Commercial or institutional cleaner vs custodian

The differences between commercial or institutional cleaners and custodians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a commercial or institutional cleaner has an average salary of $31,792, which is higher than the $30,176 average annual salary of a custodian.

The top three skills for a commercial or institutional cleaner include hand tools, and . The most important skills for a custodian are cleanliness, work ethic, and customer service.

Commercial or institutional cleaner vs custodian overview

	Commercial Or Institutional Cleaner	Custodian
Yearly salary	$31,792	$30,176
Hourly rate	$15.28	$14.51
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	62,392	47,364
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 44%	High School Diploma, 48%
Average age	49	49
Years of experience	-	-

Commercial or institutional cleaner vs custodian salary

Commercial or institutional cleaners and custodians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Commercial Or Institutional Cleaner	Custodian
Average salary	$31,792	$30,176
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $41,000	Between $23,000 And $39,000
Highest paying City	Berkeley, CA	San Jose, CA
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	Massachusetts
Best paying company	University of California, Berkeley	Los Alamos National Laboratory
Best paying industry	-	Education

Differences between commercial or institutional cleaner and custodian education

There are a few differences between a commercial or institutional cleaner and a custodian in terms of educational background:

	Commercial Or Institutional Cleaner	Custodian
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 44%	High School Diploma, 48%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Commercial or institutional cleaner vs custodian demographics

Here are the differences between commercial or institutional cleaners' and custodians' demographics:

	Commercial Or Institutional Cleaner	Custodian
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 70.6% Female, 29.4%	Male, 64.4% Female, 35.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 14.3% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 25.2% Asian, 3.4% White, 51.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%	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 commercial or institutional cleaner and custodian duties and responsibilities

Commercial or institutional cleaner example responsibilities.

Clean restaurants during the evenings and ensure protocols are followed according to restaurant cleanliness guidelines.
Full bedding which includes washing of sheets and towels (washer and dryer must be present) and remaking of bed.

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).

Commercial or institutional cleaner vs custodian skills

Common commercial or institutional cleaner skills

Hand Tools, 100%

Common custodian skills

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

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Commercial Or Institutional Cleaner
Commercial Or Institutional Cleaner vs Custodian

Updated January 8, 2025

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