Ticket collector is a person who examines tickets before allowing people to enter areas only accessible to valid ticket-holders. Ticket controllers can work in a number of different industries, ranging from entertainment to transportation. In transportation, ticket checkers are part of the enforcement team confirming that everyone seated on buses, trains, ferries, and other modes of transport has a valid ticket. In airports, ticket checkers may be affiliated with security, in which case training as a security agent is required for the position.

Tasks:

1. Examine tickets or passes to verify authenticity, using criteria such as colour or date issued
2. Check that everyone at the venue or transport has that a valid ticket
3. Tear, punch, or mark the tickets so they cannot be reused
4. Use special scanning devices to verify authenticity of the tickets
5. Provide people with directions to help them find their seating
6. May work with ushers in cases where people have difficulty finding seating or need accommodations for wheelchairs and other mobility devices
7. Maintain order and ensure adherence to safety rules
8. Refuse admittance to undesirable persons or persons without tickets or passes
9. Ask people without valid tickets to exit the venue or transport
10. Apply fines to people without valid tickets and call the police in case of disputes

Key skills for ticket controller:

• Great communication skills
• Physical strength
• Patience
• Stress tolerance
• Can do attitude
• Strong work ethic

Average Salary (2013):

The United Kingdom: £ 17,888 per year
The United States of America: $20,370 per year
Australia: AU$38,054 per year

Qualifications and training required:

There are no special requirements to do this job and it is most commonly a summer, temporary, or casual job, although there are sometimes possibilities for advancement for people in ticket checker positions. Usually a person must have at least a high school diploma.

For certain types of ticket checker positions, special training may be needed. This is most common in transport, where there are law enforcement concerns in addition to worries about people entering a venue without paying. Some transport agencies prefer to use their own trained security or police to check tickets, while others may simply instruct ticket checkers to call for help from security if there is a problem.