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The differences between parking enforcement officers and special agents can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a special agent has an average salary of $60,916, which is higher than the $38,755 average annual salary of a parking enforcement officer.
The top three skills for a parking enforcement officer include parking enforcement, patrol and motor vehicle. The most important skills for a special agent are professional work, national security, and local law enforcement.
| Parking Enforcement Officer | Special Agent | |
| Yearly salary | $38,755 | $60,916 |
| Hourly rate | $18.63 | $29.29 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 120,053 | 46,232 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 41% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 41 | 44 |
| Years of experience | - | 2 |
A parking enforcement officer is responsible for monitoring parking lots, ramps, and streets to make sure that drivers adhere to the parking laws and regulations. It is their duty to patrol assigned areas and monitor parking meters, issuing citations on improperly or illegally parked vehicles. There are also times when they must call for towing services, assess suspicious vehicles and scan their plates, and testify in courts as necessary. Moreover, a parking enforcement officer must maintain records of all issued tickets and respond to concerns professionally.
A special agent is responsible for investigating law violations and criminal activities by collecting pieces of evidence, including witnesses' testimonies, to release a warrant of arrest and initiate prosecution. Special agents work closely with other law enforcement agencies to identify threats, analyze occurring criminal activities, and connect intelligence records through observation and field investigations. They also attend court proceedings to present evidence for court decisions. A special agent must have excellent communication and critical-thinking skills, assessing unusual situations, and handling suspicious activities.
Parking enforcement officers and special agents have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Parking Enforcement Officer | Special Agent | |
| Average salary | $38,755 | $60,916 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $52,000 | Between $43,000 And $85,000 |
| Highest paying City | Bellingham, WA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | City of Detroit | BNSF Railway |
| Best paying industry | Professional | - |
There are a few differences between a parking enforcement officer and a special agent in terms of educational background:
| Parking Enforcement Officer | Special Agent | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 41% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | California State University - Bakersfield | - |
Here are the differences between parking enforcement officers' and special agents' demographics:
| Parking Enforcement Officer | Special Agent | |
| Average age | 41 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 63.1% Female, 36.9% | Male, 83.1% Female, 16.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.3% Unknown, 1.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 11.1% White, 56.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 3.6% | Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 2.8% White, 63.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 24% | 9% |