Parking Attendants
53-6021.00

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.

Sample of reported job titles: Hiker, Parking Attendant, Parking Cashier, Parking Lot Attendant, Parking Ramp Attendant, Valet Attendant, Valet Parker, Valet Parking Attendant

Occupation-Specific Information

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.
  • Keep parking areas clean and orderly to ensure that space usage is maximized.
  • Call emergency responders or the proper authorities and provide motorist assistance, such as giving directions or helping jump start a stalled vehicle.
  • Patrol parking areas to prevent vehicle damage and vehicle or property thefts.
  • Direct motorists to parking areas or parking spaces, using hand signals or flashlights as necessary.
  • Escort customers to their vehicles to ensure their safety.
  • Perform maintenance on cars in storage to protect tires, batteries, or exteriors from deterioration.
  • Lift, position, and remove barricades to open or close parking areas.
  • Perform personnel activities, such as supervising or scheduling employees.
  • Review motorists' identification before allowing them to enter parking facilities.
  • Service vehicles with gas, oil, and water.

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Technology Skills

Hot technology
Hot Technologies are requirements most frequently included across all employer job postings.

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Occupational Requirements

Work Activities

  • Performing for or Working Directly with the Public — Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
  • Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment — Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or watercraft.
  • Documenting/Recording Information — Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
  • Communicating with People Outside the Organization — Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events — Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
  • Handling and Moving Objects — Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
  • Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials — Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
  • Assisting and Caring for Others — Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.

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Detailed Work Activities

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Work Context

  • Contact With Others — 76% responded “Constant contact with others.”
  • Face-to-Face Discussions — 63% responded “Every day.”
  • Deal With External Customers — 64% responded “Extremely important.”
  • Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls — 44% responded “Continually or almost continually.”
  • Importance of Being Exact or Accurate — 39% responded “Extremely important.”
  • In an Enclosed Vehicle or Equipment — 73% responded “Every day.”
  • Physical Proximity — 52% responded “Moderately close (at arm's length).”
  • Spend Time Walking and Running — 54% responded “Continually or almost continually.”
  • Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions — 45% responded “Continually or almost continually.”
  • Work With Work Group or Team — 36% responded “Extremely important.”
  • Telephone — 40% responded “Every day.”
  • Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results — 48% responded “Very important results.”
  • Outdoors, Exposed to Weather — 60% responded “Every day.”
  • Coordinate or Lead Others — 39% responded “Important.”
  • Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People — 51% responded “Once a month or more but not every week.”
  • Exposed to Contaminants — 50% responded “Every day.”
  • Consequence of Error — 45% responded “Extremely serious.”
  • Indoors, Environmentally Controlled — 59% responded “Every day.”
  • Outdoors, Under Cover — 56% responded “Every day.”
  • Sounds, Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable — 40% responded “Every day.”
  • Very Hot or Cold Temperatures — 40% responded “Every day.”
  • Structured versus Unstructured Work — 51% responded “Some freedom.”
  • Spend Time Bending or Twisting the Body — 31% responded “About half the time.”
  • Frequency of Decision Making — 43% responded “Every day.”
  • Responsible for Others' Health and Safety — 27% responded “Moderate responsibility.”
  • Importance of Repeating Same Tasks — 27% responded “Not important at all.”
  • Spend Time Sitting — 42% responded “About half the time.”
  • Spend Time Standing — 45% responded “About half the time.”
  • Time Pressure — 36% responded “Never.”

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Experience Requirements

Job Zone

Title
Job Zone Two: Some Preparation Needed
Education
These occupations usually require a high school diploma.
Related Experience
Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public.
Job Training
Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Job Zone Examples
These occupations often involve using your knowledge and skills to help others. Examples include orderlies, counter and rental clerks, customer service representatives, security guards, upholsterers, tellers, and dental laboratory technicians.
SVP Range
(4.0 to < 6.0)

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Training & Credentials

State training
Local training
Certifications
State licenses

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Apprenticeship Opportunities

Start your career and build your skillset. Visit Apprenticeship.gov external site to learn about opportunities related to this occupation.

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Worker Requirements

Skills

  • Speaking — Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Service Orientation — Actively looking for ways to help people.
  • Active Listening — Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Social Perceptiveness — Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

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Knowledge

  • Customer and Personal Service — Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
  • English Language — Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Transportation — Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

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Education

How much education does a new hire need to perform a job in this occupation? Respondents said:

  • 61%
     
    responded: High school diploma or equivalent requiredmore info
  • 38%
     
    responded: Less than high school diploma required
  • 1%
     
    responded: Bachelor’s degree required

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Worker Characteristics

Abilities

  • Far Vision — The ability to see details at a distance.
  • Near Vision — The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Oral Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Speech Recognition — The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
  • Problem Sensitivity — The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
  • Speech Clarity — The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • Spatial Orientation — The ability to know your location in relation to the environment or to know where other objects are in relation to you.
  • Control Precision — The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
  • Deductive Reasoning — The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Depth Perception — The ability to judge which of several objects is closer or farther away from you, or to judge the distance between you and an object.
  • Inductive Reasoning — The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
  • Information Ordering — The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
  • Multilimb Coordination — The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
  • Selective Attention — The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.

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Interests

Interest code: RC
Want to discover your interests? Take the O*NET Interest Profiler at My Next Move.
  • Realistic — Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services.
  • Conventional — Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources.

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Work Values

  • Relationships — Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
  • Independence — Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
  • Support — Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.

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Work Styles

  • Integrity — Job requires being honest and ethical.
  • Self-Control — Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
  • Dependability — Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
  • Stress Tolerance — Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.
  • Independence — Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
  • Adaptability/Flexibility — Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
  • Attention to Detail — Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
  • Concern for Others — Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
  • Cooperation — Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
  • Social Orientation — Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.

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Workforce Characteristics

Wages & Employment Trends

Median wages (2022)
$14.70 hourly, $30,570 annual
State wages
Local wages
Employment (2022)
108,400 employees
Projected growth (2022-2032)
Average (2% to 4%)
Projected job openings (2022-2032)
15,700
State trends
Top industries (2022)

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2022 wage data external site and 2022-2032 employment projections external site. “Projected growth” represents the estimated change in total employment over the projections period (2022-2032). “Projected job openings” represent openings due to growth and replacement.

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Job Openings on the Web

State job openings
Local job openings

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More Information

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Sources of Additional Information

Disclaimer: Sources are listed to provide additional information on related jobs, specialties, and/or industries. Links to non-DOL Internet sites are provided for your convenience and do not constitute an endorsement.

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