Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners
Keep buildings in clean and orderly condition. Perform heavy cleaning duties, such as cleaning floors, shampooing rugs, washing walls and glass, and removing rubbish. Duties may include tending furnace and boiler, performing routine maintenance activities, notifying management of need for repairs, and cleaning snow or debris from sidewalk.
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners earn a median of $17.71/hr — about $37,000 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $13.77/hr; the top 10% earn $24.17/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually do
- Service, clean, or supply restrooms.
- Gather and empty trash.
- Clean building floors by sweeping, mopping, scrubbing, or vacuuming.
- Monitor building security and safety by performing tasks such as locking doors after operating hours or checking electrical appliance use to ensure that hazards are not created.
- Notify managers concerning the need for major repairs or additions to building operating systems.
- Follow procedures for the use of chemical cleaners and power equipment to prevent damage to floors and fixtures.
How you get there
Typical entry-level education: Less than high school. Overall preparation: medium preparation (Job Zone 3 of 5).
The feel of the work
Much of the day is spent working solo; it rewards working independently. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 5.5% of janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners are self-employed.
Who it tends to fit
This work tends to fit people who are hands-on and organized and detail-focused.
Work a simulated shift in this job — freeMake the real decisions this job involves, then see what your choices say about you.Related careers
- Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners
- Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers
- Building Cleaning Workers, All Other
- Pest Control Workers
- Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation
- Grounds Maintenance Workers, All Other
Quick questions
- How much does a janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaner make?
- The median pay is $17.71 per hour — roughly $37,000 a year, with the real range running from about $13.77/hr (10th percentile) to $24.17/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaner?
- The typical entry-level education is: Less than high school. Overall preparation level: medium preparation (Job Zone 3 of 5).
- What does a janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaner actually do all day?
- Service, clean, or supply restrooms. Gather and empty trash. Clean building floors by sweeping, mopping, scrubbing, or vacuuming.
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.