Parking Attendants: Career Profile
Park vehicles or issue tickets for customers in a parking lot or garage. May park or tend vehicles in environments such as a car dealership or rental car facility. May collect fee.
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What Tasks Do Parking Attendants Perform?
Typical responsibilities of parking attendants include:
- Take numbered tags from customers, locate vehicles, and deliver vehicles, or provide customers with instructions for locating vehicles.
- Inspect vehicles to detect any damage.
- Greet customers and open their car doors.
- Issue ticket stubs or place numbered tags on windshields, log tags or attach tag to customers' keys, and give customers matching tags for locating parked vehicles.
- Perform cash handling tasks, such as making change, balancing and recording cash drawer, or distributing tips.
- Explain and calculate parking charges, collect fees from customers, and respond to customer complaints.
- Park and retrieve automobiles for customers in parking lots, storage garages, or new car lots.
- Provide customer assistance and information, such as giving directions or handling wheelchairs.
What Parking Attendants Need to Know
Successful parking attendants draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
The competencies most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Types of Parking Attendants Jobs
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Attendant
- Auto Hiker
- Auto Lot Attendant (Automotive Lot Attendant)
- Auto Parker
- Automobile Relocation Engineer
- Automotive Porter (Auto Porter)
- Car Chaser
- Car Hiker
Employment and Demand
The U.S. employs around 901,621 parking attendants working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +4.7% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Parking Attendants
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $59,462 |
| Hourly median | $28.59 |
| 10th percentile | $32,936 |
| 25th percentile | $46,199 |
| 75th percentile | $72,725 |
| 90th percentile | $85,988 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Washington | $41,200 |
| Oregon | $39,150 |
| Colorado | $38,800 |
| Wyoming | $38,210 |
| Illinois | $37,320 |
| Vermont | $36,870 |
| Massachusetts | $36,840 |
| District of Columbia | $36,610 |
| California | $36,350 |
| Minnesota | $36,180 |
| North Dakota | $35,530 |
| Alaska | $35,480 |
| New Jersey | $35,280 |
| New York | $35,260 |
| Connecticut | $35,210 |
| Utah | $34,590 |
| Maryland | $34,030 |
| Arizona | $33,020 |
| Michigan | $32,980 |
| Ohio | $32,710 |
| Delaware | $32,440 |
| Kansas | $32,380 |
| Nebraska | $32,370 |
| Rhode Island | $31,950 |
| Hawaii | $31,900 |
| Wisconsin | $31,560 |
| South Dakota | $31,540 |
| Idaho | $31,510 |
| Kentucky | $30,860 |
| Texas | $30,690 |
| Virginia | $30,660 |
| North Carolina | $30,650 |
| Indiana | $30,590 |
| Tennessee | $30,490 |
| Pennsylvania | $30,170 |
| Georgia | $29,860 |
| New Mexico | $29,810 |
| Arkansas | $29,780 |
| Nevada | $29,550 |
| Maine | $29,430 |
| New Hampshire | $29,380 |
| Iowa | $29,300 |
| Missouri | $29,170 |
| Florida | $28,730 |
| South Carolina | $28,570 |
| Alabama | $28,250 |
| West Virginia | $27,970 |
| Oklahoma | $26,460 |
| Mississippi | $25,550 |
| Louisiana | $23,280 |
| Puerto Rico | $20,480 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Compensation for parking attendants shift depending on where you work. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rocky Mountains | $36,809 | 1.6% | 0.47 |
| Far Western US | $36,159 | 24.0% | 1.55 |
| New England | $35,393 | 4.1% | 0.94 |
| Middle Atlantic | $34,223 | 19.0% | 1.39 |
| Great Lakes | $33,927 | 10.2% | 0.76 |
| Plains States | $31,664 | 3.7% | 0.62 |
| Southwest | $30,881 | 11.7% | 0.95 |
| Southeast | $28,952 | 24.9% | 1.41 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado Springs, CO | CO | $46,590 | 130 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $42,300 | 3,860 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $42,170 | 570 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $41,740 | 2,150 |
| Bend, OR | OR | $39,740 | 50 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | OR | $39,180 | 760 |
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | HI | $39,170 | 190 |
| Boulder, CO | CO | $39,050 | 30 |
Industry Breakdown
Most parking attendants work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 73,190 | $34,960 |
| Retail Trade | 22,340 | $34,120 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 7,580 | $33,990 |
| Accommodation and Food Services | 7,150 | $33,420 |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 3,940 | $36,020 |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 2,600 | $34,700 |
| Wholesale Trade | 2,060 | $31,680 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 2,060 | $37,610 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Tools and Technology
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
The on-the-job environment of parking attendants is shaped by the following characteristics:
- Contact With Others
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Deal With External Customers or the Public in General
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
- In an Enclosed Vehicle or Operate Enclosed Equipment
Getting Started in This Career
Typical parking attendants positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Similar Occupations
Similar Occupations
- Parking Enforcement Workers (Primary-Short)
- Food Servers, Nonrestaurant (Supplemental)
- Amusement and Recreation Attendants (Primary-Long)
- Locker Room, Coatroom, and Dressing Room Attendants (Primary-Long)
- Baggage Porters and Bellhops (Primary-Short)
- Concierges (Primary-Long)
- Cashiers (Supplemental)
- Counter and Rental Clerks (Primary-Short)
Sources
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 53-6021.00 (Parking Attendants).
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