Parking attendants: Salary, Job Outlook, Education and Career Path

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.

Short answer: Parking attendants earn a national median annual wage of $35,150 (BLS, May 2025). Employment is projected to change +2.0% from 2025 to 2035 (all occupations: +3.5%), with about 16,400 openings per year. The typical entry credential is no formal educational credential.

Median annual wage
$35,150
May 2025 Verified data
Projected change
+2.0%
2025 to 2035 Official projection
Openings per year
16,400
Average, 2025 to 2035 Official projection
Employment
137,880
OEWS, May 2025 Verified data

Parking attendants salary

$0$20K$40KUnited States$35,150
National annual wages for parking attendants, May 2025: 10th percentile $27,040, 25th $29,960, median $35,150, 75th $37,670, 90th $44,550. The bar spans the 25th to 75th percentile, the thin line spans the 10th to 90th percentile, and the red mark is the median.
MeasureAnnualHourly
10th percentile$27,040$13.00
Median (50th percentile)$35,150$16.90
Mean (average)$34,990$16.82
90th percentile$44,550$21.42

These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.

Parking attendants pay by state and metro area

$21.8K$43.2K
Median annual wage for parking attendants by state, May 2025. Highest: Washington at $43,180. States in gray have no published estimate.
Table: median wage and employment for all 52 states and territories
StateMedian10th pct90th pctEmploymentLocation quotient
Alabama$30,350$18,480$35,2501,1100.59
Alaska$36,580$30,690$44,700900.32
Arizona$34,230$30,580$42,9303,1301.09
Arkansas$29,890$22,930$34,9703100.27
California$38,060$35,760$50,28021,2901.32
Colorado$39,330$35,670$48,8601,3900.55
Connecticut$34,360$34,010$38,6702,2401.49
Delaware$34,230$31,200$35,8302000.46
District of Columbia$37,220$36,400$43,5301,9003.06
Florida$29,650$27,040$39,86017,6702.01
Georgia$28,960$21,650$36,4604,6601.08
Hawaii$33,690$29,640$47,3601,6002.87
Idaho$31,990$26,000$38,9304700.61
Illinois$36,730$31,260$53,3605,3200.98
Indiana$31,360$23,380$41,3601,9300.68
Iowa$30,070$21,180$37,8801,0500.76
Kansas$30,320$25,440$39,300900.07
Kentucky$31,630$23,260$38,5801,4800.84
Louisiana$23,920$21,340$33,4102,1301.24
Maine$30,860$30,470$49,7901000.18
Maryland$35,210$31,200$46,9601,5300.62
Massachusetts$37,360$33,900$44,6703,3301.03
Michigan$33,690$26,270$38,1703,2100.82
Minnesota$35,250$27,150$45,8301,4700.56
Mississippi$26,420$19,850$39,9803200.31
Missouri$31,050$28,600$45,1701,2600.48
Montana$27,100$25,370$42,070600.14
Nebraska$32,880$28,080$37,2004600.5
Nevada$29,750$25,290$42,8702,6601.93
New Hampshire$36,010$29,840$45,1803200.53
New Jersey$35,100$32,220$42,2905,1101.35
New Mexico$30,530$25,020$36,0204200.54
New York$35,920$33,580$42,63012,4401.45
North Carolina$30,540$17,000$38,6302,9300.67
North Dakota$35,550$28,930$41,2401700.43
Ohio$30,100$29,120$37,5603,0500.62
Oklahoma$27,230$17,510$36,6808700.58
Oregon$38,730$34,170$46,2201,3000.75
Pennsylvania$31,100$22,820$42,4904,9300.92
Puerto Rico$21,840$21,840$25,3201,0301.23
Rhode Island$34,390$31,200$44,6105201.17
South Carolina$31,490$18,330$37,4001,3000.64
South Dakota$34,220$29,870$40,3602400.6
Tennessee$30,780$16,860$36,0902,6600.92
Texas$31,200$23,960$40,24012,1000.97
Utah$34,630$29,320$42,5407100.46
Vermont$38,160$30,350$47,290900.35
Virginia$30,110$25,810$38,1001,8300.5
Washington$43,180$36,120$50,4002,8600.91
West Virginia$30,460$24,830$43,2001500.24
Wisconsin$31,270$25,040$41,6101,2900.49
Wyoming$35,780$21,000$49,1801100.44

A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.

Metro areas with the most jobs

New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ14,220
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA11,070
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL8,550
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX5,490
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN4,450
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA3,810
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA3,470
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX3,400
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD3,280
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA3,220

Highest paying metro areas

Colorado Springs, CO$47,320
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$45,030
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$44,480
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$43,790
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA$39,480
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$38,620
Sioux Falls, SD-MN$38,520
Kahului-Wailuku, HI$38,480
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$37,960
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$37,810
Among metro areas with at least 100 workers in this occupation.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, State. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Metropolitan areas. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.

Job outlook for parking attendants

2025 (actual)139,2002035 (projected)142,000
BLS projects employment of parking attendants to go from 139,200 in 2025 to 142,000 in 2035, a change of +2.0% (+2,800 jobs). All occupations are projected to grow +3.5%.
  • Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 16,400. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
  • Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 0.9%.

These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.

Education and training for parking attendants

Typical entry education
No formal educational credential
Related work experience
None
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
O*NET Job Zone
Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed

Highest education of people working in this occupation

Less than high school14.4%
High school diploma43%
Some college, no degree21.3%
Associate's degree6.8%
Bachelor's degree10.8%
Master's degree1.7%
Doctoral or professional1.9%
Share of workers age 25 and over by highest education completed, 2023-24. The most common level is a high school diploma (43%).
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Education and training tables 5.1 to 5.4. Attainment 2023-24 (ACS); wages 2025; projections 2025-35. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.

O*NET describes this preparation level as: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.

Degrees and programs that lead to this career

Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk

Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.

Skills, knowledge, and daily work

Most important skills

Speaking3.5
Active Listening3.3
Critical Thinking2.9
Writing2.8
Mathematics2.8
Monitoring2.8
Reading Comprehension2.5
Active Learning2.3
O*NET importance rating on a 1 to 5 scale.

Most important knowledge areas

Customer and Personal Service3.5
English Language3.1
Transportation3.0
Public Safety and Security2.7
Mathematics2.5
Production and Processing2.4
Education and Training2.3
Administrative2.3
O*NET importance rating on a 1 to 5 scale.

Typical tasks

  • 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.

Technology skills

  • Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
  • Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
  • Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
  • Microsoft Word (hot technology)
  • CorePark Valet
  • Email software
  • Payment processing software
  • SMS Valet

Transferable skills for career changers: Service Orientation, Social Perceptiveness, Coordination, Judgment and Decision Making, Operation and Control, Complex Problem Solving.

Common job titles: Hiker, Parking Attendant, Parking Cashier, Parking Lot Attendant, Parking Ramp Attendant, Valet Attendant, Valet Parker, Valet Parking Attendant.

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. ConnectPrep has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Source: National Center for O*NET Development for USDOL/ETA, O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026 release). Database release 31.0, August 2026; element dates vary by occupation. Published August 25, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.

Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there

Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.

Frequently asked questions

How much do parking attendants make?

The national median annual wage for parking attendants was $35,150 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $27,040 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $44,550. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.

What education do parking attendants need?

BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and short-term on-the-job training on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.

Is parking attendants a growing career?

BLS projects employment of parking attendants to change +2.0% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 16,400 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.

Which states pay parking attendants the most?

By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were Washington ($43,180), Colorado ($39,330), Oregon ($38,730). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.

Get help planning a path to parking attendants

No research tool on this site requires your contact details. Share them only if you would like a ConnectPrep advisor to follow up. We never ask for financial information here.