How much does a maids and housekeeping cleaner make?

The median pay is $17.07 per hour — roughly $35,500 a year, with the real range running from about $13.29/hr (10th percentile) to $23.35/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Do you need a degree to be a maids and housekeeping cleaner?

The typical entry-level education is: Less than high school. Overall preparation level: little or no preparation (Job Zone 1 of 5).

What does a maids and housekeeping cleaner actually do all day?

Keep storage areas and carts well-stocked, clean, and tidy. Carry linens, towels, toilet items, and cleaning supplies, using wheeled carts. Clean rooms, hallways, lobbies, lounges, restrooms, corridors, elevators, stairways, locker rooms, and other work areas so that health standards are met.

Buildings & Grounds

Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners

Perform any combination of light cleaning duties to maintain private households or commercial establishments, such as hotels and hospitals, in a clean and orderly manner. Duties may include making beds, replenishing linens, cleaning rooms and halls, and vacuuming.

What it pays
Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners earn a median of $17.07/hr — about $35,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $13.29/hr; the top 10% earn $23.35/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)

What you'd actually do

Keep storage areas and carts well-stocked, clean, and tidy.
Carry linens, towels, toilet items, and cleaning supplies, using wheeled carts.
Clean rooms, hallways, lobbies, lounges, restrooms, corridors, elevators, stairways, locker rooms, and other work areas so that health standards are met.
Empty wastebaskets, empty and clean ashtrays, and transport other trash and waste to disposal areas.
Sweep, scrub, wax, or polish floors, using brooms, mops, or powered scrubbing and waxing machines.
Replenish supplies, such as drinking glasses, linens, writing supplies, and bathroom items.

How you get there

Typical entry-level education: Less than high school. Overall preparation: little or no preparation (Job Zone 1 of 5).

The feel of the work

Much of the day is spent working solo. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)

Working for yourself

About 12.8% of 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.

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Related careers

Quick questions

How much does a maids and housekeeping cleaner make?: The median pay is $17.07 per hour — roughly $35,500 a year, with the real range running from about $13.29/hr (10th percentile) to $23.35/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Do you need a degree to be a maids and housekeeping cleaner?: The typical entry-level education is: Less than high school. Overall preparation level: little or no preparation (Job Zone 1 of 5).
What does a maids and housekeeping cleaner actually do all day?: Keep storage areas and carts well-stocked, clean, and tidy. Carry linens, towels, toilet items, and cleaning supplies, using wheeled carts. Clean rooms, hallways, lobbies, lounges, restrooms, corridors, elevators, stairways, locker rooms, and other work areas so that health standards are met.

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.