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Learn about the types of roles, the official pay ranges and the most common paths to apply!
Anyone planning to start a new job soon realizes that cleaning positions are among the most accessible entry points into the American market.
That happens because most of these roles require no degree and no previous experience, since training is usually provided on the job itself.
Even so, the sector is far more varied than it seems at first glance. There are roles in office buildings, hotels, hospitals, schools and private homes, each one with its own routine and pay.
For that reason, in today’s guide you’ll understand how the sector works, how much these professionals usually earn according to official data and which paths to use when applying. Let’s get started!
What a cleaning professional does in the United States
The role goes well beyond sweeping and mopping. In practice, the professional is responsible for keeping spaces organized, sanitized and in proper condition for use.
That’s why understanding the real scope of the job helps you choose the type of environment that best matches your profile and your routine.
The most common day-to-day duties and tasks
Basic activities include cleaning floors, restrooms and common areas, as well as taking out the trash and restocking supplies.
In many contracts, the professional also operates equipment such as floor buffers, industrial vacuums and carpet cleaning machines.
According to reliable sources, some workers also handle outdoor tasks, such as cleaning sidewalks and removing snow in regions with harsh winters.
In certain places, minor repairs and monitoring heating and cooling systems are also part of the list of responsibilities.
Work environments — offices, schools, hospitals and hotels
Office buildings account for a large share of the opportunities, and cleaning is usually done outside business hours, which explains the presence of night shifts. Schools and universities make up another significant block, generally with more predictable schedules and direct employment with the institution.
Hospitals and clinics require specific sanitation protocols and operate around the clock, including nights, weekends and holidays. Hotels and resorts, on the other hand, hire mainly for housekeeping, focusing on making up rooms and meeting the chain’s standards.
Why the sector keeps a steady volume of hiring
The projected growth for the occupation is modest, around 2% between 2025 and 2035, according to official BLS projections.
Even so, the number of openings is significant — the estimate is roughly 321,800 positions per year over the decade.
The explanation lies in replacement. Most of these opportunities come up when professionals move into other occupations or leave the workforce altogether.
Add to that the size of the category, which brings together more than three million workers across the country, and the constant flow of job listings becomes much easier to understand.
Types of cleaning jobs available on the market
Not every job in the sector is the same. Listings tend to use different titles, and each one points to a distinct environment, routine and pay range. Knowing how to tell these terms apart prevents mismatched applications and helps you filter your searches better on job platforms.
Janitor / Custodian (building maintenance cleaning)
This is the largest category in the sector, with more than 2.2 million workers recorded in the official May 2025 data. The professional takes care of maintaining entire buildings, which includes common areas, restrooms, hallways and, in some cases, the surrounding outdoor space.
The term custodian shows up frequently in listings from schools and public agencies, while janitor is more common in the private sector. Direct employment with public institutions or companies usually offers different conditions from those provided by outsourced contractors.
Housekeeper (hospitality and residential)
The maid and housekeeping cleaners role brings together around 860,000 workers and is concentrated in hotels, inns and private homes. The focus is light cleaning and tidying — changing bed linen, restocking amenities and keeping spaces organized.
In hotels, the pace is measured by the number of rooms covered per shift, which makes productivity a central part of the routine. In residential cleaning, on the other hand, the work can be done through agencies or independently, with greater flexibility of hours.
Specializations that tend to pay more
In addition, some areas require extra technical preparation and, for that reason, show up in higher pay ranges within the same sector. That’s the case with hospital cleaning involving infection control, floor treatment and the sanitization of laboratories and clean rooms.
Likewise, supervisory positions also represent a meaningful step up — the median for housekeeping and janitorial supervisors sits well above the category average. Night shifts usually come with a pay differential, a common practice in office buildings that are cleaned outside business hours.
How much cleaning professionals earn in the USA
The figures below come from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, with reference data from May 2025.
| Occupation | Median hourly | Annual average |
|---|---|---|
| Janitors and cleaners | US$ 17.71 | US$ 38,760 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners | US$ 17.07 | US$ 37,080 |
| Building cleaning workers (other) | US$ 21.17 | US$ 46,420 |
| Housekeeping/janitorial supervisors | US$ 23.61 | US$ 53,320 |
The median indicates the midpoint — half of the professionals earn above that figure and half earn below it. The spread is considerable. Among janitors, the lowest-paid 10% fall below US$ 13.77 per hour, while the top 10% go beyond US$ 24.17.
That said, don’t forget that the type of employer weighs heavily on that variation, as do the state, the city and the sector of activity. So it’s always worth checking the local minimum wage.
Requirements and qualifications to enter the sector
The entry barrier is one of the lowest in the American market, which explains much of the interest in these opportunities. Even so, a few practical points need to be sorted out before applying, especially on the paperwork side.
Education and training
In general, the occupation typically requires no formal educational credential to get started. Some employers prefer candidates with a high school diploma or equivalent, but that usually shows up as a plus, not as a requirement.
As for training, it’s generally short and carried out on the job itself, covering the use of equipment, products and safety protocols. Voluntary certifications in hospital cleaning or floor treatment can help those planning to move into the more specialized areas.
Work authorization and the usual documents in the hiring process
To be formally hired in the United States, you need valid work authorization in the country. At the time of hiring, every employer must complete Form I-9, which confirms the worker’s identity and eligibility.
A Social Security number, photo identification and proof of address are also commonly requested. Depending on the environment — hospitals and schools in particular — background checks may be part of the selection process.
The skills employers value most
Since technical training happens on site, recruiters tend to look more at attitude and reliability than at résumés. Among the points most often mentioned in listings are:
- Time management — completing the cleaning route within the scheduled shift;
- Attention to detail — noticing what went unnoticed in high-traffic areas;
- Autonomy — working with little supervision, especially on night shifts;
- Physical stamina — the role involves standing and carrying materials;
- Safety in handling chemicals — following dilutions and warning labels correctly;
- Punctuality — a decisive factor in schedules that depend on shift rotation.
Schedule availability is usually an important advantage, since many operations need to cover nights and weekends. Some knowledge of other languages also helps with communicating with supervisors and understanding labels and safety instructions.
Where to find cleaning jobs
There are quite distinct paths to reaching an opportunity, and combining more than one of them tends to speed up the search considerably. Below, see the three formats most used by those starting out in the sector.
Job platforms and alerts
Job portals hold the largest volume of listings and let you filter by city, shift, contract type and pay range. It’s worth searching for terms such as cleaner, janitor, custodian and housekeeper, since each one brings up different results.
Setting up email alerts is a simple and effective practice, because many jobs in the sector are filled within a few days. Keeping your profile updated with your schedule availability also increases the chances of showing up in recruiters’ searches.
Staffing agencies and outsourced companies
On top of that, a large share of commercial cleaning in the United States is run by outsourced companies hired by buildings and residential complexes. These companies keep selection processes open frequently and usually have simpler steps than direct hiring.
Along the same lines, temp agencies are another common route, mainly for those who want to build up experience before looking for a permanent position. It’s worth registering with more than one agency at the same time, since demand varies according to each one’s contracts.
How to apply step by step through Indeed
Indeed brings together listings from companies of all sizes and is a good starting point for exploring the opportunities available. To access the official platform, click the button below and follow the steps:
Website
- Create your account — sign up for free with your email and a password to save searches and track applications.
- Build your profile — fill in previous experience, schedule availability and the city where you intend to work.
- Search by keywords — try terms such as cleaning jobs, janitor and housekeeper along with the name of your city.
- Use the filters — narrow by distance, pay range, shift and contract type to cut down irrelevant results.
- Read the full listing — check duties, schedule, requirements and benefits before submitting your application.
- Submit your application — many jobs accept direct applications through the platform, in just a few clicks.
- Turn on alerts — set up notifications to receive new opportunities as soon as they’re posted.
Finally, following up on responses and reapplying to similar positions makes a difference, since the level of competition varies quite a bit by region.
Final Conclusion
The cleaning sector in the United States combines low entry requirements with a steady flow of openings, which makes it a solid option for anyone who needs to start quickly.
That said, knowing the difference between the roles, from janitor to housekeeper, helps you focus your search and understand what pay range to expect in each area.
Keep in mind, too, that factors such as state, type of employer and shift directly influence pay, and that specializations open the way to higher figures.
With your documents in order and an active search across more than one channel, the chances of finding an opportunity aligned with your profile increase significantly!
