Job market information
Finding out about parking
The parking industry is part of the housing, property and planning, cleaning and support services, and facilities management sector, which is represented by Asset Skills Sector Skills Council. The sector workforce has continued to grow since 1998 and represents 3% of the total UK workforce.
The parking industry covers a diverse range of public and private sector on and off street parking, which includes: local authorities; hospitals, railway stations, supermarkets and airports; enforcement agents; and national parking operators. The industry also includes operators carrying out specialist activities, such as immobilising and removing vehicles, recovering debt (bailiffs) and so on.
Key facts:
- There are an estimated 60,500 people working in the industry, of these:
- 18,000 work on‐street
- 24,500 work in off‐street activities
- 10,000 are office‐based
- 3,000 are in management positions
- 5,000 are in support services (for example, finance, human resources)
- 62% of the workforce has a qualification below NVQ level 2.
- Customer service, interpersonal and IT skills are sought after in the industry.
Jobs in the industry include: civil enforcement officer, civil enforcement officer supervisor; car park attendant, car park attendant supervisor, senior car park attendant; parking valet professional; vehicle immobilizer; notice processor; parking administrator; assistant operations manager; traffic order maker; contract manager, area manager, parking operations manager; managing director, chief executive; and emerging jobs include those using CCTV enforcement.
Entry and progression
There are no formal entry requirements for jobs in the parking industry. There are, however, a range of industry endorsed courses and training schemes for those wishing to enter the industry or change career. Employability skills including literacy, numeracy, communications, language, team working and customer service skills are an advantage.
Employees wanting to progress to managerial roles can develop customer care, IT and financial management skills that can be used to further their career in parking.
A typical career path in the industry would be from:
- civil enforcement officer ‐> senior civil enforcement officer ‐> supervisor ‐> assistant contract manager ‐> contract manager ‐> parking manager ‐> managing director
For job specific entry requirements, take a look at our job profiles.
Workforce statistics
| Number of UK employees: |
60,000 |
|---|
| Number of UK employers: |
Unknown |
|---|
| Gender: |
90% male |
10% female |
|---|
| Age: |
25% of the workforce is aged 16-24 years |
|---|
| 56% 25-54 years |
| 20% 55-74 years |
| Ethnicity: |
82% of the workforce is white |
|---|
| Education: |
62% of the workforce has attained a qualification below NVQ level 2 |
38% have attained NVQ level 2 and above qualification. |
|---|
Employment trends and future prospects
Key issues faced by the parking industry over the next ten years which will impact on employment trends include:
- an increased demand for relevant skills and qualifications
- greater car usage and customers demanding more from parking services
- the increased use of technology means that different skills are needed
- the effects of transport planning and the environment, the extension of controlled parking zones and congestion charging in more towns and cities.
Skill requirements and shortages
There will be a greater need for training in the parking industry to cover skills shortages in the following areas: customer service and interpersonal skills; and information technology – the greater use of electronic equipment means there is a need for employees to be competent in the use and maintenance of such equipment.
Occupational trends
No data on occupational trends are available.
National and regional data
Regional and national data for the parking sector is currently unavailable.
Salary levels
Some suggested salary ranges for those working in the industry include:
- Car Park Attendant £13,000 ‐ £18,000
- Civil Enforcement Officer £13,000 ‐ £24,000
- Car Park Team Leader £23,000 ‐ £33,000
- Parking Administration Manager £25,000 ‐ £28,000
- Contracts Manager £30,000 ‐ £40,000
- Car Parking Manager £35,000 ‐ £45,000
Career paths
Further sources
Produced Sept 2010, using Asset Skills AACS LMI report (Jun 2010)
