33 Series · SOC 33-3041
Parking Enforcement Workers Salary
National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).
- $46,730
- Median / year
- $75,340
- Top 10% earn
- -1.5%
- Growth '23–'33
- 9,050
- US workers
Parking Enforcement Workers earn a median of $46,730 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $46,730, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $35,130 (10th percentile) to $75,340 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 9,050 US workers. Washington pays the most ($68,120), since pay varies by state and metro area.
The pay verdict
Parking Enforcement Workers earn a median of $46,730, putting them among the lower-paid US occupations and higher than 24% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Protective Service, it ranks #17 of 24 by median pay. Employment is projected to fall 1.5% by 2033.
- $46,730
- Median annual wage
- Top 76%
- of 825 US occupations with published wages
- #17 of 24
- in Protective Service
- 2.1×
- 90th-to-10th pay spread
Highest-paying state: Washington at $68,120. Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
Parking Enforcement Workers (SOC 33-3041) pays a national median of $46,730 per year according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey released in May 2025. Full-range compensation stretches from $35,130 at the 10th percentile to $75,340 at the 90th, with a mean of $51,190 indicating a right-skew where top earners pull the average above the midpoint. An estimated 9,050 Americans work in this occupation across 41 reporting states and 40 metro areas.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a -1.5% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which the agency classifies as declining relative to the 5% all-occupations baseline. About 700 openings are projected per year, combining new positions with replacement needs from retirements and occupation-switchers. Typical entry-level preparation is High school diploma or equivalent and short-term on-the-job training of on-the-job training. The BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) and Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) produce a workplace-safety grade of B for this role, with a fatality rate of 7.3 per 100,000 and injury rate of 2.5 per 100.
Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. Washington pays the highest state median at $68,120, which is +46% above the national figure. The top metro is San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA at $86,040 - metro premiums typically reflect higher cost of living, industry concentration, or specialized employer demand. When using this page for negotiation or career planning, pair the national median with the state and metro rows below, remember that BLS wages exclude benefits, bonuses, and overtime, and revisit after each May OEWS release since percentiles shift with cost-of-living cycles and industry demand. See our methodology for exactly how these figures are sourced, computed, and verified.
Median Salary
$46,730
per year
Median Hourly
$22.47/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$51,190
average
Employment
9,050
jobs nationwide
How does this pay compare nationally?
Where Parking Enforcement Workers pay sits nationally
Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median
$46,730 Bottom 24% higher than 24% of 825 US occupations
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025
Does this job pay well and grow?
Each dot is a 33-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Parking Enforcement Workers; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).
Among 24 33-series occupations with growth data, Parking Enforcement Workers sits on the slower-growing side at -1.5% growth and $46,730 median pay.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Projected Growth
-1.5%
Declining
Annual Openings
700
per year (projected)
Typical Education
High school diploma or equivalent
On-the-Job Training
Short-term on-the-job training
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034
Workplace Safety
All safety ratings →Safe
Safety Grade (BLS 2023)
Fatality Rate
7.3/100K
Injury Rate
2.5/100
Danger Index
13.7/100
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023
Career Intelligence
Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Parking Enforcement Workers roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.
Top Skills
Knowledge Areas
Key Tasks
- ▸ 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.
- ▸ Maintain close communications with dispatching personnel, using two-way radios or cell phones.
- ▸ Perform simple vehicle maintenance procedures, such as checking oil and gas, and report mechanical problems to supervisors.
- ▸ Observe and report hazardous conditions, such as missing traffic signals or signs, and street markings that need to be repainted.
- ▸ 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.
Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.
Salary Range
Annual Salary Distribution
Hourly Rate Distribution
10th Percentile
$35,130
25th Percentile
$39,870
Median
$46,730
75th Percentile
$60,490
90th Percentile
$75,340
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
View all 41 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $68,120 | +46% above national |
| 2 | California | $62,280 | +33% above national |
| 3 | Oregon | $59,810 | +28% above national |
| 4 | Nevada | $55,040 | +18% above national |
| 5 | Utah | $52,670 | +13% above national |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $51,980 | +11% above national |
| 7 | New Hampshire | $51,580 | +10% above national |
| 8 | Wisconsin | $49,060 | +5% above national |
| 9 | Ohio | $48,510 | +4% above national |
| 10 | Colorado | $47,910 | +3% above national |
| 11 | Montana | $47,750 | +2% above national |
| 12 | New York | $47,590 | +2% above national |
| 13 | Vermont | $47,460 | +2% above national |
| 14 | Illinois | $47,080 | +1% above national |
| 15 | Virginia | $46,840 | same as national |
| 16 | Florida | $46,160 | 1% below national |
| 17 | Maryland | $46,060 | 1% below national |
| 18 | Kentucky | $45,790 | 2% below national |
| 19 | Pennsylvania | $45,770 | 2% below national |
| 20 | Oklahoma | $45,200 | 3% below national |
| 21 | Connecticut | $44,100 | 6% below national |
| 22 | Maine | $44,040 | 6% below national |
| 23 | New Jersey | $43,920 | 6% below national |
| 24 | Iowa | $43,370 | 7% below national |
| 25 | South Carolina | $43,040 | 8% below national |
| 26 | Kansas | $42,420 | 9% below national |
| 27 | North Carolina | $42,410 | 9% below national |
| 28 | Minnesota | $41,670 | 11% below national |
| 29 | Hawaii | $40,480 | 13% below national |
| 30 | Delaware | $40,360 | 14% below national |
| 31 | Indiana | $39,940 | 15% below national |
| 32 | Alabama | $39,270 | 16% below national |
| 33 | Missouri | $39,040 | 16% below national |
| 34 | Texas | $38,720 | 17% below national |
| 35 | Michigan | $37,460 | 20% below national |
| 36 | Georgia | $36,100 | 23% below national |
| 37 | Tennessee | $35,730 | 24% below national |
| 38 | Idaho | $33,930 | 27% below national |
| 39 | West Virginia | $30,490 | 35% below national |
| 40 | Arkansas | $30,100 | 36% below national |
| 41 | Mississippi | $27,550 | 41% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 40 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $86,040 | +84% above national |
| 2 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $76,870 | +64% above national |
| 3 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $76,750 | +64% above national |
| 4 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $70,590 | +51% above national |
| 5 | Salinas, CA | $62,850 | +34% above national |
| 6 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $62,160 | +33% above national |
| 7 | Madison, WI | $62,000 | +33% above national |
| 8 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $60,650 | +30% above national |
| 9 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $60,640 | +30% above national |
| 10 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $58,270 | +25% above national |
| 11 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $55,820 | +19% above national |
| 12 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $51,980 | +11% above national |
| 13 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $49,090 | +5% above national |
| 14 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $49,060 | +5% above national |
| 15 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $48,000 | +3% above national |
| 16 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $47,960 | +3% above national |
| 17 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $47,910 | +3% above national |
| 18 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $47,320 | +1% above national |
| 19 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $46,910 | same as national |
| 20 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $46,730 | same as national |
| 21 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $46,590 | same as national |
| 22 | Charleston-North Charleston, SC | $46,550 | same as national |
| 23 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $46,260 | 1% below national |
| 24 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $45,690 | 2% below national |
| 25 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $45,380 | 3% below national |
| 26 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $45,040 | 4% below national |
| 27 | Jacksonville, FL | $43,840 | 6% below national |
| 28 | Reading, PA | $43,410 | 7% below national |
| 29 | Rochester, NY | $42,460 | 9% below national |
| 30 | College Station-Bryan, TX | $42,100 | 10% below national |
| 31 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $39,310 | 16% below national |
| 32 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $39,040 | 16% below national |
| 33 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $38,040 | 19% below national |
| 34 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $37,460 | 20% below national |
| 35 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $37,200 | 20% below national |
| 36 | Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $36,230 | 22% below national |
| 37 | Pittsburgh, PA | $35,210 | 25% below national |
| 38 | Boise City, ID | $33,930 | 27% below national |
| 39 | West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $32,240 | 31% below national |
| 40 | Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR | $30,100 | 36% below national |
Similar Occupations in the Same Category
Other roles in SOC major group 33 (protective service) with comparable pay and career paths.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Parking Enforcement Workers make? ▼
What state pays Parking Enforcement Workers the most? ▼
What education do you need to become a Parking Enforcement Workers? ▼
How dangerous is being a Parking Enforcement Workers? ▼
Is Parking Enforcement Workers a good career? ▼
How does Parking Enforcement Workers pay vary by state? ▼
Which metro areas pay the most for Parking Enforcement Workers? ▼
What to do with this data
How to use Parking Enforcement Workers pay figures in a real decision
- For an experienced offer, anchor on the 75th percentile (about $60,490/year), not the median. The median marks the middle worker; the upper quartile is the realistic target with strong experience. Salary calculator
- Location moves pay significantly: Washington leads at $68,120/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
- Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs
These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.
Every figure on WageDex is rendered directly from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, no number is typed in by an editor. This occupation's figures are computed directly from the BLS OEWS and Employment Projections datasets, nothing is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2025.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.