How much does a cleaners of vehicles and equipment make?

The median pay is $17.23 per hour — roughly $36,000 a year, with the real range running from about $13.17/hr (10th percentile) to $22.89/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Do you need a degree to be a cleaners of vehicles and equipment?

The typical entry-level education is: Less than high school. Overall preparation level: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).

What does a cleaners of vehicles and equipment actually do all day?

Rinse objects and place them on drying racks or use cloth, squeegees, or air compressors to dry surfaces. Apply paints, dyes, polishes, reconditioners, waxes, or masking materials to vehicles to preserve, protect, or restore color or condition. Clean and polish vehicle windows.

Transportation

Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment

Wash or otherwise clean vehicles, machinery, and other equipment. Use such materials as water, cleaning agents, brushes, cloths, and hoses.

What it pays
Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment earn a median of $17.23/hr — about $36,000 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $13.17/hr; the top 10% earn $22.89/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)

What you'd actually do

Rinse objects and place them on drying racks or use cloth, squeegees, or air compressors to dry surfaces.
Apply paints, dyes, polishes, reconditioners, waxes, or masking materials to vehicles to preserve, protect, or restore color or condition.
Clean and polish vehicle windows.
Drive vehicles to or from workshops or customers' workplaces or homes.
Scrub, scrape, or spray machine parts, equipment, or vehicles, using scrapers, brushes, clothes, cleaners, disinfectants, insecticides, acid, abrasives, vacuums, or hoses.
Inspect parts, equipment, or vehicles for cleanliness, damage, and compliance with standards or regulations.

How you get there

Typical entry-level education: Less than high school. Overall preparation: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).

The feel of the work

Much of the day is spent working solo; time pressure is a real part of the job. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)

Working for yourself

About 7.4% of cleaners of vehicles and equipment are self-employed.

Who it tends to fit

This work tends to fit people who are hands-on and organized and detail-focused.

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Related careers

Quick questions

How much does a cleaners of vehicles and equipment make?: The median pay is $17.23 per hour — roughly $36,000 a year, with the real range running from about $13.17/hr (10th percentile) to $22.89/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Do you need a degree to be a cleaners of vehicles and equipment?: The typical entry-level education is: Less than high school. Overall preparation level: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).
What does a cleaners of vehicles and equipment actually do all day?: Rinse objects and place them on drying racks or use cloth, squeegees, or air compressors to dry surfaces. Apply paints, dyes, polishes, reconditioners, waxes, or masking materials to vehicles to preserve, protect, or restore color or condition. Clean and polish vehicle windows.

Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.

Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.