Custodian vs janitorial maintenance worker

The differences between custodians and janitorial maintenance workers 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 $24,698 average annual salary of a janitorial maintenance worker.

The top three skills for a custodian include cleanliness, work ethic and customer service. The most important skills for a janitorial maintenance worker are cleanliness, HVAC, and light fixtures.

Custodian vs janitorial maintenance worker overview

	Custodian	Janitorial Maintenance Worker
Yearly salary	$30,176	$24,698
Hourly rate	$14.51	$11.87
Growth rate	4%	14%
Number of jobs	47,364	103,876
Job satisfaction	4	5
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 48%	High School Diploma, 55%
Average age	49	47
Years of experience	-	4

What does a custodian do?

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.

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.

Custodian vs janitorial maintenance worker salary

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

	Custodian	Janitorial Maintenance Worker
Average salary	$30,176	$24,698
Salary range	Between $23,000 And $39,000	Between $19,000 And $31,000
Highest paying City	San Jose, CA	Bellevue, WA
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	Maine
Best paying company	Los Alamos National Laboratory	Brunswick
Best paying industry	Education	Retail

Differences between custodian and janitorial maintenance worker education

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

	Custodian	Janitorial Maintenance Worker
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 48%	High School Diploma, 55%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Custodian vs janitorial maintenance worker demographics

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

	Custodian	Janitorial Maintenance Worker
Average age	49	47
Gender ratio	Male, 64.4% Female, 35.6%	Male, 82.2% Female, 17.8%
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, 11.6% 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 custodian and janitorial maintenance worker duties and responsibilities

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).

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.

Custodian vs janitorial maintenance worker skills

Common custodian skills

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

Common janitorial maintenance worker skills

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

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Custodian vs Janitorial Maintenance Worker

Updated January 8, 2025

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