How to become a parking enforcement worker

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

Steps to get there

Most employers expect usually requires a high school diploma or ged, though some occupations may not..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.

What parking enforcement workers do

• Enter and retrieve information pertaining to vehicle registration, identification, and status, using hand-held computers.
• Maintain close communications with dispatching personnel, using two-way radios or cell phones.
• Patrol an assigned area by vehicle or on foot to ensure public compliance with existing parking ordinance.
• 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.
• Write warnings and citations for illegally parked vehicles.
• Appear in court at hearings regarding contested traffic citations.

Skills that matter most

• Speaking
• Monitoring
• Active Listening
• Critical Thinking
• Reading Comprehension
• Writing
• Active Learning
• Learning Strategies

Is parking enforcement worker a good career?

On the numbers, this job is close to the average across occupations. Median pay is 8% below the all-occupation median. Whether it fits you depends on the work itself, the schooling you are willing to do and where you want to live.

Where it pays most

• Washington $68,120
• California $62,280
• Oregon $59,810
• Nevada $55,040
• Utah $52,670

Parking Enforcement Workers salary by state and city

Sources: O*NET® 31.0 (CC BY 4.0, USDOL/ETA) and BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025.