First-Line Supervisors of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers earn a median of $49,100 per year ($23.61/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to grow 3.2% through 2035, with about 30,800 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
- SOC 37-1011
- Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
First-Line Supervisor of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers in four numbers
- Median pay
- $49,100a year, or $23.61/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $36KTop 10% $76K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +3.2%About as fast as averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+3.2%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +3.2% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 30,800265,200 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025265.2K
- Projected 2035273.6K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 265.2K Projected 2035 273.6K - Typical education
- High schoolneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Less than high school3.1%
- High school43.3%
- Certificate7.8%
- Some college19.2%
- Associate's14.5%
- Bachelor's12.3%
Highest education held by first-line supervisors of housekeeping and janitorial workers Segment Value Less than high school 3.1% High school 43.3% Certificate 7.8% Some college 19.2% Associate's 14.5% Bachelor's 12.3%
Also advertised as: Building Services Supervisor, Buildings and Grounds Supervisor, Custodian Supervisor, Environmental Services Supervisor (EVS), Executive Housekeeper, Housekeeping Supervisor.
Pay
How much do First-Line Supervisors of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers make?
Every first-line supervisor of housekeeping and janitorial workers in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$49,100
Middle half earn $40,100 to $62,600
- 10th
- $35,520
- 25th
- $40,100
- 75th
- $62,600
- 90th
- $76,430
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $35,520 |
| 25th | $40,100 |
| Median | $49,100 |
| 75th | $62,600 |
| 90th | $76,430 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $49,100
- Median hourly wage
- $23.61/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $53,320
- People employed
- 178,760
Versus all US occupations
At $49,100, First-Line Supervisors of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers earn 4% below the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $1,880 a year.
Versus building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations
Inside the Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance group, where the middle occupation pays $46,340, this is 6% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $76,430 or more while the bottom 10% earn $35,520, a gap of 2.2×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 20% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
Washington posts the highest raw median ($63,550), but once local prices are taken into account Rhode Island leads at $62,104 in national-average dollars.
Pay by state
Which states pay First-Line Supervisors of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Washington | $63,550 | $59,385 | 2,910 |
| 2Rhode Island | $63,520 | $62,104 | 800 |
| 3California | $61,470 | $55,518 | 18,060 |
| 4New York | $60,580 | $56,134 | 11,620 |
| 5Massachusetts | $59,760 | $56,507 | 4,000 |
| 6Vermont | $59,340 | $60,577 | 420 |
| 7Hawaii | $59,060 | $53,715 | 1,500 |
| 8Connecticut | $57,200 | $55,207 | 2,110 |
| 9Alaska | $56,690 | $55,384 | 600 |
| 10Oregon | $56,210 | $54,382 | 2,470 |
Job outlook
Is First-Line Supervisor of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
About as fast as average. +3.2% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| First-Line Supervisors of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers | +3.2% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
About as fast as average
BLS projects employment of First-Line Supervisors of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers to change 3.2% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 8,400 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 30,800 openings are projected each year, 11.6% of the 265,200 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a First-Line Supervisor of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers
- 1
Typical entry-level education
High school diploma or equivalent
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
Less than 5 years
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Little or no preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as first-line supervisors of housekeeping and janitorial workers.
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)43.3%
- Some College Courses19.2%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree14.5%
- Bachelor's Degree12.3%
- Post-Secondary Certificate7.8%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 43.3% |
| Some College Courses | 19.2% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 14.5% |
| Bachelor's Degree | 12.3% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 7.8% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a First-Line Supervisor of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers do?
Directly supervise and coordinate work activities of cleaning personnel in hotels, hospitals, offices, and other establishments.
Day-to-day tasks
- Inspect work performed to ensure that it meets specifications and established standards.
- Perform or assist with cleaning duties as necessary.
- Recommend changes that could improve service and increase operational efficiency.
- Confer with staff to resolve performance and personnel problems, and to discuss company policies.
- Recommend or arrange for additional services, such as painting, repair work, renovations, and the replacement of furnishings and equipment.
- Coordinate activities with other departments to ensure that services are provided in an efficient and timely manner.
- Issue supplies and equipment to workers.
- Instruct staff in work policies and procedures, and the use and maintenance of equipment.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayIndoors, in a climate-controlled space, every day.
Outdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayMeeting strict deadlines at least weekly.
Conflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lot
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Speaking3.3
- Monitoring3.3
- Active Listening3.1
- Critical Thinking3.1
- Learning Strategies3.1
- Reading Comprehension3.0
- Writing2.9
- Active Learning2.9
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Speaking | 3.3 |
| Monitoring | 3.3 |
| Active Listening | 3.1 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.1 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.1 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.0 |
| Writing | 2.9 |
| Active Learning | 2.9 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Management of Personnel Resources3.4
- Coordination3.3
- Time Management3.3
- Social Perceptiveness3.1
- Instructing3.1
- Service Orientation3.1
- Complex Problem Solving3.1
- Negotiation3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Management of Personnel Resources | 3.4 |
| Coordination | 3.3 |
| Time Management | 3.3 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.1 |
| Instructing | 3.1 |
| Service Orientation | 3.1 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.1 |
| Negotiation | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Project management software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Web page creation and editing software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Facilities management software
- Helpdesk or call center software
- Inventory management software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a First-Line Supervisor of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | First-Line Supervisor of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 4 |
| Investigative | 1 |
| Artistic | 1 |
| Social | 4 |
| Enterprising | 6 |
| Conventional | 5 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around leading, persuading, selling and making decisions, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Enterprising5.7
- Conventional5.3
- Realistic4.1
- Social3.6
- Investigative1.4
- Artistic1.0
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to First-Line Supervisor of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers
O*NET related occupations
- Office and Administrative Support
First-Line Supervisor of Office and Administrative Support Workers
$69,500median a year
Most earn $46K to $105K
+0.1%High school - Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
First-Line Supervisor of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers
$79,860median a year
Most earn $50K to $127K
+4.1%High school - Personal Care and Service
First-Line Supervisor of Entertainment and Recreation Workers, Except Gambling Services
$48,560median a year
Most earn $35K to $79K
+5.3%High school - Production
First-Line Supervisor of Production and Operating Workers
$74,450median a year
Most earn $47K to $109K
+1.8%High school - Personal Care and Service
First-Line Supervisor of Personal Service Workers
$48,590median a year
Most earn $34K to $75K
+6.3%High school - Food Preparation and Serving Related
First-Line Supervisor of Food Preparation and Serving Workers
$44,080median a year
Most earn $30K to $66K
+5.4%High school
- First-Line Supervisor of Passenger Attendants · $62,840 median
- First-Line Supervisor of Helpers, Laborers, and Material Movers, Hand · $62,840 median
More building and grounds cleaning and maintenance careers
Median annual pay, with first-line supervisors of housekeeping and janitorial workers highlighted
- First-Line Supervisor of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers$58,430
- Sports Turf Manager$58,430
- Tree Trimmer and Pruner$50,960
- Consulting Arborist$50,960
- Utility Line Clearance Arborist$50,960
- First-Line Supervisor of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers$49,100
- Pest Control Worker$45,250
- Landscaping and Groundskeeping Worker$39,150
- Janitor and Cleaner, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners$36,840
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| First-Line Supervisor of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers | $58,430 |
| Sports Turf Manager | $58,430 |
| Tree Trimmer and Pruner | $50,960 |
| Consulting Arborist | $50,960 |
| Utility Line Clearance Arborist | $50,960 |
| First-Line Supervisor of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers | $49,100 |
| Pest Control Worker | $45,250 |
| Landscaping and Groundskeeping Worker | $39,150 |
| Janitor and Cleaner, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | $36,840 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists First-Line Supervisor of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers appears on
Questions
First-Line Supervisor of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers: frequently asked questions
How much do First-Line Supervisors of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers make?
First-Line Supervisors of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers earn a median of $49,100 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 4% below the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $23.61/hr. The middle half earn between $40,100 and $62,600. The top 10% earn $76,430 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a First-Line Supervisor of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for First-Line Supervisors of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers. Employers typically expect less than 5 years of related work experience first. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 43.3% hold high school diploma or the equivalent (such as a ged).
Is First-Line Supervisor of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers a growing career?
It is stable rather than fast-growing: employment is projected to change 3.2% over 2025–2035, about the same as the 3.5% projected across all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 30,800 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a First-Line Supervisor of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers do?
Directly supervise and coordinate work activities of cleaning personnel in hotels, hospitals, offices, and other establishments. A core O*NET task: inspect work performed to ensure that it meets specifications and established standards. Employers most often ask for Data base user interface and query software, Electronic mail software, Enterprise resource planning ERP software.
Which states pay First-Line Supervisors of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers the most?
The highest state medians for First-Line Supervisors of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers are Washington ($63,550), Rhode Island ($63,520), California ($61,470) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, Rhode Island moves to the top at $62,104.
What personality type suits a First-Line Supervisor of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers?
O*NET scores First-Line Supervisors of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers highest on the Enterprising, Conventional and Realistic interest areas, so the work mixes leading, persuading, selling and making decisions with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ESTJ, ESFJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.