SalariesWhat the occupation covers
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.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 37-2011.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $28,640 | $2,387 | $551 | $13.77 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $32,240 | $2,687 | $620 | $15.50 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $36,840 | $3,070 | $708 | $17.71 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $44,060 | $3,672 | $847 | $21.18 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $50,270 | $4,189 | $967 | $24.17 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners is $36,840, which is 28% lower. Among the 10 occupations of the field Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance, it ranks number 9 by median pay. With 2,209,760 jobs, it makes up about 142 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners pay by state
The highest median pay was in Massachusetts ($45,580), Washington ($45,520) and New York ($41,640). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($21,890), Guam ($22,710) and Mississippi ($28,380). The most jobs were in California (234,240), New York (195,250) and Texas (184,840). The occupation is most concentrated in Puerto Rico, where its share of all jobs is 2.2 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | 55,490 | $45,580 | $45,250 | $21.91 |
| Washington | 47,380 | $45,520 | $47,410 | $21.89 |
| New York | 195,250 | $41,640 | $44,830 | $20.02 |
| California | 234,240 | $41,090 | $44,210 | $19.75 |
| Vermont | 5,130 | $40,910 | $42,320 | $19.67 |
| Alaska | 5,200 | $40,510 | $41,700 | $19.48 |
| Minnesota | 42,300 | $39,610 | $41,300 | $19.04 |
| Oregon | 25,890 | $39,340 | $42,200 | $18.92 |
| New Hampshire | 9,420 | $39,150 | $41,090 | $18.82 |
| Maine | 9,180 | $38,940 | $41,250 | $18.72 |
| Colorado | 34,220 | $38,600 | $41,820 | $18.56 |
| District of Columbia | 16,400 | $38,520 | $40,640 | $18.52 |
| Nevada | 32,830 | $38,420 | $39,860 | $18.47 |
| Connecticut | 28,740 | $37,960 | $42,590 | $18.25 |
| Illinois | 93,760 | $37,810 | $40,750 | $18.18 |
| North Dakota | 6,720 | $37,750 | $40,220 | $18.15 |
| Hawaii | 11,230 | $37,710 | $40,430 | $18.13 |
| New Jersey | 67,660 | $37,630 | $40,710 | $18.09 |
| Rhode Island | 7,270 | $37,310 | $40,390 | $17.94 |
| Montana | 8,320 | $37,110 | $38,670 | $17.84 |
| Wisconsin | 45,640 | $37,000 | $38,550 | $17.79 |
| Maryland | 40,390 | $36,620 | $39,270 | $17.61 |
| Pennsylvania | 86,920 | $36,520 | $37,780 | $17.56 |
| Indiana | 49,220 | $36,460 | $36,790 | $17.53 |
| Arizona | 38,290 | $36,220 | $37,790 | $17.42 |
| Idaho | 10,800 | $36,110 | $37,460 | $17.36 |
| Michigan | 65,790 | $36,050 | $37,040 | $17.33 |
| Wyoming | 4,760 | $36,050 | $37,530 | $17.33 |
| New Mexico | 14,360 | $36,020 | $36,450 | $17.32 |
| Missouri | 41,070 | $35,900 | $37,280 | $17.26 |
| Nebraska | 12,860 | $35,900 | $37,340 | $17.26 |
| Ohio | 72,540 | $35,900 | $37,560 | $17.26 |
| South Dakota | 8,630 | $35,480 | $36,360 | $17.06 |
| Iowa | 23,960 | $35,380 | $36,700 | $17.01 |
| Delaware | 9,220 | $35,320 | $37,870 | $16.98 |
| Virginia | 65,970 | $35,170 | $36,490 | $16.91 |
| North Carolina | 53,330 | $34,500 | $34,090 | $16.59 |
| Florida | 131,900 | $34,490 | $35,060 | $16.58 |
| Kansas | 17,220 | $34,480 | $34,950 | $16.58 |
| Georgia | 55,660 | $34,310 | $34,400 | $16.50 |
| Tennessee | 38,120 | $33,440 | $34,650 | $16.08 |
| Texas | 184,840 | $33,010 | $33,890 | $15.87 |
| Kentucky | 25,750 | $32,320 | $34,750 | $15.54 |
| Utah | 24,710 | $32,200 | $34,620 | $15.48 |
| South Carolina | 30,100 | $31,180 | $32,720 | $14.99 |
| Oklahoma | 23,620 | $31,110 | $32,280 | $14.96 |
| West Virginia | 9,340 | $30,980 | $33,190 | $14.90 |
| Alabama | 25,110 | $30,620 | $32,260 | $14.72 |
| Arkansas | 19,490 | $29,750 | $31,640 | $14.30 |
| Virgin Islands | 680 | $29,000 | $29,830 | $13.94 |
| Louisiana | 27,610 | $28,930 | $30,290 | $13.91 |
| Mississippi | 15,940 | $28,380 | $29,790 | $13.64 |
| Guam | 720 | $22,710 | $25,190 | $10.92 |
| Puerto Rico | 29,030 | $21,890 | $24,880 | $10.52 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Pest Control Workers$45,250 a year
- Building Cleaning Workers, All Other$44,040 a year
- Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers$39,150 a year
- Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners$35,510 a year
Common questions
How much do Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners earn in the United States?
The median pay was $36,840 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $28,640 and the highest-paid 10% more than $50,270.
How many people work as Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners?
About 2,209,760 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.
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