Parking Enforcement Workers Salary
The median pay for a parking enforcement workers in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA is $37,200/year ($17.88/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $82K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 108.8), so that salary is closer to $34,191 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $3,124/month, about 121.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $37K get you in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Santa Maria-Santa Barbara’s Regional Price Parity (108.8). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About parking enforcement workers
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What this looks like in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara
Pay for parking enforcement workers in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara runs about 20% below the U.S. median of $47K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $3,124/month, which is 119.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 9% above the national average (BEA RPP 108.8), so groceries and services cost more too. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for parking enforcement workerss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for parking enforcement workers in metros near Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $56K | $49K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $86K | $74K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $62K | $56K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $46K | $43K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
Entry-level parking enforcement workers (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $37K. Top earners bring in $82K or more, a $45K spread from bottom to top.
Parking Enforcement Workers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Parking Enforcement Workers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $68K | +46% | 190 |
| California | $62K | +33% | 1,710 |
| Oregon | $60K | +28% | 80 |
| Nevada | $55K | +18% | 40 |
| Utah | $53K | +13% | 70 |
| Massachusetts | $52K | +11% | 300 |
| New Hampshire | $52K | +10% | 70 |
| Wisconsin | $49K | +5% | 150 |
| Ohio | $49K | +4% | 110 |
| Colorado | $48K | +3% | 100 |
| Montana | $48K | +2% | 40 |
| New York | $48K | +2% | 730 |
| Vermont | $47K | +2% | 30 |
| Illinois | $47K | +1% | N/A |
| Virginia | $47K | +0% | 130 |
| Florida | $46K | -1% | 710 |
| Maryland | $46K | -1% | 250 |
| Kentucky | $46K | -2% | 30 |
| Pennsylvania | $46K | -2% | 660 |
| Oklahoma | $45K | -3% | 60 |
| Connecticut | $44K | -6% | 70 |
| Maine | $44K | -6% | 30 |
| New Jersey | $44K | -6% | 470 |
| Iowa | $43K | -7% | 50 |
| South Carolina | $43K | -8% | 120 |
| Kansas | $42K | -9% | 40 |
| North Carolina | $42K | -9% | 80 |
| Minnesota | $42K | -11% | 40 |
| Hawaii | $40K | -13% | 30 |
| Delaware | $40K | -14% | 70 |
| Indiana | $40K | -15% | 100 |
| Alabama | $39K | -16% | 40 |
| Missouri | $39K | -16% | 70 |
| Texas | $39K | -17% | 270 |
| Michigan | $37K | -20% | 180 |
| Georgia | $36K | -23% | 40 |
| Tennessee | $36K | -24% | 40 |
| Idaho | $34K | -27% | 60 |
| West Virginia | $30K | -35% | 50 |
| Arkansas | $30K | -36% | 50 |
| Mississippi | $28K | -41% | 40 |
Showing 1–10 of 41 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track parking enforcement workers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Santa Maria-Santa Barbara numbers change.
Related careers in Public Safety
Frequently asked questions
Can a parking enforcement worker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $37K, rent takes 119.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $3,124/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for parking enforcement workers in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new parking enforcement workers typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,232/month. At HUD’s $3,124/month FMR, rent would take 140% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is parking enforcement worker a high-paying job in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
Local pay runs 20% below the national median — $37K here vs. $47K nationally.
How does Santa Maria-Santa Barbara compare to the national average for parking enforcement workers?
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara pays $37K median vs. the U.S. average of $47K — that’s -20%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 108.8), the purchasing-power equivalent is $34K — below the national median.
How much do parking enforcement workers make in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?
The median is $37,200 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,200, and experienced parking enforcement workers can clear $81,710. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $37K enough to live in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,605/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $3,124/month, which eats 119.9% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a parking enforcement workers salary go in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara has a Regional Price Parity of 108.8 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median parking enforcement workers salary is worth about $34,191 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do parking enforcement workers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.
