SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Operate or tend washing or dry-cleaning machines to wash or dry-clean industrial or household articles, such as cloth garments, suede, leather, furs, blankets, draperies, linens, rugs, and carpets. Includes spotters and dyers of these articles.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 51-6011.
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 | $27,440 | $2,287 | $528 | $13.19 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $30,360 | $2,530 | $584 | $14.60 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $34,890 | $2,908 | $671 | $16.78 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $37,560 | $3,130 | $722 | $18.06 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $43,190 | $3,599 | $831 | $20.77 |
* 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 Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers is $34,890, which is 32% lower. Among the 105 occupations of the field Production, it ranks number 105 by median pay. With 198,040 jobs, it makes up about 13 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers pay by state
The highest median pay was in Washington ($39,590), Oregon ($37,800) and California ($37,790). The lowest was in Guam ($19,280), Puerto Rico ($22,630) and Mississippi ($27,190). The most jobs were in California (21,940), Texas (17,030) and Florida (14,150). The occupation is most concentrated in Virgin Islands, where its share of all jobs is 3.7 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | 3,870 | $39,590 | $41,240 | $19.04 |
| Oregon | 1,890 | $37,800 | $39,460 | $18.17 |
| California | 21,940 | $37,790 | $39,750 | $18.17 |
| District of Columbia | 320 | $37,790 | $41,690 | $18.17 |
| Colorado | 3,370 | $37,680 | $44,750 | $18.11 |
| Minnesota | 3,530 | $37,580 | $38,590 | $18.07 |
| Massachusetts | 3,700 | $37,490 | $38,160 | $18.02 |
| North Dakota | 840 | $37,470 | $37,940 | $18.01 |
| Maine | 820 | $37,380 | $38,010 | $17.97 |
| Vermont | 280 | $37,300 | $38,570 | $17.93 |
| Rhode Island | 650 | $37,230 | $37,620 | $17.90 |
| New Hampshire | 890 | $36,860 | $37,750 | $17.72 |
| Arizona | 4,290 | $36,500 | $36,380 | $17.55 |
| Connecticut | 1,830 | $36,310 | $37,400 | $17.46 |
| Montana | 1,030 | $36,250 | $36,730 | $17.43 |
| Nevada | 4,540 | $36,210 | $37,230 | $17.41 |
| Alaska | 750 | $36,050 | $36,650 | $17.33 |
| New Jersey | 6,110 | $36,050 | $36,460 | $17.33 |
| Wisconsin | 3,310 | $35,700 | $35,120 | $17.16 |
| Hawaii | 1,730 | $35,690 | $39,050 | $17.16 |
| Utah | 1,470 | $35,690 | $35,470 | $17.16 |
| Illinois | 8,550 | $35,220 | $35,630 | $16.93 |
| Idaho | 1,350 | $35,140 | $34,330 | $16.90 |
| Michigan | 4,970 | $35,100 | $35,530 | $16.87 |
| New York | 13,020 | $35,050 | $37,780 | $16.85 |
| Nebraska | 1,060 | $34,790 | $35,730 | $16.73 |
| Maryland | 3,780 | $34,710 | $35,340 | $16.69 |
| Pennsylvania | 6,290 | $34,060 | $33,770 | $16.38 |
| Iowa | 1,900 | $34,050 | $34,170 | $16.37 |
| Missouri | 3,930 | $33,870 | $34,370 | $16.28 |
| Delaware | 710 | $33,730 | $34,860 | $16.22 |
| Tennessee | 5,730 | $33,220 | $32,660 | $15.97 |
| South Dakota | 750 | $32,780 | $33,710 | $15.76 |
| Florida | 14,150 | $32,340 | $33,240 | $15.55 |
| Virginia | 4,900 | $32,140 | $32,730 | $15.45 |
| North Carolina | 5,570 | $31,920 | $32,410 | $15.35 |
| Indiana | 3,190 | $30,930 | $31,970 | $14.87 |
| New Mexico | 1,320 | $30,850 | $31,960 | $14.83 |
| Georgia | 5,150 | $30,580 | $30,650 | $14.70 |
| Ohio | 6,990 | $30,520 | $32,240 | $14.67 |
| South Carolina | 3,160 | $30,470 | $31,520 | $14.65 |
| Kansas | 2,160 | $30,120 | $31,080 | $14.48 |
| Texas | 17,030 | $29,630 | $31,190 | $14.25 |
| Kentucky | 2,350 | $29,220 | $29,840 | $14.05 |
| West Virginia | 1,340 | $28,970 | $30,280 | $13.93 |
| Wyoming | 690 | $28,630 | $31,530 | $13.76 |
| Arkansas | 1,640 | $28,460 | $28,870 | $13.68 |
| Alabama | 2,150 | $28,370 | $28,840 | $13.64 |
| Oklahoma | 2,680 | $28,170 | $29,090 | $13.54 |
| Virgin Islands | 150 | $28,090 | $30,360 | $13.50 |
| Louisiana | 2,950 | $27,460 | $27,880 | $13.20 |
| Mississippi | 1,420 | $27,190 | $27,550 | $13.07 |
| Puerto Rico | 620 | $22,630 | $24,130 | $10.88 |
| Guam | 100 | $19,280 | $20,770 | $9.27 |
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
- Sewers, Hand$36,480 a year
- Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders$35,650 a year
- Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials$35,060 a year
Common questions
How much do Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers earn in the United States?
The median pay was $34,890 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $27,440 and the highest-paid 10% more than $43,190.
How many people work as Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers?
About 198,040 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.