Custodian vs office cleaner

The differences between custodians and office cleaners 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 $27,453 average annual salary of an office cleaner.

The top three skills for a custodian include cleanliness, work ethic and customer service. The most important skills for an office cleaner are commercial cleaning, window sills, and office buildings.

Custodian vs office cleaner overview

	Custodian	Office Cleaner
Yearly salary	$30,176	$27,453
Hourly rate	$14.51	$13.20
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	47,364	77,079
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 48%	High School Diploma, 48%
Average age	49	49
Years of experience	-	-

Custodian vs office cleaner salary

Custodians and office cleaners have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Custodian	Office Cleaner
Average salary	$30,176	$27,453
Salary range	Between $23,000 And $39,000	Between $21,000 And $34,000
Highest paying City	San Jose, CA	Tacoma, WA
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	Washington
Best paying company	Los Alamos National Laboratory	Southern
Best paying industry	Education	Finance

Differences between custodian and office cleaner education

There are a few differences between a custodian and an office cleaner in terms of educational background:

	Custodian	Office Cleaner
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 48%	High School Diploma, 48%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Custodian vs office cleaner demographics

Here are the differences between custodians' and office cleaners' demographics:

	Custodian	Office Cleaner
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 64.4% Female, 35.6%	Male, 28.8% Female, 71.2%
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, 10.3% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 19.1% Asian, 4.8% White, 60.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between custodian and office cleaner 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).

Office cleaner example responsibilities.

Operate a forklift for logistic, to manage and relocate BMW's fixture material.
Use of heavy cleaning equipment-buffing machines, scrubbers, wall washing.
Use and maintain assign power equipment and hand tools; buffers, auto scrubbers etc.
Mix cleaning solutions to clean, disinfect and deodorize urinals, toilet bowls, and sinks.
Sanitize restrooms including sinks and urinals.
Clean restaurants during the evenings and ensure protocols are followed according to restaurant cleanliness guidelines.

Custodian vs office cleaner skills

Common custodian skills

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

Common office cleaner skills

Commercial Cleaning, 18%
Window Sills, 16%
Office Buildings, 14%
Trash Removal, 8%
Clean Restrooms, 6%
Office Space, 3%

Custodian vs. similar jobs

Custodian related careers

Custodian related jobs

Custodian jobs by location

Zippia Careers
Building and Grounds Maintenance Industry
Custodian
Custodian vs Office Cleaner

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse building and grounds maintenance jobs