Parking Enforcement Workers
Patrol assigned area, such as public parking lot or city streets to issue tickets to overtime parking violators and illegally parked vehicles.
What it pays
Parking Enforcement Workers earn a median of $22.47/hr — about $46,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $16.89/hr; the top 10% earn $36.22/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
Parking Enforcement Workers earn a median of $22.47/hr — about $46,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $16.89/hr; the top 10% earn $36.22/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually do
- 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.
- Appear in court at hearings regarding contested traffic citations.
- Maintain assigned equipment and supplies, such as hand-held citation computers, citation books, rain gear, tire-marking chalk, and street cones.
- Respond to and make radio dispatch calls regarding parking violations and complaints.
How you get there
Typical entry-level education: High school diploma. Overall preparation: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).
The feel of the work
Much of the work happens outdoors; much of the day is spent working solo. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 0% of parking enforcement workers are self-employed.
Who it tends to fit
This work tends to fit people who are hands-on, organized and detail-focused and take-charge.
Work a simulated shift in this job — freeMake the real decisions this job involves, then see what your choices say about you.Related careers
- Transportation Security Screeners
- Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers
- First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers
- First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers
- Detectives and Criminal Investigators
- First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives
Quick questions
- How much does a parking enforcement worker make?
- The median pay is $22.47 per hour — roughly $46,500 a year, with the real range running from about $16.89/hr (10th percentile) to $36.22/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a parking enforcement worker?
- The typical entry-level education is: High school diploma. Overall preparation level: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).
- What does a parking enforcement worker actually do all day?
- 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.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.