Duct cleaner vs sanitation worker

The differences between duct cleaners and sanitation workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a sanitation worker has an average salary of $33,159, which is higher than the $31,620 average annual salary of a duct cleaner.

The top three skills for a duct cleaner include duct systems, HVAC and air ducts. The most important skills for a sanitation worker are cleanliness, pallet jack, and food safety.

Duct cleaner vs sanitation worker overview

	Duct Cleaner	Sanitation Worker
Yearly salary	$31,620	$33,159
Hourly rate	$15.20	$15.94
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	35,485	27,943
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 55%	High School Diploma, 61%
Average age	49	49
Years of experience	-	-

Duct cleaner vs sanitation worker salary

Duct cleaners and sanitation workers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Duct Cleaner	Sanitation Worker
Average salary	$31,620	$33,159
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $41,000	Between $26,000 And $41,000
Highest paying City	-	Santa Rosa, CA
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Michigan State University
Best paying industry	-	Government

Differences between duct cleaner and sanitation worker education

There are a few differences between a duct cleaner and a sanitation worker in terms of educational background:

	Duct Cleaner	Sanitation Worker
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 55%	High School Diploma, 61%
Most common major	Heating And Air Conditioning	Business
Most common college	-	-

Duct cleaner vs sanitation worker demographics

Here are the differences between duct cleaners' and sanitation workers' demographics:

	Duct Cleaner	Sanitation Worker
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 97.2% Female, 2.8%	Male, 82.1% Female, 17.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 23.2% Asian, 4.9% White, 56.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%	Black or African American, 12.2% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 21.1% Asian, 4.9% White, 56.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between duct cleaner and sanitation worker duties and responsibilities

Duct cleaner example responsibilities.

Clean HVAC systems and duct work in residential homes as well as commercial buildings.
Work within the guidelines set forth by Amtrak, OSHA, and the environmental management system.
Maintain cleanliness of Amtrak's passenger trains.
Use blue signal protection and knowledge of FRA to work safely.
Assist techs with maintenance of equipment used in daily production of Nissan products.
Clean ducts and HVAC systems, as well as carpet and post construction clean up.

Sanitation worker example responsibilities.

Operate a forklift for logistic, to manage and relocate BMW's fixture material.
Use power equipment such as floor sweepers, vacuums, scrubbers, mops, power washers.
Maintain cleanliness of entire facility according to OSHA and FDA regulations
Drive heavy equipment with CDL'S.
Train on (loto) lockout tag out
Landscape work including edging, mulching and mowing.

Duct cleaner vs sanitation worker skills

Common duct cleaner skills

Duct Systems, 32%
HVAC, 28%
Air Ducts, 21%
Customer Service, 11%
Commercial Buildings, 3%
Residential Homes, 2%

Common sanitation worker skills

Cleanliness, 14%
Pallet Jack, 13%
Food Safety, 11%
Safety Standards, 9%
Production Equipment, 5%
Safety Procedures, 4%

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Duct Cleaner vs Sanitation Worker

Updated January 8, 2025

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