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.
Janitor and Cleaner, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners earn a median of $36,840 per year ($17.71/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to grow 2.0% through 2034, with about 351,300 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: No formal educational credential.
SOC 37-2011Building and Grounds Cleaning and MaintenanceLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $36,840
- Projected growth
- +2.0%
- Openings a year
- 351,300
- Typical education
- No formal credential
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Building Custodian, Building Services Technician (Building Services Tech), Building Services Worker, Cleaner, Custodial Worker, Custodian.
How much do Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners make?
10th percentile$28,640
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$32,240
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$36,840
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$44,060
Upper quartile
90th percentile$50,270
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $36,840 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $17.71/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $38,760 |
| People employed | 2,209,760 |
Versus all US occupations
At $36,840, Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners earn 28% below the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $14,140 a year.
Versus building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations
Inside the Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance group, where the middle occupation pays $45,795, this is 20% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $50,270 or more while the bottom 10% earn $28,640, a gap of 1.8×. That is a narrow spread, so experience and employer move pay less than in most occupations.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 5% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Massachusetts pays the most at $45,580, and still leads at $43,099 once local prices are taken into account.
Which states pay Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $45,580 | $43,099 | 55,490 |
| Washington | $45,520 | $42,537 | 47,380 |
| New York | $41,640 | $38,584 | 195,250 |
| California | $41,090 | $37,112 | 234,240 |
| Vermont | $40,910 | $41,763 | 5,130 |
| Alaska | $40,510 | $39,576 | 5,200 |
| Minnesota | $39,610 | $40,164 | 42,300 |
| Oregon | $39,340 | $38,061 | 25,890 |
| New Hampshire | $39,150 | $37,585 | 9,420 |
| Maine | $38,940 | $40,124 | 9,180 |
Is Janitor and Cleaner, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners a growing career?
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners2.0%
All US occupations3.1%
+2.0% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Slower than average
BLS projects employment of Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners to change 2.0% over 2024–2034, against 3.1% projected for all occupations. That is 47,800 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 351,300 openings are projected each year, 14.4% of the 2,447,700 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Despite limited employment growth, about 351,300 openings for janitors and building cleaners are projected each year, on average, over the decade.
Most of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
The continued need for clean and healthy spaces is projected to support demand for the services that janitors and building cleaners provide. However, the continued use of high-tech cleaning methods may limit employment growth for these workers.
How to become a Janitor and Cleaner, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners
Janitors and building cleaners typically do not need formal education to enter the occupation. However, some employers may require or prefer that workers have a high school diploma or equivalent. Most janitors and building cleaners learn on the job.
| Typical entry-level education | No formal educational credential |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Some preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | Short-term on-the-job training |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners.
- High School Diploma62.4%
- Bachelor's Degree23.5%
- Less than a High School Diploma13.5%
- Post-Doctoral Training0.6%
What does a Janitor and Cleaner, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners do?
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 building cleaners keep many types of buildings clean, sanitary, orderly, and in good condition.
Day-to-day tasks
- Notify managers concerning the need for major repairs or additions to building operating systems.
- Gather and empty trash.
- Service, clean, or supply restrooms.
- Clean building floors by sweeping, mopping, scrubbing, or vacuuming.
- Requisition supplies or equipment needed for cleaning and maintenance duties.
- Follow procedures for the use of chemical cleaners and power equipment to prevent damage to floors and fixtures.
- Move heavy furniture, equipment, or supplies, either manually or with hand trucks.
- Dust furniture, walls, machines, or equipment.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Where janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners work
| Services to buildings and dwellings | 35% |
|---|---|
| Educational services; state, local, and private | 17% |
| Healthcare and social assistance | 7% |
| Self-employed workers | 6% |
| Government, excluding state and local education and hospitals | 5% |
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition.
Core skills
- Active Listening3.0/5
- Speaking3.0/5
- Critical Thinking2.8/5
- Monitoring2.8/5
- Active Learning2.6/5
- Reading Comprehension2.5/5
- Writing2.4/5
- Learning Strategies2.1/5
Transferable skills
- Coordination2.8/5
- Time Management2.8/5
- Social Perceptiveness2.6/5
- Service Orientation2.5/5
- Judgment and Decision Making2.4/5
- Complex Problem Solving2.3/5
- Operations Monitoring2.3/5
- Persuasion2.1/5
Tools and software
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Cloud-based data access and sharing software
- Desktop communications software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits a Janitor and Cleaner, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realisticprimary6.7
Investigative1.1
Artistic1.0
Social2.1
Enterprising1.7
Conventionalprimary4.6
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
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.
Janitor and Cleaner, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners: frequently asked questions
How much do Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners make?
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners earn a median of $36,840 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 28% below the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $17.71/hr. The middle half earn between $32,240 and $44,060. The top 10% earn $50,270 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Janitor and Cleaner, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners?
No. BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical entry requirement for Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as some preparation. BLS also lists short-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 62.4% hold high school diploma.
Is Janitor and Cleaner, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners a growing career?
It is growing, but slowly: 2.0% over 2024–2034 against 3.1% for all occupations (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 351,300 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Janitor and Cleaner, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners do?
Janitors and building cleaners keep many types of buildings clean, sanitary, orderly, and in good condition. A core O*NET task: notify managers concerning the need for major repairs or additions to building operating systems. Employers most often ask for Electronic mail software, Office suite software, Spreadsheet software.
Which states pay Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners the most?
The highest state medians for Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners are Massachusetts ($45,580), Washington ($45,520), New York ($41,640) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Janitor and Cleaner, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners?
O*NET scores Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners highest on the Realistic and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ISTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.