrol assigned area, such as public parking lot or city streets to issue tickets to overtime parking violators and illegally parked vehicles.

COMING SOON See related ASU learning
Median annual earnings
$46,738

50th percentile, United States

Projected change
+0.3%

2025 to 2035

Typical education
High school diploma or less

94.9% of the workforce

Employment
10.49K jobs

Growing to 10.52K by 2035

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Compare nationwide estimates with state or county job-market data.

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Build the skills

ASU learning related to this career

These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.

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The work

What parking enforcement workers do

Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.

  • Enter and retrieve information pertaining to vehicle registration, identification, and status, using hand-held computers.
  • Patrol an assigned area by vehicle or on foot to ensure public compliance with existing parking ordinance.
  • Write warnings and citations for illegally parked vehicles.
  • Respond to and make radio dispatch calls regarding parking violations and complaints.
  • Maintain assigned equipment and supplies, such as hand-held citation computers, citation books, rain gear, tire-marking chalk, and street cones.
  • Appear in court at hearings regarding contested traffic citations.
  • Maintain close communications with dispatching personnel, using two-way radios or cell phones.
  • Perform simple vehicle maintenance procedures, such as checking oil and gas, and report mechanical problems to supervisors.
  • Identify vehicles in violation of parking codes, checking with dispatchers when necessary to confirm identities or to determine whether vehicles need to be booted or towed.
  • Observe and report hazardous conditions, such as missing traffic signals or signs, and street markings that need to be repainted.
  • Train new or temporary staff.
  • Make arrangements for illegally parked or abandoned vehicles to be towed, and direct tow-truck drivers to the correct vehicles.
  • Investigate and answer complaints regarding contested parking citations, determining their validity and routing them appropriately.
  • Provide information to the public regarding parking regulations and facilities, and the location of streets, buildings and points of interest.
  • Prepare and maintain required records, including logs of parking enforcement activities, and records of contested citations.
  • Perform traffic control duties such as setting up barricades and temporary signs, placing bags on parking meters to limit their use, or directing traffic.

Pay and outlook

What the job pays and where it is heading

Annual earnings range

Reported earnings by percentile, United States

10th percentile
$35,131
25th percentile
$39,874
50th percentile
$46,738
75th percentile
$60,486
90th percentile
$75,338

The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $46,738 and half earn less.

Employment outlook

2025 to 2035 projection

+0.3%average or slower
202510,489 jobs
2035 projected10,517 jobs

28 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.

Preparation

Education levels

What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.

High school diploma or less
94.9%
Some college
1.8%
Certificate
1.6%
Bachelor's degree
1.4%
Associate degree
0.3%

Skills

Skills employers ask for

Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.

  • Good Driving Record
  • Traffic Control
  • Lifting Ability
  • Patrolling
  • Traffic Flow
  • Emergency Response
  • Data Entry
  • Law Enforcement
  • Two-Way Radios
  • Conflict Resolution
  • Painting
  • Motor Vehicle Operation
  • Access Controls
  • Customer Complaint Resolution
  • Public Relations
  • Booting (BIOS)
  • Snow Removal
  • Safety Procedures
  • Auditing
  • Customer Communications Management

How the work gets done

Core competencies

Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.

Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Social Perceptiveness
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Service Orientation
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Coordination
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Time Management
Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Instructing
Teaching others how to do something.
Active Learning
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Writing
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Judgment and Decision Making
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Complex Problem Solving
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Negotiation
Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Persuasion
Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Operation and Control
Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Management of Personnel Resources
Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
Operations Monitoring
Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Learning Strategies
Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.

In the market

Job titles and employers

Recent job postings in United States

Common job titles

  1. 01Parking Enforcement Officers1,042 postings
  2. 02Security Patrol Officers113 postings
  3. 03Park Ambassadors86 postings
  4. 04Unarmed Security Officers84 postings
  5. 05Parking Lot Attendants71 postings
  6. 06Parking Control Officers69 postings
  7. 07Security Officers67 postings
  8. 08Parking Attendants65 postings
  9. 09Parking Assistants59 postings
  10. 10Enforcement Officers56 postings
  11. 11Parking Officers53 postings
  12. 12Parking Supervisors51 postings
  13. 13Parking Services Officers47 postings
  14. 14Night Attendants41 postings
  15. 15Public Safety Officers35 postings
  16. 16Compliance Agents33 postings
  17. 17Parking Managers32 postings
  18. 18Parking Operations Managers25 postings
  19. 19Parking Coordinators23 postings
  20. 20Patrollers22 postings

Top employers

  1. 01Allied Universal179 postings
  2. 02LAZ Parking73 postings
  3. 03Reef Parking70 postings
  4. 04Inner Parish Security Corporation69 postings
  5. 05Sp Plus54 postings
  6. 06Premium Parking47 postings
  7. 07Phantom Fireworks Showrooms41 postings
  8. 08Sports Clips39 postings
  9. 09Ace Parking Management30 postings
  10. 10Towne Park30 postings
  11. 11Oak View Group22 postings
  12. 12GardaWorld21 postings
  13. 13Airgarage17 postings
  14. 14Herc17 postings
  15. 15Laz Parking California17 postings
  16. 16Activos15 postings
  17. 17The Car Park15 postings
  18. 18Towne Agency15 postings
  19. 19Preferred Parking Service14 postings
  20. 20ABM Industries12 postings

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