Building cleaner vs janitorial maintenance worker

The differences between building cleaners and janitorial maintenance workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a building cleaner has an average salary of $27,481, which is higher than the $24,698 average annual salary of a janitorial maintenance worker.

The top three skills for a building cleaner include polish furniture, clean bathrooms and cleanliness. The most important skills for a janitorial maintenance worker are cleanliness, HVAC, and light fixtures.

Building cleaner vs janitorial maintenance worker overview

	Building Cleaner	Janitorial Maintenance Worker
Yearly salary	$27,481	$24,698
Hourly rate	$13.21	$11.87
Growth rate	4%	14%
Number of jobs	48,271	103,876
Job satisfaction	5	5
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 51%	High School Diploma, 55%
Average age	49	47
Years of experience	-	4

Building cleaner vs janitorial maintenance worker salary

Building cleaners and janitorial maintenance workers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Building Cleaner	Janitorial Maintenance Worker
Average salary	$27,481	$24,698
Salary range	Between $21,000 And $35,000	Between $19,000 And $31,000
Highest paying City	Minneapolis, MN	Bellevue, WA
Highest paying state	Washington	Maine
Best paying company	Robbinsdale Area Schools	Brunswick
Best paying industry	Technology	Retail

Differences between building cleaner and janitorial maintenance worker education

There are a few differences between a building cleaner and a janitorial maintenance worker in terms of educational background:

	Building Cleaner	Janitorial Maintenance Worker
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 51%	High School Diploma, 55%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Building cleaner vs janitorial maintenance worker demographics

Here are the differences between building cleaners' and janitorial maintenance workers' demographics:

	Building Cleaner	Janitorial Maintenance Worker
Average age	49	47
Gender ratio	Male, 50.8% Female, 49.2%	Male, 82.2% Female, 17.8%
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, 11.6% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.8% Asian, 2.6% White, 66.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.4%
LGBT Percentage	5%	6%

Differences between building cleaner and janitorial maintenance worker 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.

Janitorial maintenance worker example responsibilities.

Assist with light building repairs, maintain building cleanliness, strip and wax floors, order and manage supplies.
Perform minor maintenance including plumbing and electrical.
Climb ladders and lift heavy loads during set-up for events.
power wash parking lot, clean fryers, clean bathrooms.
Perform various landscaping duties such as mowing grass and pruning trees.
Sanitize the available facilities at the restroom; basins, urinals, and toilets.

Building cleaner vs janitorial maintenance worker skills

Common building cleaner skills

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

Common janitorial maintenance worker skills

Cleanliness, 26%
HVAC, 21%
Light Fixtures, 16%
OSHA, 4%
Plumbing, 4%
Building Floors, 3%

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Building Cleaner vs Janitorial Maintenance Worker

Updated January 8, 2025

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