Parking Enforcement Workers
Protective Service
Walks or drives an assigned stretch of streets or public lots, looking for overtime and illegally parked cars. Vehicle registration and status are looked up on a hand-held computer, and warnings or citations are written. Dispatch calls about parking complaints come in by radio or phone; citation devices, chalk, cones, and rain gear are kept ready, and the patrol vehicle gets simple oil and fuel checks. Contested tickets can mean appearing in court. Fits people who prefer outdoor rounds, routine rule-checking, and regular contact with the public and dispatch.
Typical education: High School Diploma or GED
Annual Median Wage in Field (2025)
$46'730
Median Wage Market Position
$46'730
What you might do
- Walk or drive assigned routes checking parked cars
- Write tickets for cars parked illegally
- Look up registration data on a handheld computer
- Take radio calls about parking complaints
- Go to court when a ticket is disputed
- Restock chalk, cones, and handheld citation computers
Skills that matter
- Plate lookups on handheld computers
- Citations for overtime and illegal parking
- Listening to dispatch and parking complaints
- Testimony at contested ticket hearings
- Radio handoffs with dispatch staff
- Straight answers for ticketed drivers
AI & the future of this role
Cameras, sensors, and license-plate systems already cover much of spotting and documenting parking violations, so routine ticketing could shrink further. Some on-site checks and dispute handling may remain, yet the core patrol-and-issue loop looks highly automatable.
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Includes O*NET® 30.3 Database information by USDOL/ETA under CC BY 4.0; modified by LostInCareer. Wage/outlook from BLS. Attribution details