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Career

Parking Enforcement Workers

Typical education: High school diplomaModerate pressure

What they do

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

Kinds of work

  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.

Moderate pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $46,730 Median per year · $22.47/hr Most earn $35,130–$75,340

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Maintain close communications with dispatching personnel, using two-way radios or cell phones.
  • Provide information to the public regarding parking regulations and facilities, and the location of streets, buildings and points of interest.
  • Observe and report hazardous conditions, such as missing traffic signals or signs, and street markings that need to be repainted.
  • Perform traffic control duties such as setting up barricades and temporary signs, placing bags on parking meters to limit their use, or directing traffic or pedestrians.
  • Provide assistance to motorists needing help with problems, such as flat tires, keys locked in cars, or dead batteries.
  • 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.

Job outlook

United States
1% fewer jobs by 2035, little or no change · about 800 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Local government, excluding education and hospitals80.2%
  • Colleges, universities, and professional schools10.2%
  • State government, excluding education and hospitals2.0%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: None

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: High school diplomaExperience before this job: NoneEntry-level

Parking enforcement is an entry-level job. Most people start with a high school diploma and learn the job on the spot, so you could be working in this role soon after graduating.

  1. High school diploma

    4 years

    Finishing high school gives you the basic education most employers ask for, and strong reading, writing, and math skills help with writing tickets and filling out reports.

  2. Parking Enforcement Worker

    Entry-level, with on-the-job training

    You learn city rules, ticket procedures, and how to handle the public while patrolling an assigned area, and you build experience you can use for future moves.

Where it can lead

  1. Traffic Technician

    2-4 years of experience first

    This role moves toward traffic signals, signs, and roadway systems, and it usually requires a certificate or apprenticeship in addition to your work experience.

  2. Transit and Railroad Police

    6 months to 1 year of experience first

    This role focuses on law enforcement on transit systems and railroads, and it typically requires a certificate or apprenticeship and some relevant experience first.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take math and English classes seriouslyClear writing and good math help you fill out tickets accurately and explain rules to people.
  • Get a starter job in customer serviceA part-time job at a store or restaurant teaches you how to stay calm and polite with people who are frustrated.
  • Join a student government or debate clubSpeaking up and explaining your point builds the confidence you need when talking to members of the public.
  • Volunteer with your community or local governmentHelping at a town event or city office shows you how local rules and services work.
  • Get your driver's license and keep a clean driving recordMany parking enforcement jobs require driving, and a clean record shows employers you are responsible.

In college

  • Take courses in criminal justice, public administration, or civicsThese classes teach how local laws and enforcement work, which helps you understand the rules you would enforce.
  • Work a campus or part-time job that involves customer serviceExperience dealing with the public builds the patience and communication skills this job needs.
  • Apply for a summer or part-time job with a city or countyWorking in a government setting gives you a clear view of how municipal departments operate and may lead to a full-time position.
  • Join a student organization focused on public serviceGroups like these build leadership and teamwork, and they show employers you care about your community.
  • Ask about certifications or training offered by your city or local governmentSome agencies offer training for enforcement roles, and completing it can make your application stronger.

Tips for getting started

  • Look for city or county job postings for parking enforcement officers, since many cities hire from high school graduates and provide training.
  • Build customer service and communication skills, because this job involves talking with drivers who may be upset about tickets.
  • Get a clean driving record and a valid driver's license, since you will be driving or walking an assigned area for hours.

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

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