How to hire a building custodian

How to hire a building custodian, step by step

Here's a step-by-step building custodian hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a building custodian job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new building custodian
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the building custodian you need to hire. Certain building custodian roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a building custodian to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a building custodian that fits the bill.

   This list presents building custodian salaries for various positions.

   Type of Building Custodian	Description	Hourly rate
   Building Custodian	Janitors and building cleaners keep many types of buildings clean, orderly, and in good condition.	$10-17
   Porter	A porter is responsible for managing the building's cleanliness and orderliness, together with the cleaning maintenance team. Duties of a porter include ensuring the premises' safety, operating cleaning tools and equipment, and performing basic troubleshooting for defective machines... Show more	$11-17
   Sanitation Worker	A sanitation worker is employed to carry out valuable community tasks like garbage collection, hauling, and disposal. Sanitation workers take responsibility for the cleanliness and maintenance of the community... Show more	$12-19

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • GRASS
   • Building Floors
   • Ladders
   • Light Fixtures
   • Cleanliness
   • Building Maintenance
   • Floor Care
   • Custodial Maintenance
   • Snow Removal
   • Commercial Cleaning
   • Scrubbers
   • Shovels
   • Polish Furniture
   • Clean Carpets

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Use of floor scrubbers and carpet machine.s.
   • Clean all bathrooms including fixtures, urinals, toilets, washbowls and wall tiles.
   • Sweep all floors, scrub interior and exterior surfaces including underside lips of commodes, urinals and wash basins.
   • Maintain a positive accountability for cleanliness for a secure government building.
   • Perform mechanical repairs and services to plumbing, electrical, mechanical systems and large rotating equipment including refrigeration systems.
   • Perform emergencies work requests, schedule and unschedule maintenance program, emergencies and coordinate special projects as directed.

   More building custodian duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your building custodian job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A building custodian can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, building custodians' average salary in louisiana is 51% less than in massachusetts.
   • Seniority. Entry-level building custodians 42% less than senior-level building custodians.
   • Certifications. A building custodian with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a building custodian's salary.

   Average building custodian salary

   $13.52hourly

   $28,125 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level building custodian salary

   $21,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average building custodian salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Massachusetts	$36,621	$18
   2	Washington	$35,550	$17
   3	California	$32,763	$16
   4	Maine	$32,221	$15
   5	Minnesota	$32,066	$15
   6	North Dakota	$31,229	$15
   7	Illinois	$30,032	$14
   8	Connecticut	$29,424	$14
   9	Iowa	$27,368	$13
   10	Indiana	$26,685	$13
   11	Colorado	$26,454	$13
   12	South Dakota	$25,417	$12
   13	Kansas	$24,332	$12
   14	Tennessee	$24,078	$12
   15	Georgia	$23,774	$11
   16	North Carolina	$23,625	$11
   17	Utah	$23,575	$11
   18	Missouri	$22,362	$11
   19	South Carolina	$20,084	$10

   Average building custodian salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	University of California-Berkeley	$40,985	$19.70	5
   2	City of Springfield	$40,244	$19.35	1
   3	Northwest Center	$37,628	$18.09	10
   4	Amcor	$35,912	$17.27
   5	Minnesota State College Southeast	$33,887	$16.29	1
   6	Cache County	$32,862	$15.80
   7	Gwinnett County	$32,508	$15.63	1
   8	GoTriangle	$31,926	$15.35
   9	Velociti	$31,900	$15.34
   10	Lawrence Family Development Charter School	$31,899	$15.34
   11	Stearns County MN	$31,373	$15.08
   12	AspenPointe Enterprises	$31,012	$14.91
   13	Bethel University	$30,788	$14.80
   14	Marriott International	$29,773	$14.31	62
   15	Sanford Health	$29,759	$14.31	7
   16	Englewood Ohio	$28,832	$13.86	1
   17	PACT CHARTER SCHOOL	$27,908	$13.42	1
   18	City of Plymouth, MN	$27,814	$13.37
   19	Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk	$27,662	$13.30
   20	Maine	$27,402	$13.17	3

4. Writing a building custodian job description

   A building custodian job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a building custodian job description:

   Building custodian job description example

   Building Custodians District-Wide Haverhill Public Schools
   
   HAVERHILL PUBLIC SCHOOLS HAVERHILL, MASSACHUSETTS 01830 ANNOUNCEMENT OF POSITION Title of Position: BUILDING CUSTODIAN – ANTICIPATED OPENING
   
   Full time: DAYS
   Civil Service Position Work Year: 12 months Effective Date of Employment: Immediately Salary: In accordance with the Custodial Salary Schedule. Organizational Relationship or Line of Authority: Directly responsible to the Building Principal and/or his or her designees.
   Statement of Duties:

   • The Building Custodian is responsible for the repair, maintenance, and the cleanliness and neatness of the building and grounds.
   • The Building Custodian is to preserve property values; protect health and safety of occupants; support the educational objectives of the building and provide a climate of learning and goodwill.
   • Maintain seasonal grounds work (snow, lawn).
   • Understands and follows all safety procedures.
   • Responsible for general duties as indicated by the Principal or his/her designee, and directives of the Superintendent of Schools or his/her designee, and policies of the Haverhill School Committee.

   Qualifications:

   • A minimum of a high school diploma or general education degree (GED).
   • Prior custodial work experience, preferably in a public school setting, desired.
   • Physical and mental capabilities to perform above work including the ability to move in and out of offices, classrooms, buildings, and up and down stairs.
   • Knowledge of effective cleaning techniques and routine preventative maintenance.
   • Must be able to function independently, prioritize, have good organizational skills and be able to multitask.
   • Must be able to lift and or move up to 75 pounds.
   • Such alternatives to the above qualifications as the Superintendent of Schools may find appropriate and acceptable.

   Closing Date for Receipt of Application: Until Filled Address all Applications and Letter of Intent to: Haverhill Public SchoolsHuman Resource Department4 Summer Street - Room 104Haverhill, MA 01830 An Equal Opportunity Employer The Haverhill Public Schools is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is in compliance with Federal regulations prohibiting discrimination in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, or disability.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right building custodian for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your building custodian job on Zippia to find and recruit building custodian candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit building custodians, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new building custodian

   Once you've selected the best building custodian candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new building custodian. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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