Transportation and material moving
Parking attendant
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.
Median pay
$35,150
Growth to 2035
+2%
about as fast as average
Openings a year
16,400
Time to qualify*
1 month
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Parking attendant
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- No formal educational credential
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- Prior experience
- None
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time sitting
Time standing
Outdoors in all weather
Exposure to disease
Parking attendant: 1% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core 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.
Also called: Hiker · Parking Attendant · Parking Cashier · Parking Lot Attendant · Parking Ramp Attendant · Valet Attendant · Valet Parker · Valet Parking Attendant
Outlook and AI
Parking attendants held 139,200 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 142,000 by 2035 (+2%, about as fast as average; all jobs: +3.5%).
Compare with
- Parking attendant vs. Shuttle drivers and chauffeurs
- Parking attendant vs. Parking enforcement worker
- Parking attendant vs. Baggage porters and bellhops
- Parking attendant vs. Taxi driver
- Parking attendant vs. Counter and rental clerks
- Parking attendant vs. Passenger attendant
- Parking attendant vs. Concierge
- Parking attendant vs. Locker room, coatroom, and dressing room attendants
- Parking attendant vs. Bus drivers, transit and intercity
- Parking attendant vs. Amusement and recreation attendants