Parking Enforcement Workers
Machines can already do 35% of this job's tasks. By 2035 that rises to 63%. The job changes before it disappears.
Share of the work machines can do
Worldwide baseline, 2026 to 2050
Parking Enforcement Workers in 2026: the short answer
- Today: machines can do 35% of this job's tasks, and AI use is already seen in 0% of them.
- Forecast: machines can do half of its tasks by 2032, and 63% by 2035, according to the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit.
- Size: 9,050 people do this job in the United States, on a median pay of $46,730 a year.
- Contact with people: it scores 81% for contact with people.
- Also called: Meter Maid, Parking Control Officer, Parking Enforcement Officer (PEO), Parking Enforcement Technician (Parking Enforcement Tech).
- Competency here means how well the best AI model, tool or robot available can do a task, scored out of 100: today using the best available now, and for later years the 311 prediction of what AI and robots will be able to do.
Updated by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit. These are worldwide baseline figures; the Workforce Starburst shows them for your country. Go deeper: How ready am I? or an executive briefing.
How the work changes, task by task
The tasks that take up most of the day, with the share of each that machines can do in 2026 (dark) and 2035 (pink). Worldwide baseline.
| Task | Share of the day | Machines can do | 2026 to 2035 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patrol an assigned area by vehicle or on foot to ensure public compliance with existing parking ordinance | 35% | 27% to 64% | |
| Write warnings and citations for illegally parked vehicles | 15% | 58% to 78% | |
| Enter and retrieve information pertaining to vehicle registration, identification, and status, using hand-held computers | 9% | 50% to 72% | |
| 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 | 7% | 27% to 64% | |
| Provide information to the public regarding parking regulations and facilities, and the location of streets, buildings and points of interest | 4% | 36% to 57% | |
| Mark tires of parked vehicles with chalk and record time of marking, and return at regular intervals to ensure that parking time limits are not exceeded | 4% | 27% to 64% | |
| Prepare and maintain required records, including logs of parking enforcement activities, and records of contested citations | 4% | 63% to 81% | |
| Maintain close communications with dispatching personnel, using two-way radios or cell phones | 3% | 27% to 46% |
The skills this job runs on
The skills parking enforcement workers use most, most used first.
Human value: what makes people in this job hard to replace
How much parking enforcement workers rely on each one, from 0 to 10. 311 estimates, low confidence.
- Go-to problem solver4/10
- Trust and reliability6/10
- Know-how about the organisation3/10
- Network and relationships4/10
- Mentoring and developing others2/10
- Culture and morale4/10
- Initiative beyond the role2/10
- Calm in a crisis5/10
- Bridge between teams2/10
- Reputation and influence2/10
Safer jobs nearby
Jobs with a similar skill shape where machines can do less of the work by 2035.
- Customs and Border Protection Officers58% of tasks by 2035 · US median $76,210
- Bailiffs37% of tasks by 2035 · US median $56,600
- Embalmers39% of tasks by 2035 · US median $58,780
- Transportation Security Screeners49% of tasks by 2035 · US median $66,770
What should you do about it?
Open this job in the Workforce Starburst to see it for your country, then use these to act on it.
Watch This Job
Get told when the outlook for this job changes.
Free planSkills to learn next
The skills that make this job, or the next one, last longer.
In the StarburstCheck your readiness
Ten quick questions on how ready you are.
FreeAsk Vantage
Ask what this job means for you and get a sourced answer.
Free to askFutures Academy courses
Courses matched to your gaps.
Coming soonPay trend
Where pay for this job is heading.
Coming soonTeam plan
Every role in your team, side by side, with a plan for each.
Pro and CorporateShared workspace
Work through it with your team, with notes and decisions kept.
Pro and Corporate
Questions
When will machines do half of the tasks of Parking Enforcement Workers?
Machines can do half of its tasks by 2032. That is the worldwide baseline from the 311 Workforce Starburst, before adjusting for country.
Will AI take the job of parking enforcement workers?
Machines can do 35% of the tasks of parking enforcement workers today and 63% by 2035. The job changes before it disappears: the routine tasks move first.
Sources and citing
Tasks and their share of the day: O*NET 31.0, occupation 33-3041.00 (US Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Pay and jobs: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. AI use today: Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Scoring, forecast and human value: the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit (human value scores are 311 estimates, low confidence); after 2035 the figures extend each trend, with lower confidence. Foresight, not advice.
Cite as: 311 Institute (2026). Parking Enforcement Workers: the outlook to 2050. 311 Workforce Starburst. https://www.311institute.com/jobs/parking-enforcement-workers/