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Parking enforcement officer: pay, job outlook and how to become one
- $35,130lowest 10% earn less
- $39,87025th percentile
- $46,730median
- $60,49075th percentile
- $75,340top 10% earn more
The median parking enforcement worker earned $46,730 a year[1]. Employment is projected to decline 1.1% from 2025 to 2035[2].
- Job growth, 2025–35
- -1.1%[2]
- Openings per year
- 800[5]
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent[6]
How much do parking enforcement officers make?
In May 2025, the median wage for parking enforcement workers was $46,730 a year, or $22.47 an hour[1]. Half of workers earned more and half earned less[1]. The average was $51,190 a year, or $24.61 an hour[7].
The median for all occupations in the US was $50,980[4]. So the typical parking enforcement worker earned less than the typical US worker.
The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $35,130 a year, and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $75,340[3]. The 25th percentile was $39,870 and the 75th was $60,490[3]. Hourly, the 10th, 25th, 75th and 90th percentiles were $16.89, $19.17, $29.08 and $36.22[8].
A percentile is a boundary in the pay data. BLS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary[9]. The figures leave out self-employed workers and benefits such as health insurance[10].
Pay by state and city
Among the 41 states with published data, Washington had the highest median at $68,120[11]. California followed at $62,280 and Oregon at $59,810[11]. Mississippi had the lowest median in that list, at $27,550[11].
California had the most jobs, with 1,710[12]. New York had 730 and Florida 710[12].
Among metro areas with at least 100 jobs[13], San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA had the highest median at $86,040[13]. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue came next at $76,870, then San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad at $62,160[13]. The New York-Newark-Jersey City area had the most jobs, with 970[14].
Show median pay in 41 states
| State | Median per year | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Washington[11] | $68,120 | 190 |
| California | $62,280 | 1,710 |
| Oregon | $59,810 | 80 |
| Nevada | $55,040 | 40 |
| Utah | $52,670 | 70 |
| Massachusetts | $51,980 | 300 |
| New Hampshire | $51,580 | 70 |
| Wisconsin | $49,060 | 150 |
| Ohio | $48,510 | 110 |
| Colorado | $47,910 | 100 |
| Montana | $47,750 | 40 |
| New York | $47,590 | 730 |
| Vermont | $47,460 | 30 |
| Illinois | $47,080 | n/a |
| Virginia | $46,840 | 130 |
| Florida | $46,160 | 710 |
| Maryland | $46,060 | 250 |
| Kentucky | $45,790 | 30 |
| Pennsylvania | $45,770 | 660 |
| Oklahoma | $45,200 | 60 |
| Connecticut | $44,100 | 70 |
| Maine | $44,040 | 30 |
| New Jersey | $43,920 | 470 |
| Iowa | $43,370 | 50 |
| South Carolina | $43,040 | 120 |
| Kansas | $42,420 | 40 |
| North Carolina | $42,410 | 80 |
| Minnesota | $41,670 | 40 |
| Hawaii | $40,480 | 30 |
| Delaware | $40,360 | 70 |
| Indiana | $39,940 | 100 |
| Alabama | $39,270 | 40 |
| Missouri | $39,040 | 70 |
| Texas | $38,720 | 270 |
| Michigan | $37,460 | 180 |
| Georgia | $36,100 | 40 |
| Tennessee | $35,730 | 40 |
| Idaho | $33,930 | 60 |
| West Virginia | $30,490 | 50 |
| Arkansas | $30,100 | 50 |
| Mississippi | $27,550 | 40 |
How to become a parking enforcement officer
BLS describes the typical path like this[6]:
- First: finish high school or get an equivalent diploma.
- Next: no work experience in a related job is needed.
- Then: learn the job through short-term on-the-job training.
O*NET places the job in Job Zone 1-2, which means very little to some preparation is needed[15]. Some jobs in this group need little or no previous experience, and others need several months to a year[15].
What parking enforcement officers do
O*NET says the job is to patrol an assigned area, such as a public lot or city streets, and ticket vehicles that are parked too long or illegally[16]. Common tasks include[17]:
- Look up vehicle registration and status on hand-held computers.
- Stay in touch with dispatchers by radio or phone.
- Patrol by vehicle or on foot to check that people follow parking rules.
- Write warnings and citations.
- Arrange for illegally parked or abandoned vehicles to be towed, and guide tow-truck drivers.
- Go to court hearings when a citation is contested.
- Look after equipment such as hand-held citation computers and street cones.
- Tell the public about parking rules and how to find places.
Workers report titles such as parking control officer, parking enforcement technician and parking patroller[18].
Job outlook
BLS projects employment of parking enforcement workers to decline 1.1% from 2025 to 2035, from about 9,400 jobs to 9,300[2]. All occupations are projected to grow 3.5% over the same years[19]. These projection counts include self-employed workers[2]. The OEWS count for May 2025 was about 9,050 wage and salary jobs[20].
BLS names one factor: cities continue to adopt automated license plate readers, which is expected to reduce the share of these workers[21].
About 800 openings are projected each year on average[5]. Openings include jobs left by workers who retire or change occupations, not only new jobs[5]. Each year, 3.4% of workers leave the labor force and 4.8% move to a different occupation[22].
Is it a good fit?
The entry bar is low: a high school diploma, no related experience and short-term on-the-job training[6]. The median pay of $46,730 is below the $50,980 for all occupations[1][4]. Employment is projected to dip 1.1% while all occupations grow[2][19]. Openings still arise each year as workers leave or switch occupations[5][22]. Pay varies widely by state, so local figures matter[11].
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a parking enforcement officer make an hour?
- The median was $22.47 an hour in May 2025, and the average was $24.61[1][7].
- What education do you need to be a parking enforcement officer?
- BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent, no related work experience and short-term on-the-job training[6].
- Is parking enforcement a growing field?
- BLS projects a 1.1% decline from 2025 to 2035, with about 800 openings a year[2][5].
- What is the highest paying state for parking enforcement workers?
- Washington had the highest median at $68,120, ahead of California at $62,280[11].
Facts and sources
- BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Parking Enforcement Workers in the US was $46,730 per year and $22.47 per hour. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS Employment Projections: employment of Parking Enforcement Workers is projected to decline 1.1% from 2025 to 2035, from about 9,400 to 9,300 jobs (a change of -100). These counts include self-employed workers. BLS Employment Projections
- BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Parking Enforcement Workers: 10th percentile $35,130, 25th percentile $39,870, 75th percentile $60,490, 90th percentile $75,340. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in the US was $50,980. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS Employment Projections: about 800 openings for Parking Enforcement Workers are projected each year, on average, from 2025 to 2035. Openings include jobs that open when workers retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs. BLS Employment Projections
- BLS Employment Projections, typical path into Parking Enforcement Workers: education needed for entry: High school diploma or equivalent; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: Short-term on-the-job training. BLS Employment Projections
- BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Parking Enforcement Workers was $51,190 per year and $24.61 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Parking Enforcement Workers: 10th percentile $16.89, 25th percentile $19.17, 75th percentile $29.08, 90th percentile $36.22. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS FAQ: a percentile wage is a boundary. The median (50th percentile) separates the highest-paid 50% from the lowest-paid 50% of workers in the occupation. OEWS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage for Parking Enforcement Workers in every state with published data, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025, states with the most Parking Enforcement Workers jobs: California 1,710; New York 730; Florida 710; Pennsylvania 660; New Jersey 470. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the highest median annual wage for Parking Enforcement Workers (areas with at least 100 jobs): San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $86,040; Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $76,870; San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $62,160; Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $60,640; Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $55,820; Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $51,980; Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD $46,730; Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD $45,380. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the most Parking Enforcement Workers jobs: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ 970 (median $45,040); Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 670 (median $55,820); San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA 510 (median $86,040); Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 460 (median $46,730); Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 320 (median $60,640); Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH 260 (median $51,980). BLS OEWS, May 2025
- O*NET 33-3041.00: Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training. O*NET OnLine
- O*NET description of Parking Enforcement Workers. O*NET OnLine
- O*NET task list for Parking Enforcement Workers. O*NET OnLine
- O*NET 33-3041.00 sample job titles reported by workers: Meter Maid, Parking Control Officer, Parking Enforcement Officer (PEO), Parking Enforcement Technician (Parking Enforcement Tech), Parking Enforcer, Parking Officer, Parking Patroller, Parking Regulation Enforcement Officer. O*NET OnLine
- BLS Employment Projections: employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035. BLS Employment Projections
- BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 9,050 people were employed as Parking Enforcement Workers in the US (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS Employment Projections, factor affecting employment of Parking Enforcement Workers: Productivity change - share decreases as cities continue to adopt automated license plate readers. BLS Employment Projections
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 annual average for Parking Enforcement Workers: 3.4% of workers leave the labor force each year and 4.8% move to a different occupation. BLS Employment Projections
- Related occupations (O*NET) with BLS pay, growth and entry education. O*NET OnLine
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerFacts has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.