Cleaner vs janitorial maintenance worker

The differences between cleaners and janitorial maintenance workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a cleaner has an average salary of $28,075, which is higher than the $24,698 average annual salary of a janitorial maintenance worker.

The top three skills for a cleaner include commercial cleaning, building floors and ventilation. The most important skills for a janitorial maintenance worker are cleanliness, HVAC, and light fixtures.

Cleaner vs janitorial maintenance worker overview

	Cleaner	Janitorial Maintenance Worker
Yearly salary	$28,075	$24,698
Hourly rate	$13.50	$11.87
Growth rate	4%	14%
Number of jobs	74,355	103,876
Job satisfaction	4	5
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 51%	High School Diploma, 55%
Average age	49	47
Years of experience	-	4

What does a cleaner do?

Cleaners ensure that a room, building, or other area is spotless. They clean by mopping floors, dusting cabinets, wiping surfaces, among others. They are in charge of ensuring that all areas are sanitized and always ready for use. They manage the sanitation of the washrooms. They also manage cleaning supplies and update the inventory when needed. They create requests for needed purchases of cleaning materials. They also keep a record of areas with routine cleaning needs to ensure that they will not be missed.

What does a janitorial maintenance worker do?

A janitorial maintenance worker is one of the busiest employees in a company. They are responsible for inspecting all the office's rooms and equipment daily. They do the workplace's maintenance, including completing necessary repairs and replacing supplies. They mop the floor, wipe windows and blinds, and disinfect dirty areas. They also ensure that all employees go in and out of the office in a clean and orderly manner.

Cleaner vs janitorial maintenance worker salary

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

	Cleaner	Janitorial Maintenance Worker
Average salary	$28,075	$24,698
Salary range	Between $21,000 And $36,000	Between $19,000 And $31,000
Highest paying City	Seattle, WA	Bellevue, WA
Highest paying state	Washington	Maine
Best paying company	Columbia University in the City of New York	Brunswick
Best paying industry	Education	Retail

Differences between cleaner and janitorial maintenance worker education

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

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

Cleaner vs janitorial maintenance worker demographics

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

	Cleaner	Janitorial Maintenance Worker
Average age	49	47
Gender ratio	Male, 49.7% Female, 50.3%	Male, 82.2% Female, 17.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 19.0% Asian, 5.0% White, 59.6% 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 cleaner and janitorial maintenance worker duties and responsibilities

Cleaner example responsibilities.

Operate a forklift for logistic, to manage and relocate BMW's fixture material.
Remove snow from sidewalks, using snow blowers, and/or snow shovels, and spread snow melting chemicals.
Use of various equipment used for methods of cleaning areas in the school such sweepers and snow blowers.
Maintain church building and grounds by handling general maintenance including electrical and plumbing and providing custodial services
Complete weekly order for PPE.
Clean Toyota after trucks build.

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.

Cleaner vs janitorial maintenance worker skills

Common cleaner skills

Commercial Cleaning, 8%
Building Floors, 8%
Ventilation, 8%
Cleanliness, 7%
Customer Service, 7%
Work Ethic, 6%

Common janitorial maintenance worker skills

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

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Cleaner vs Janitorial Maintenance Worker

Updated January 8, 2025

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