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The differences between industrial cleaners and porters can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a porter has an average salary of $29,861, which is higher than the $28,367 average annual salary of an industrial cleaner.
The top three skills for an industrial cleaner include industrial cleaning, building floors and safety procedures. The most important skills for a porter are excellent guest, dexterity, and customer service.
| Industrial Cleaner | Porter | |
| Yearly salary | $28,367 | $29,861 |
| Hourly rate | $13.64 | $14.36 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 79,374 | 87,777 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 49% | High School Diploma, 51% |
| Average age | 49 | 49 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
Although often seen as insignificant and overlooked, cleaners are a major part of any industry. An industrial cleaner generally ensures that a work environment is conducive for the staff working in the building. They typically clean bathrooms, floors, tiles, carpets, desks, and other specific areas using various cleaning equipment, such as mops and vacuum cleaners. They are also tasked with the prompt removal and disposal of wastebaskets. Cleaning tasks might have to be repeated several times during the day, depending on organizational instructions.
A porter is responsible for managing the building's cleanliness and orderliness, together with the cleaning maintenance team. Duties of a porter include ensuring the premises' safety, operating cleaning tools and equipment, and performing basic troubleshooting for defective machines. Other tasks include assisting visitors with their inquiries, leading clients to the appropriate departments, adhering to the highest safety standards and procedures, and answering maintenance calls. A porter must have excellent time-management and multi-tasking skills to ensure daily smooth operations.
Industrial cleaners and porters have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Industrial Cleaner | Porter | |
| Average salary | $28,367 | $29,861 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $36,000 | Between $23,000 And $37,000 |
| Highest paying City | Minneapolis, MN | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Star Tribune | Community Housing Innovations |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Retail |
There are a few differences between an industrial cleaner and a porter in terms of educational background:
| Industrial Cleaner | Porter | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 49% | High School Diploma, 51% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between industrial cleaners' and porters' demographics:
| Industrial Cleaner | Porter | |
| Average age | 49 | 49 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 62.8% Female, 37.2% | Male, 86.2% Female, 13.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 15.6% Asian, 4.8% White, 62.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3% | Black or African American, 12.1% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 24.7% Asian, 4.9% White, 52.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |