General cleaners are the unsung heroes of any facility or establishment. They are responsible for maintaining the cleanliness of the premises, which helps keep employees comfortable, healthy, and thus, productive. Sometimes, general cleaners are also referred to as janitors, maintenance personnel, or custodians.

The duties of a general cleaner are quite straightforward. In essence, they are in charge of performing cleaning tasks, such as vacuuming carpets, mopping floors, wiping down surfaces, collecting trash, and cleaning bathrooms. More than these, they may also be expected to conduct small maintenance tasks, such as changing lightbulbs and repairing small appliances.

Typically, employers only require a high school diploma or GED for this role. However, some employers do not require any educational attainment at all since this job can be done with basic training. They do, however, require an adequate level of fitness because this job entails a lot of physical activity.

On average, general cleaners make $11 an hour or roughly $22,000 per year. Job opportunities, on the other hand, remain abundant as every company requires a cleaning staff to maintain their facilities.

What Does a General Cleaner Do

There are certain skills that many general cleaners have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed interpersonal skills, mechanical skills and physical strength.

Learn more about what a General Cleaner does

How To Become a General Cleaner

If you're interested in becoming a general cleaner, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 7.6% of general cleaners have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 0.7% of general cleaners have master's degrees. Even though some general cleaners have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.

Learn More About How To Become a General Cleaner

General Cleaner Job Description

A general cleaner is an individual in charge of maintaining a level of cleanliness in a given place of business. Their duties include dusting, sweeping and vacuuming, washing various office spaces, and restocking cleaning supplies.

Learn more about General Cleaner Job Description

General Cleaner Career Paths

Average Salary for a General Cleaner

General Cleaners in America make an average salary of $27,205 per year or $13 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $34,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $21,000 per year.
Average General Cleaner Salary
$27,205 Yearly
$13.08 hourly

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Roles and Types of General Cleaner

The role of a general cleaner includes a wide range of responsibilities. These responsibilities can vary based on an individual's specific job, company, or industry.Here are some general general cleaner responsibilities:

  • The duties of a janitor, general cleaner include but are not limited to the following: clean restrooms replenish restrooms empty trash empty recycle bins clean desks where applicable clean tables in conference rooms vacuum offices
  • Respond promptly to requests from guests
  • Mopping, sweeping, dusting, emptying trash cans, vacuuming of conference rooms, break rooms, offices, restrooms,

There are several types of general cleaner, including:

Housekeeper

Role:

Housekeepers are in charge of making sure a private home or commercial establishment, like a hotel, is clean. Simply put, you vaccuum, wash the sheets, replace the old sheets with clean sheets, straighten up the rooms, and make the beds.

Generally, you won't have to interact with visitors unless it is a private home. This means communication skills aren't really needed but a good set of headphones might do you some good. You can finally catch up on that podcast or catch the latest tunes, or whatever the kids are listening to nowadays.

There is a lot of opportunity in this field, as there are a lot of places that could use a good cleaning. So really it comes down to what kind of company you hope to work for. It's nice to have options, isn't it?

  • Average Salary: $29,306
  • Degree: High School Diploma

Janitor

Role:

Clean up, clean up. Everybody, everywhere. As a janitor, the song you used to sing as a kid, when your parents made you clean your room, is even useful today, in your job. The majority of your day will be spent making sure everything is clean and in good condition.

Janitors typically work inside, although some may need to extend their duties to maintaining cleanliness outside as well. From sweeping the floors to mowing the lawn, everything stays in pristine order with you in charge.

Usually, janitors work evening shifts. This gives you plenty of space to work with no one in your way. That way you can get in and get out quickly. You won't need a formal education as a janitor, but you will learn on-the-job, so make sure you're paying attention during training.

  • Average Salary: $27,954
  • Degree: High School Diploma

Cleaner

Role:

As a cleaner, it is your responsibility to ensure the building or buildings you're in charge of are spotless. From sweeping the floors and washing windows to cleaning the bathrooms and maybe even mowing the lawn, your goal is to make the building(s) shine.

A lot of your job is done after hours usually, as that's when everyone has gone home and will be out of your way. Some of the work may be unpleasant since there will be areas that are more dirty than others.

Luckily, the job isn't too demanding education wise, so you should be able to pick it up after a bit of on-the-job training. Other than training, you won't need any formal education. Another plus for this position is that you can essentially work anywhere. Everyone needs an exceptional cleaner.

  • Average Salary: $28,075
  • Degree: High School Diploma

States With The Most General Cleaner Jobs

Mouse over a state to see the number of active general cleaner jobs in each state. The darker areas on the map show where general cleaners earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.

Average Salary: Job Openings:

Number Of General Cleaner Jobs By State

RankStateNumber of JobsAverage Salary
1California5,716$33,412
2Pennsylvania2,360$26,637
3New York2,165$30,397
4Florida1,402$23,968
5Texas1,373$23,496
6Massachusetts1,293$31,614
7New Jersey1,246$29,837
8Ohio1,165$25,519
9Washington1,139$34,515
10Illinois986$26,877
11Michigan734$25,588
12Oregon681$32,231
13Wisconsin623$26,436
14Georgia593$22,098
15Virginia559$23,056
16Indiana540$25,935
17Connecticut513$32,026
18North Carolina499$23,978
19Missouri477$25,569
20Arizona431$28,606
21Minnesota413$32,106
22Tennessee396$24,043
23Idaho351$24,215
24Nebraska346$25,940
25Maryland341$27,820
26Colorado332$29,407
27Kentucky331$24,376
28Iowa324$27,394
29South Carolina283$21,367
30New Hampshire277$29,280
31Alabama267$21,544
32Maine231$29,182
33Delaware229$24,995
34Kansas225$27,309
35Louisiana218$21,320
36Utah215$25,520
37Rhode Island208$29,438
38Oklahoma200$24,393
39Arkansas171$22,740
40North Dakota154$26,711
41Nevada140$27,188
42Mississippi138$19,500
43West Virginia129$22,601
44South Dakota123$29,182
45New Mexico106$21,725
46Hawaii86$31,817
47Montana84$26,005
48Vermont79$30,064
49Alaska79$29,917
50Wyoming51$26,794

General Cleaner Education

General Cleaner Majors

18.9 %

General Cleaner Degrees

High School Diploma

54.1 %

Diploma

17.7 %

Associate

12.8 %

Top Skills For a General Cleaner

The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 13.6% of general cleaners listed cleanliness on their resume, but soft skills such as interpersonal skills and mechanical skills are important as well.

Choose From 10+ Customizable General Cleaner Resume templates

Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use General Cleaner templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your General Cleaner resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.

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General Cleaner diversity

General Cleaner Gender Distribution

Male
Male
51%
Female
Female
49%

After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:

  • Among general cleaners, 49.0% of them are women, while 51.0% are men.

  • The most common race/ethnicity among general cleaners is White, which makes up 64.4% of all general cleaners.

  • The most common foreign language among general cleaners is Spanish at 83.5%.

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Best States For a General Cleaner

Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as a general cleaner. The best states for people in this position are Washington, California, Oregon, and Minnesota. General cleaners make the most in Washington with an average salary of $34,515. Whereas in California and Oregon, they would average $33,412 and $32,231, respectively. While general cleaners would only make an average of $32,106 in Minnesota, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.

1. Washington

Total General Cleaner Jobs: 1,139
Highest 10% Earn:
$44,000
Location Quotient:
1.43

2. Oregon

Total General Cleaner Jobs: 681
Highest 10% Earn:
$41,000
Location Quotient:
1.5

3. California

Total General Cleaner Jobs: 5,716
Highest 10% Earn:
$42,000
Location Quotient:
1.79
Full List Of Best States For General Cleaners

How Do General Cleaners Rate Their Jobs?

3/5

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

General Cleaner Reviews

3.0
Nov 2019
Pros

I like that I'm about to work nights for a few hours every night. Works perfectly for working and going to school. I get paid $15/hr, so I'm satisfied for now.

Cons

I don't like how I don't get reimbursed for gas mileage driving to the sites.


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Top General Cleaner Employers

Most Common Employers For General Cleaner

RankCompanyAverage SalaryHourly RateJob Openings
1Aetna$34,947$16.8044
2The School District of Philadelphia$29,763$14.3135
3Atkins$28,745$13.8250
4Aramark$27,575$13.2644
5The Boldt Company$27,361$13.1525
6Professional Maintnce of Cinti$27,310$13.1326
7Centaur Building Services Inc$27,085$13.02224
8Diversified Maintenance$27,049$13.00102
9ABM Industries$27,029$12.99235
10CBM Systems$27,020$12.9930

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