Valet Attendant Job Description: Duties, Template & Pay (2026)
A valet attendant is the first and last person your guest deals with: they take the keys, park the car without a scratch and bring it back fast. It is an outdoor, on-your-feet job that runs on speed, trust and usually tips. This page has a valet attendant job description template you can copy, the duties O*NET lists for the role, the requirements worth keeping, and what the work pays.
What a valet attendant does
A valet attendant is the first and last person a guest deals with at a hotel, restaurant, hospital, event or dealership: they greet the car, take the keys, park it without a scratch and bring it back fast. BLS counts valets as parking attendants (SOC 53-6021), who park vehicles or issue tickets for customers in a parking lot or garage, and may park or tend vehicles at a car dealership or rental car facility. O*NET lists “Valet Attendant”, “Valet Parker” and “Valet Parking Attendant” among the reported titles for the occupation, alongside parking lot attendants and cashiers.
So the pay and outlook figures on this page describe the whole parking attendant occupation, not valets alone. That matters most for pay, because a valet stand at a busy hotel runs on tips in a way a garage booth does not.
Valet attendant duties
O*NET’s task list for parking attendants covers the valet job closely:
- Greet customers and open their car doors
- Issue ticket stubs or place numbered tags on windshields, log tags or attach them to keys, and give customers matching tags
- Inspect vehicles to detect any damage
- Park and retrieve cars in lots, garages or dealership lots
- Take tags from customers, locate their vehicles and deliver them
- Handle cash: make change, balance and record the drawer, distribute tips
- Explain and calculate parking charges, collect fees and respond to complaints
- Give directions and customer assistance, including handling wheelchairs
- Direct drivers to spaces using hand signals or flashlights
- Keep the parking area clean and orderly so space is used well
- Escort customers to their vehicles and call for help, or jump-start a stalled car, when needed
The software O*NET names is valet ticketing and point-of-sale tools such as SMS Valet and CorePark Valet, plus payment processing. If you use a digital ticket or text-for-your-car system, name it in the posting.
The work context tells candidates what the job feels like:
| Working conditions | Share reporting it |
|---|---|
| Constant contact with others | 76% |
| In an enclosed vehicle or operating equipment | 73% every day |
| Dealing with customers or the public rated extremely important | 64% |
| Outdoors, exposed to all weather | 60% every day |
| Walking or running | 54% continually or almost continually |
| Consequence of error rated extremely serious | 45% |
Two rows stand out. 60 percent work outdoors in all weather every day, and 54 percent spend nearly all their time walking or running. Say both in the posting. The people who quit in week one are the ones who did not expect to run half a mile of garage in August.
Valet attendant job description template
Copy this into your ATS or job board, replace the bracketed fields and delete what does not apply. It is written for a hotel or restaurant valet stand; the customization section covers hospitals, events and dealerships.
Job title
Valet Attendant [/ Valet Parker / Valet Driver], [Shift], [Company or property name], [City, ST]
Summary
[Company name] is hiring valet attendants for [property or venue] in [city]. You are the first and last impression of our [hotel / restaurant / hospital / venue]: you greet every guest, park their car carefully and bring it back quickly. This is an active, outdoor job with steady guest contact [and tips].
[Shifts and days, including nights, weekends and events]. [Hourly pay, plus tips: say how tips are pooled or kept]. [One sentence on what is good about working here.]
What you will do
• Greet guests, open doors and help with luggage or packages
• Issue claim tickets and tag keys using [system]
• Walk around each car and note existing damage before parking it
• Park and retrieve vehicles safely in [our garage / surface lot / off-site lot]
• Keep keys secure and the key box organized at all times
• Collect fees, process payments and balance the drawer at shift end
• Give directions and help guests who need assistance
• Keep the valet stand and drive clear, clean and moving
• Report any incident or damage to [supervisor] right away
What you need
• A valid driver’s license and a driving record that meets [our insurer’s standard]
• [Minimum age, if your insurer sets one]
• Able to drive [automatic and manual transmission / larger vehicles] confidently
• Able to walk or jog [distance] repeatedly and work outdoors in all weather
• Friendly, calm and quick with guests
• Honest with cash and keys
Nice to have
• Hospitality, restaurant or retail experience
• [Second language your guests use]
• Experience with [valet software]
What we offer
• [Hourly pay] plus [tips / tip pool], [typical total per shift if you can state it accurately]
• [Schedule, including how far ahead it is posted]
• [Uniform, weather gear, meals, parking]
• [Benefits and eligibility date]
• [The next job: lead valet, valet supervisor, front desk, bell captain]
How to apply
[One step. A short form and a same-week interview.]
Requirements: what to ask for, and what to drop
| Requirement | What to know |
|---|---|
| Driver’s license and record | The one hard requirement. State the standard your insurer applies and say you will run a motor vehicle record check, so people who will not pass do not apply. |
| Age | If your insurer sets a minimum age, state it. If it does not, do not invent one. |
| Manual transmission | Ask only if your guests actually drive them in numbers that matter. It is teachable, and the requirement shrinks your pool. |
| Education | BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical entry requirement. In O*NET’s survey, 61 percent reported a high school diploma as required and 38 percent less than that. Drop the diploma requirement. |
| Experience | BLS lists no work experience and short-term on-the-job training. Hospitality experience is a plus, not a filter. |
| Physical | Walking or jogging distance, weather and standing. Be specific and accurate. |
| Background check | Reasonable where attendants handle keys, cash and cars. Say so in the posting. |
Customizing it by setting
Hotels and restaurants
Guest service and speed at the stand dominate. Say the peak hours, the typical number of cars a night and how tips are shared. Traveler accommodation employed 6,120 parking attendants in May 2025.
Hospitals and medical centers
Patients and visitors may be anxious, unwell or using wheelchairs. Emphasize patience and assistance, and say whether the job includes shuttle driving. If tips are rare at your stand, say so.
Events and venues
Short, intense shifts and large volumes. Say how shifts are scheduled, how far ahead, and whether the work is seasonal.
Dealerships and rental facilities
Automobile dealers employed 22,390 parking attendants in May 2025, the second-largest industry after other personal services, which includes parking lots and garages, at 72,260. Here the job is moving inventory and service cars, with little guest contact and few tips. Title it “lot attendant” or “porter” if that is what it is.
What valet attendants earn
Parking attendants, the BLS occupation that includes valets, had a median wage of $35,150 a year, about $16.90 an hour, in May 2025. OEWS wage figures include tips reported by employers and exclude overtime and shift differentials, so they reflect reported tips but not every dollar a busy stand earns.
| Percentile (May 2025) | Hourly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $13.00 | $27,040 |
| 25th | $14.41 | $29,960 |
| Median | $16.90 | $35,150 |
| 75th | $18.11 | $37,670 |
| 90th | $21.42 | $44,550 |
BLS counted 139,200 parking attendants in 2025 and projects employment to grow 2 percent (slower than average) through 2035, about 2,800 more jobs, with about 16,400 openings a year. Most of those openings replace people who leave the occupation rather than new positions. BLS does not publish a detailed Occupational Outlook Handbook profile for parking attendants; the figures come from its summary data for occupations not covered in detail and its employment projections.
What it costs to reach a valet attendant
No role family in our benchmark covers valet work directly. The closest is customer service / admin, which covers guest-facing hourly roles: a median cost per applicant of $2.71 on Meta, with the middle half of campaigns between $2.14 and $7.47, a blended figure of $2.98 and a 25 percent apply rate. Treat it as a reference point rather than a forecast; the all-role median is $13.88.
Across the whole benchmark, applicant conversion explains about 70 percent of the variation in cost per applicant between campaigns. For valets, a three-question form (license, availability, can you start this week) will outperform a full application every time.
Staffing the rest of the guest-facing team? See the concierge, hostess, security guard, auto detailer and courier job descriptions, and hospitality recruiting for the hiring side.
The job description is not the job ad
The template is the document for your ATS. The ad has a different job: getting someone who is not looking to stop scrolling.
- First line is hourly pay, the tip policy and the shift.
- Say where: the hotel, restaurant or venue. People like to work somewhere they recognize.
- Be honest about the weather and the running. It saves you a week-one resignation.
- Interview this week. Valet candidates usually have other offers and take the first one that calls back.
More on writing the ad is on job ad copywriting, and how to fill open shifts covers staffing event nights.
Frequently asked questions
What does a valet attendant do?
A valet attendant greets guests, takes their keys and issues a claim ticket, checks the car for existing damage, parks it, and retrieves it when the guest returns. Many also collect fees, balance a cash drawer, give directions, help guests with luggage or wheelchairs, and keep the valet stand and drive organized. BLS counts valets as parking attendants (53-6021).
What are the main valet attendant duties?
The core valet attendant duties are greeting guests and opening doors, tagging keys and issuing tickets, inspecting vehicles for damage, parking and retrieving cars safely, keeping keys secure, collecting parking fees and handling cash, assisting guests, and keeping the parking area orderly. Report incidents immediately and document damage before the car moves; that protects both the guest and the business.
What qualifications does a valet attendant need?
A valid driver’s license and a driving record that meets your insurer’s standard are the essentials. BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical entry requirement and short-term on-the-job training. Your insurer may also set a minimum age; check your policy and state it in the posting rather than guessing.
How much do valet attendants make?
Parking attendants, the BLS occupation that includes valets, had a median wage of $35,150 a year, about $16.90 an hour, in May 2025. The top 10 percent earned more than $21.42 an hour. OEWS wage estimates include tips reported by employers, so actual take-home at a busy hotel or restaurant stand can vary widely with volume and tip policy.
Do valet attendants get tips?
Usually, especially at hotels, restaurants and events. Tips may be kept individually or pooled, and some employers pay a tipped cash wage. The federal tipped cash wage is $2.13 an hour, provided tips bring pay to at least the $7.25 federal minimum, but many states set higher rates or ban the tip credit. Check your state’s rules before you post a rate.
Do valet attendants need to drive a manual transmission?
Only if your guests drive them in meaningful numbers. Manual transmissions are uncommon in most parking operations, and requiring the skill cuts your applicant pool. If you need it, say so in the posting and test it during the interview with a short supervised drive rather than taking it on trust.
Is a background check or driving record check required for valets?
Many employers check driving records, often at their insurer’s request, and many also run a background check because valets handle keys, cars and cash. Say in the posting which checks you run so candidates who will not pass do not apply. Follow federal and state background check rules, including consent and adverse-action notices.
What should I ask in a valet attendant interview?
Ask how they would handle a guest who says their car was scratched, what they do when three guests want their cars at once, how they keep track of keys, how comfortable they are driving unfamiliar and larger vehicles, and which shifts they can work. Good answers are calm, specific and honest about availability.
How much does it cost to recruit a valet attendant?
Our benchmark has no valet-specific family. The closest, customer service and admin roles, ran a median of $2.71 per applicant on Meta across our managed campaigns, with the middle half between $2.14 and $7.47 and a 25 percent apply rate. Use that as a reference point, not a forecast. Cost per applicant is not cost per hire.
Related job descriptions
Hiring valet attendants?
The description is the document. Putting it in front of people nearby who can start this week is the part we do.
Employment, projection and education data for parking attendants (SOC 53-6021), the occupation O*NET lists “Valet Attendant” under: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook, Data for Occupations Not Covered in Detail, last modified 27 August 2026, and Employment Projections table 1.2 (2025–35). Wage percentiles and industry employment: May 2025 OEWS national estimates and OEWS occupation profile; wage definition from the OEWS technical notes. Tasks, titles, software, work context and education: O*NET OnLine 53-6021.00. Read at source 24 September 2026. Cost-per-applicant and apply-rate figures: Boostpoint 2026 Social Job Advertising Benchmark, 891 managed campaigns and 1,334 campaign-months.