Occupations · Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners
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.
O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 37-2011.00
What it pays
A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage
Pay over time
Median up 95% between 2003 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.
BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.
Where the jobs are
| Metro area | Median wage | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $40,350 | 177,960 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $36,880 | 84,960 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | $37,420 | 72,020 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $37,100 | 57,480 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $34,560 | 47,980 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | $30,360 | 47,130 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $46,230 | 44,220 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $36,450 | 40,990 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $30,560 | 39,440 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA | $43,530 | 31,140 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $35,370 | 29,520 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $39,320 | 28,840 |
BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation
Typical education to enter: No formal educational credential · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
What people in this job actually do
Ordered by how important the work is rated.
- Service, clean, or supply restrooms.
- Gather and empty trash.
- Clean building floors by sweeping, mopping, scrubbing, or vacuuming.
- Monitor building security and safety by performing tasks such as locking doors after operating hours or checking electrical appliance use to ensure that hazards are not created.
- Notify managers concerning the need for major repairs or additions to building operating systems.
- Follow procedures for the use of chemical cleaners and power equipment to prevent damage to floors and fixtures.
- Mix water and detergents or acids in containers to prepare cleaning solutions, according to specifications.
- Clean windows, glass partitions, or mirrors, using soapy water or other cleaners, sponges, or squeegees.
- Requisition supplies or equipment needed for cleaning and maintenance duties.
- Dust furniture, walls, machines, or equipment.
- Strip, seal, finish, and polish floors.
- Remove snow from sidewalks, driveways, or parking areas, using snowplows, snow blowers, or snow shovels, or spread snow-melting chemicals.
O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale
Skills that matter most
Importance, rated 1 to 5.
O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale
Software and tools
A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.
O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag
What this work is actually like
Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.
O*NET 30.3 Job Zones
Working conditions that stand out
O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2023-08
How people actually get in
Share of workers by the education they hold.
O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2023-08
What kind of person the work suits
Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.
O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)
What you take with you
Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.
O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale
Knowledge the work draws on
Abilities it leans on
O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale
How this job is advertised
The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.
O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation
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What changed since 2015
Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning.
Now listed 3
Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.
Related jobs
O*NET 30.3 related occupations
Also called
O*NET 30.3 alternative titles
The same work in Europe
| ESCO occupation | ISCO | Match |
|---|---|---|
| building cleaner | 9112.2 | exact |
| domestic cleaner | 9111.1 | close |
| building exterior cleaner | 7133.2 | broader |
| window cleaner | 9123.1 | broader |
| amusement park cleaner | 5153.1.1 | broader |
| building caretaker | 5153.1 | broader |
| toilet attendant | 9112.5 | broader |
| train cleaner | 9112.6 | broader |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
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