Parking Officer

A Parking Officer enforces parking regulations and monitors compliance with local council parking by-laws in public spaces, car parks, and on-street locations. They issue infringement notices to vehicles parked in contravention of posted signs and time restrictions, and respond to parking complaints from the public. They operate within the framework of local government legislation, state road rules, and council enforcement policies.

Patrol designated parking areas on foot or by vehicle to identify vehicles parked in violation of parking restrictions and time limits. Record details of illegally parked vehicles including registration number, location, date, time, and nature of breach using handheld devices or paper records. Issue Infringement Notices (Parking) to vehicle owners in accordance with state legislation and council enforcement protocols. Photograph parked vehicles and parking signs as evidence to support infringement notices and dispute resolution. Check parking meters and pay-and-display systems to verify payment compliance and time limit adherence. Respond to parking complaints lodged by residents or businesses and investigate alleged breaches. Maintain detailed records of all infringements, warnings, and enforcement actions for council databases and reporting. Provide customer service to members of the public enquiring about parking regulations, restrictions, and permit eligibility.

The standard entry pathway requires a Certificate I or compulsory secondary education (ABS skill level 5). Specific qualification requirements vary by employer and state. Some employers may accept equivalent experience. Check yourcareer.gov.au for available courses and dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe for subsidised training options.

You'll spend most of your day walking or driving in all weather issuing tickets to angry car owners. Many people will be hostile, abusive, or confrontational when you approach their vehicle. The work is repetitive and rule-based with little creativity. Pay is modest for a council job, and there's limited career progression unless you move into management. Automation of number-plate recognition is gradually reducing available positions.

Regional and rural councils have fewer positions. Work is on-site only: you cannot do this job remotely. Employment depends entirely on council funding and enforcement priorities.

Published for ANZSCO unit group 5619, the wider group this job sits in, not for this job on its own.

This is the median for full-time employees who are not managers and are paid at the adult rate, before tax and salary sacrifice. It is a guide to what the work pays, not a wage rate.

Source: ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.

• Adjust weight of cargo to capacity of freight transport vehiclescore
• Attention to Detailcore
• Complaint Handlingcore
• Conflict De-escalationcore
• Conflict Resolutioncore
• Data Entry and Accuracycore
• Empathy and Emotional Intelligencecore
• Incident Reportingcore
• Policy and Procedure Adherencecore
• Record Managementcore
• Regulatory and Legislative Awarenesscore
• Time Management and Prioritisationcore
• Verbal Communicationcore
• Written Communicationcore
• Active Listening
• Adaptability and Flexibility
• Basic Arithmetic and Numerical Accuracy
• Check payrolls
• Cultural Awareness and Sensitivity
• Digital Literacy
• Report Writing
• Risk Identification
• Workload Self-Management

• ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
• ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
• ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on usual place of residence (Custom Report). OSCA Experimental Estimates.

Role data is drawn from official Australian Government sources, and each figure names where it comes from. Where a role is not in the ABS classification, the page shows no government figures for it. Data may not reflect every local variation.

Where our numbers come from.

Last updated: 30 October 2026