How much does a cleaner make?
Answer: A typical cleaner in the United States makes $44,040 a year (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Line up 100 people; this is the one in the middle (median). about 17,000 people work in this job. About the same as the US-wide typical pay ($50,980).
If 100 people had this job
Lowest at bottom-left, highest at top-rightHover over a person to see their yearly pay
Cleaner pay in the United States (May 2025, median and spread)
| Lower earner (10th from bottom) | Typical person (median) | Higher earner (10th from top) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|---|
| $32,370 | $44,040 | $64,030 | about 17,000 |
| State | Typical person (median) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|
| Colorado | $47,140 | about 690 |
| California | $45,430 | about 3,000 |
| Nevada | $42,040 | about 790 |
| Florida | $39,870 | about 870 |
| Texas | $37,690 | about 2,000 |
Why does pay differ?
In the U.S., experience, useful skills, and a certificate or license for some specialties can affect pay. It also varies with the employer and location, hours and shifts, and how difficult or specialized the cleaning is; a strong reputation can help self-employed cleaners find customers.
What if you lived in a different state?
Pay varies a lot by state in the USTop 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.
What does a cleaner do?
All building cleaning workers not listed separately.
What's a typical day like?
This broad job includes different specialties. For example, a chimney cleaner covers the floor with tarps, inspects the flue, then brushes and vacuums soot while wearing goggles and a respirator.
How to get this job
Most U.S. building cleaners need no college or related experience; they learn tools and safety on the job. Some cleaning work is allowed from age 14 under limits; hazardous jobs require age 18, and license rules vary by specialty and state.
Did you know?
In the U.S., chimney soot can harden into a highly flammable glaze, and about 14,000 chimney and vent fires still happen each year.
Earn more in the same field
Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance jobs that pay a bit moreSources and data
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine
Pages used for the text
- www.bls.gov/oes/2023/may/oes372019.htm
- www.bls.gov/emp/tables/education-and-training-by-occupation.htm
- www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2010/summer/yawhat.pdf
- www.bls.gov/ooh/building-and-grounds-cleaning/print/janitors-and-building-cleane
- www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2015/article/wage-differences.htm
- www.iccsafe.org/building-safety-journal/bsj-technical/history-of-the-chimney-swe
Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY