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The differences between custodians and cleaning crew members 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 $28,141 average annual salary of a cleaning crew member.
The top three skills for a custodian include cleanliness, work ethic and customer service. The most important skills for a cleaning crew member are cleanliness, window sills, and bathroom fixtures.
| Custodian | Cleaning Crew Member | |
| Yearly salary | $30,176 | $28,141 |
| Hourly rate | $14.51 | $13.53 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 47,364 | 150,587 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 48% | High School Diploma, 57% |
| Average age | 49 | 49 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A custodian, also referred to as janitor, is responsible for maintaining cleanliness and helping protect all facilities. Custodians make sure everything is clean, neat, in order, and free from clutter and safe. They perform routine maintenance tasks and heavy cleaning duties. They do everyday things to sweep floors, mop, scrub, vacuum, collect and empty trash, dust furniture, walls, and equipment. They mix solutions and chemicals in containers based on proportions for disinfecting windows, mirrors, and other partitions requiring cleaning. Some also do minor building maintenance and light repairs, while others are exposed to biohazardous materials.
The responsibilities of a cleaning crew member depend on the delegated tasks from a leader. Most duties will revolve around sweeping and mopping floors, wiping windows and mirrors, cleaning bathrooms and kitchens, dusting corners, and vacuuming. There are also instances when a cleaning crew member must take out garbage, collect laundry, and replenish essential supplies such as soap and tissue. Furthermore, it is crucial to coordinate with the team and organize cleaning tools and supplies, ensuring that nothing is left behind on work areas.
Custodians and cleaning crew members have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Custodian | Cleaning Crew Member | |
| Average salary | $30,176 | $28,141 |
| Salary range | Between $23,000 And $39,000 | Between $21,000 And $36,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Jose, CA | Las Vegas, NV |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Nevada |
| Best paying company | Los Alamos National Laboratory | Valley Brook Country Club |
| Best paying industry | Education | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a custodian and a cleaning crew member in terms of educational background:
| Custodian | Cleaning Crew Member | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 48% | High School Diploma, 57% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between custodians' and cleaning crew members' demographics:
| Custodian | Cleaning Crew Member | |
| Average age | 49 | 49 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 64.4% Female, 35.6% | Male, 44.6% Female, 55.4% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 19.5% Asian, 4.3% White, 59.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |