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What is a housekeeping cleaner and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
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Have you ever marveled at a pristinely made bed in a hotel or admired the spotless hallways in an apartment building? Chances are, you have a housekeeping cleaner to thank for the clean spaces you got to enjoy.

As a housekeeping cleaner, you would do a variety of tasks to keep your hotel, apartment building, or other places of employment clean. You'd probably have to vacuum, make beds, take out the trash, and more. You also need good customer service skills--you're probably not supposed to yell at people for walking on a floor you just mopped, even if you really want to.

You don't need a degree to become a housekeeping cleaner; in fact, only 7% of cleaners have a bachelor's degree. You really need lots of physical strength and stamina since pushing a vacuum around dozens of rooms takes a lot of work. You do not need to be a woman, but about 73% of housekeeping cleaners are Men. It may be time for you to pick up the mops.

ScoreHousekeeping CleanerUS Average
Salary
2.0

Avg. Salary $25,439

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
4.9

Growth rate 4%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
5.5
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.47%

Asian 5.43%

Black or African American 9.62%

Hispanic or Latino 19.04%

Unknown 4.51%

White 59.94%

Gender

female 79.31%

male 20.69%

Age - 50
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 50
Stress level
4.9

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level
6.7

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
8.2

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Housekeeping cleaner career paths

Key steps to become a housekeeping cleaner

  1. Explore housekeeping cleaner education requirements

    Most common housekeeping cleaner degrees

    High School Diploma

    54.5 %

    Diploma

    16.0 %

    Associate

    12.7 %
  2. Start to develop specific housekeeping cleaner skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Light Fixtures18.86%
    Guest Rooms17.09%
    Cleanliness9.81%
    Window Sills9.06%
    Patient Rooms4.74%
  3. Complete relevant housekeeping cleaner training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New housekeeping cleaners learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a housekeeping cleaner based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real housekeeping cleaner resumes.
  4. Research housekeeping cleaner duties and responsibilities

    • Train and manage several maids and achieve significant improvements in their productivity.
    • Maintain high standards of cleanliness with bakery machinery/equipment to detail outside of machinery as well as deep clean inside machinery/equipment.
    • Run errands such as taking laundry to the cleaners and buying groceries.
  5. Prepare your housekeeping cleaner resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your housekeeping cleaner resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a housekeeping cleaner resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable housekeeping cleaner resume templates

    Build a professional housekeeping cleaner resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your housekeeping cleaner resume.
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    Housekeeping Cleaner Resume
    Housekeeping Cleaner Resume
    Housekeeping Cleaner Resume
  6. Apply for housekeeping cleaner jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a housekeeping cleaner job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first housekeeping cleaner job

Zippi

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Average housekeeping cleaner salary

The average housekeeping cleaner salary in the United States is $25,439 per year or $12 per hour. Housekeeping cleaner salaries range between $18,000 and $34,000 per year.

Average housekeeping cleaner salary
$25,439 Yearly
$12.23 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do housekeeping cleaners rate their job?

-/5

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Housekeeping cleaner reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2023
Pros

The finishing product

Cons

Was not much that I didn’t like .Working on my own didn’t bother me,was always interested in cleaning


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A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2022
Pros

I enjoy cleaning up and making things neat as possible

Cons

I love everything


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A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2022
Pros

I like everything nothing I don't like. The constant busy cleaning.I like doing the staging and detail.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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