Why We Love It
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$38,280Potential Avg. Salary
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-21.3%Job Growth Rate
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Don't Take Work HomeCareer Attribute
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Job SecurityCareer Attribute
A meter maid is usually tasked with monitoring roads and parking lots, ensuring that drivers follow local and state parking laws. Meter maids are usually assigned to specific areas where they patrol and track any parking violations such as parking at a no-parking zone, flagging expired parking meters and other illegal parking issues. Due to their work in the city streets, meter maids are often approached by the public with questions regarding parking, directions or other information about the area.
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What is a Meter Maid?
Duties
Professionals in this career are responsible for the following duties:
- Identify any vehicle that is violating parking codes, check with dispatchers when necessary to confirm identities or to determine if certain vehicles have to be booted or towed.
- Execute traffic control tasks like setting up barricades or temporary signage, placing bags on parking meters to block their usage and directing traffic.
- Arrange for illegally parked or abandoned vehicles to be towed, and direct tow-truck drivers to the correct vehicles.
- Maintain assigned equipment and supplies such as hand-held citation computers, citation books, rain gear, tire-marking chalk, and street cones.
- Examine and resolve contested parking citations by assessing the validity of claims and routing them as needed.
Day in the life
As a meter maid, you will be monitoring safety standards and compliance with regulations in a designated area of a city. One of the day-to-day tasks is to patrol public parking lots, city streets, and parking ramps, where you are required to enforce parking regulations. On the job, encountering violations is common – e.g. incorrectly parked vehicles such as in front of a fire hydrant, parking meters that have not been paid and so on.
Working as a meter maid will bring you in contact with a wide range of people every day, whether it is to educate vehicle owners about where to park or telling pedestrians to avoid a crossing. Therefore, having good communication skills and the right attitude is a must. Meter maids have to clearly interpret and enforce appropriate City and State parking and vehicle codes, laws and regulations.
Further, reading comprehension and math skills are important, as you are expected to prepare and maintain required records such as logs of parking enforcement activities, and records of contested citations on a daily basis.
Work schedule and typical hours
A meter maid must be prepared to work varied shifts, including weekends, nights and holidays. Work is usually performed outdoors in all weather conditions. Sometimes meter maids are assigned to work during special events, such as sporting events or national/state festivals, to direct the flow of traffic and ensure parking is efficient and safe.
Growth of the job
The overall job outlook for Parking Enforcement Worker careers like meter maids, has not changed since 2004. The demand for meter maids is expected to go up, with an expected 570 new jobs to be filled by 2018. Most meter maids and parking enforcement officials believe that having up to 3 months of related work experience from other jobs provides a position of advantage versus other competitors.
Typical employers
Even though parking enforcement is sometimes covered by police officers, many cities, towns and businesses hire parking enforcement officials such as meter maids, to enforce local parking rules. In addition to job roles via municipal governments, colleges and universities also employ the services of meter maids and other parking enforcement officers.
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How To Become a Meter Maid
While the requirements for becoming a meter maid can vary depending on the role, this position requires applicants to be at least 18 years old and have a minimum of a high school diploma or GED. A superior knowledge of local parking laws and ordinances is required, and one must also have solid navigational skills to direct pedestrians or drivers with questions. Some areas may require parking enforcement officers to be a legal resident or take a civil service test.
Besides educational requirements, meter maids have to be fit and maintain physical shape, since the position needs extended periods of standing and walking. A meter maid is also expected to have a valid driver’s license, since they might have to drive over to different parts of their assigned patrol area. These days, parking enforcement equipment may include a digital handheld device with a camera and a scanner, and a printer/fanny pack. Communicating a parking violation to others clearly and politely is also a requirement in this job role.
Meter Maid Salary Data
We’ve provided you the following to learn more about this career. The salary and growth data on this page comes from recently published Bureau of Labor Statistics data while the recommendations and editorial content are based on our research.
National Anual Salary
Low Range
$27,570Average
$38,280High Range
$58,060National Hourly Wage
Low Range
$13/hrAverage
$18/hrHigh Range
$28/hrHow do Meter Maid salaries stack up to other jobs across the country? Based on the latest jobs data nationwide, Meter Maid's can make an average annual salary of $38,280, or $18 per hour. This makes it an Above Average Salary. On the lower end, they can make $27,570 or $13 per hour, perhaps when just starting out or based on the state you live in.
Salary Rankings And Facts
#561 Nationally for All Careers
Highest Education Among Meter Maids
- 0.3% Doctorate
- 3.4% Masters
- 27.3% Bachelors
- 10.3% Associates
- 30.1% College
- 25.3% High School
- 3.4% Less than High School
Job Growth Projections and Forecast
2014 Total Jobs
9,4002024 Est. Jobs
7,400Job Growth Rate
-21.3%Est. New Jobs
-2,000How does Meter Maid job growth stack up to other jobs across the country? By 2024, there will be a change of -2,000 jobs for a total of 7,400 people employed in the career nationwide. This is a -21.3% change in growth over the next ten years, giving the career a growth rate nationwide of Below Average.
Growth Rankings And Facts
#793 Nationally for All Careers
What Companies Employ The Most Meter Maids
| Industry | Current Jobs | New Jobs Needed | % Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local government, excluding education and hospitals | 7,400 | -1,500 | -2% |
| Colleges, universities, and professional schools; state | 1,100 | -200 | 0% |
| State government, excluding education and hospitals | 300 | -100 | 0% |
