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The differences between custodians and housekeeping aides 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 $29,968 average annual salary of a housekeeping aide.
The top three skills for a custodian include cleanliness, work ethic and customer service. The most important skills for a housekeeping aide are patients, guest rooms, and customer service.
| Custodian | Housekeeping Aide | |
| Yearly salary | $30,176 | $29,968 |
| Hourly rate | $14.51 | $14.41 |
| Growth rate | 4% | - |
| Number of jobs | 47,364 | 113,524 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 48% | High School Diploma, 48% |
| Average age | 49 | 48 |
| 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 primary job of a housekeeping aide is to maintain the cleanliness of an assigned area, including hospital rooms, hotel rooms, and corridors. This role will require you to perform various housekeeping chores as requested by the housekeeping manager, such as cleaning the restrooms and kitchens. You will be responsible for keeping the office pantries tidy and ensuring the availability of supplies for beverages such as chocolate and coffee at all times. Other duties include cleaning floors, clearing away garbage, and attending to the needs of guests.
Custodians and housekeeping aides have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Custodian | Housekeeping Aide | |
| Average salary | $30,176 | $29,968 |
| Salary range | Between $23,000 And $39,000 | Between $23,000 And $38,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Jose, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Los Alamos National Laboratory | Lifespan |
| Best paying industry | Education | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between a custodian and a housekeeping aide in terms of educational background:
| Custodian | Housekeeping Aide | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 48% | High School Diploma, 48% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between custodians' and housekeeping aides' demographics:
| Custodian | Housekeeping Aide | |
| Average age | 49 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 64.4% Female, 35.6% | Male, 37.6% Female, 62.4% |
| 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, 10.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 19.3% Asian, 5.4% White, 59.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 4% |