What Is a Toll Booth Attendant?

by Forest Time

Toll booth attendants, sometimes called toll collectors, are workers who collect tolls at certain points on interstate highways and turnpikes. The money they collect is one of the primary sources that allow state governments to maintain and repair roads, bridges and other vital infrastructure. However, this position is increasingly being eliminated.


Because they are entry-level positions, toll collector jobs do not require postsecondary education. Depending on the state, some may require that an applicant hold at least a high school diploma or a GED. In some cases, they may also need to pass a criminal background check. It is important that toll booth attendants have the necessary math skills to make change for drivers. Customer service skills are also necessary for this job, as it is important that toll booth attendants be both courteous and patient.

Duties and Work Environment

The duties of a toll booth attendant are very basic: they must collect the correct amount of money from drivers passing through the toll plaza. They may also need to provide receipts, and give drivers directions when asked. Toll booth attendants work in a confined space for hours on end, and are sometimes exposed to uncomfortable temperatures because their windows are frequently open. Many toll booth attendants are required to work on weekends, holidays and during the night.

Pay Information

The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not track specific wage statistics for toll booth attendants, categorizing them as a form of cashier. However, the bureau does report that cashiers employed by state governments, such as toll booth attendants, earned an average of $16.40 per hour, or $34,110 per year as of 2011. This is significantly more than the average of $9.73 per hour and $20,230 per year reported by cashiers of all types.

Job Outlook

The job outlook for toll booth attendants is very poor. In late 2012, NBC News featured toll collectors in its list of jobs that were becoming obsolete because of technology. Many states have already partly or wholly adopted electronic toll programs such as EZPass, meaning that attendants are no longer needed to manually accept tolls or make change. As more and more states switch to automated toll systems, the number of toll collector jobs is expected to decline sharply.

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