Protective Service
Parking Enforcement Workers
Patrol assigned area, such as public parking lot or city streets to issue tickets to overtime parking violators and illegally parked vehicles.
Also called: Meter Maid, Parking Control Officer, Parking Enforcement Officer (PEO), Parking Enforcement Technician (Parking Enforcement Tech), Parking Enforcer, Parking Officer
- Median pay in Greater Boston
- $51,980
- $24.99/hr
- Jobs in Greater Boston
- 260
- Massachusetts 2024–2034
- −0.3%
- 30 openings a year
- Typical U.S. entry requirement
- High school diploma or equivalent
- plus Short-term on-the-job training
Greater Boston: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025. Growth and openings: Massachusetts statewide projection.
Pay range in Greater Boston
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $45,330 | $47,530 | $51,980 | $61,210 | $65,790 |
10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.
What you’d do
- Enter and retrieve information pertaining to vehicle registration, identification, and status, using hand-held computers.
- Maintain close communications with dispatching personnel, using two-way radios or cell phones.
- Patrol an assigned area by vehicle or on foot to ensure public compliance with existing parking ordinance.
- 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.
- Write warnings and citations for illegally parked vehicles.
- Appear in court at hearings regarding contested traffic citations.
AI and this job
AI exposure: how much of this job’s work AI tools can do or help with, based on national research. It is not a forecast of job loss.
Moderate exposure37 of 100
The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:
- AIOE 29
- Language-model AIOE 29
- GPTs-are-GPTs 53
Observed AI use today: Little or none (Anthropic Economic Index)
AI exposure for this job is moderate, though little AI use has been seen so far. Federal projections say this job's share of employment will shrink as cities adopt automated license plate readers, which can check plates and spot violations. Walking or driving a route and dealing with people on the street still rely on workers.
Likely to change
- Checking plates and vehicle records
- Spotting violations and writing citations
Still relies on people
- Patrolling streets on foot or by vehicle
- Working with dispatchers and the public
What federal projections say
“Productivity change - share decreases as cities continue to adopt automated license plate readers.”
Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.
Next steps from here
Related jobs that build on what you already do.
Highway Maintenance Workers
Outdoor street work and traffic awareness carry over. It pays a Boston median of $60,800, with 4.9% projected growth and on-the-job training.
- Pay difference
- +$8,820 median
- AI exposure
- Lower
- MA growth
- +4.9%
- To get started
- High school diploma or equivalent
Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity
Knowing city streets and traffic rules carries over. Driving a bus pays a Boston median of $70,120, with 9.3% projected growth.
- Pay difference
- +$18,140 median
- AI exposure
- Lower
- MA growth
- +9.3%
- To get started
- High school diploma or equivalent
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
Following safety rules and watching for hazards carry over. It pays a Boston median of $76,940 and trains workers on the job.
- Pay difference
- +$24,960 median
- AI exposure
- Lower
- MA growth
- +6.3%
- To get started
- High school diploma or equivalent
Training near Boston
College and school programs in the Boston metro area that lead to this job, with 2023-24 completions (IPEDS).
No college programs near Boston map to this job. Many people enter through on-the-job training or apprenticeship.
Talk to a career coach at the Office of Workforce Development about apprenticeships and City partner programs.
Related occupations
Talk to a career coach
A coach at the Office of Workforce Development can help you plan your next step, and connect you with training, apprenticeships and City partner programs that are not listed here.
Talk to a career coach