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What is a janitor/housekeeper and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
2 min read
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a janitor/housekeeper. For example, did you know that they make an average of $13.03 an hour? That's $27,103 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 4% and produce 85,500 job opportunities across the U.S.
ScoreJanitor/HousekeeperUS Average
Salary
2.1

Avg. Salary $27,103

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
5.7

Growth rate 4%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
5.4
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.31%

Asian 5.23%

Black or African American 10.79%

Hispanic or Latino 20.72%

Unknown 4.11%

White 57.83%

Gender

female 53.94%

male 46.06%

Age - 51
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 - 51
Stress level
5.7

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level
7.0

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
9.1

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Janitor/housekeeper career paths

Key steps to become a janitor/housekeeper

  1. Explore janitor/housekeeper education requirements

    Most common janitor/housekeeper degrees

    High School Diploma

    57.1 %

    Diploma

    17.4 %

    Associate

    11.5 %
  2. Start to develop specific janitor/housekeeper skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Clean Rooms32.40%
    Cleanliness7.24%
    Patient Rooms4.26%
    Paper Towels4.23%
    Office Buildings3.76%
  3. Complete relevant janitor/housekeeper training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New janitor/housekeepers 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 janitor/housekeeper based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real janitor/housekeeper resumes.
  4. Research janitor/housekeeper duties and responsibilities

    • Perform specialty floor care; stripping/waxing floors, carpet extracting.Safely operate auto scrubbers, carpet extractors, floor burnishers.
    • Maintain cleanliness of public areas including front of building, restrooms, front desk area and elevators.
    • Maintain building cleanliness internal and external
    • Maintain working facilities-use floor scrubbers to clean assign areas-Polished floors-cleane bathrooms and take out garbage to maintain a clean environment
  5. Prepare your janitor/housekeeper resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your janitor/housekeeper 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 janitor/housekeeper resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable janitor/housekeeper resume templates

    Build a professional janitor/housekeeper 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 janitor/housekeeper resume.
    Janitor/Housekeeper Resume
    Janitor/Housekeeper Resume
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    Janitor/Housekeeper Resume
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    Janitor/Housekeeper Resume
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    Janitor/Housekeeper Resume
    Janitor/Housekeeper Resume
  6. Apply for janitor/housekeeper jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a janitor/housekeeper 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 janitor/housekeeper job

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Average janitor/housekeeper salary

The average janitor/housekeeper salary in the United States is $27,103 per year or $13 per hour. Janitor/housekeeper salaries range between $20,000 and $35,000 per year.

Average janitor/housekeeper salary
$27,103 Yearly
$13.03 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do janitor/housekeepers rate their job?

-/5

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4 stars

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Janitor/housekeeper reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2023
Pros

You get a job which gets you money

Cons

Cleaning really sucks also not very good pay


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 Feb 2023
Pros

The people I work for.

Cons

The scarcity of businesses willing to pay someone to work for them. Custodial work is an honest way of making a living.


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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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