Building cleaner vs custodian

The differences between building cleaners and custodians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a custodian has an average salary of $30,176, which is higher than the $27,481 average annual salary of a building cleaner.

The top three skills for a building cleaner include polish furniture, clean bathrooms and cleanliness. The most important skills for a custodian are cleanliness, work ethic, and customer service.

Building cleaner vs custodian overview

	Building Cleaner	Custodian
Yearly salary	$27,481	$30,176
Hourly rate	$13.21	$14.51
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	48,271	47,364
Job satisfaction	5	4
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 51%	High School Diploma, 48%
Average age	49	49
Years of experience	-	-

Building cleaner vs custodian salary

Building cleaners and custodians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Building Cleaner	Custodian
Average salary	$27,481	$30,176
Salary range	Between $21,000 And $35,000	Between $23,000 And $39,000
Highest paying City	Minneapolis, MN	San Jose, CA
Highest paying state	Washington	Massachusetts
Best paying company	Robbinsdale Area Schools	Los Alamos National Laboratory
Best paying industry	Technology	Education

Differences between building cleaner and custodian education

There are a few differences between a building cleaner and a custodian in terms of educational background:

	Building Cleaner	Custodian
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 51%	High School Diploma, 48%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Building cleaner vs custodian demographics

Here are the differences between building cleaners' and custodians' demographics:

	Building Cleaner	Custodian
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 50.8% Female, 49.2%	Male, 64.4% Female, 35.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 18.9% Asian, 4.8% White, 59.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%	Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 24.1% Asian, 5.0% White, 55.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between building cleaner and custodian duties and responsibilities

Building cleaner example responsibilities.

Maintain cleanliness of all floors in apartment building, sweeping and mopping.
Respond appropriately to the physical, emotional and developmental needs of patients.
Disinfect equipment and supplies, using germicides or steam-operate sterilizers.

Custodian example responsibilities.

Operate janitorial equipment including: vacuum cleaners, floor scrubbers, carpet cleaners, presser washers, leaf blowers, etc.
Fill in for custodians when they need off, clean schools, mow grass, salt lots.
Rake leaves, cut and water grass.
Clean windows, glass partitions, or mirrors, with sponges, or squeegees.
Strip and wax floors, clean windows, replace burnt-out light bulbs and ballasts.
Clean and perform preventative maintenance on all mechanical equipment (HVAC & ventilation systems).

Building cleaner vs custodian skills

Common building cleaner skills

Polish Furniture, 14%
Clean Bathrooms, 13%
Cleanliness, 13%
Clean Windows, 11%
Hot Water, 7%
Bathroom Fixtures, 7%

Common custodian skills

Cleanliness, 13%
Work Ethic, 8%
Customer Service, 6%
Building Floors, 6%
Minor Maintenance, 5%
Ladders, 3%

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Building Cleaner vs Custodian

Updated January 8, 2025

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