How long does it take to become a Janitor?

It takes 2 years of professional experience to become a janitor. That is the time it takes to learn specific janitor skills, but does not account for time spent in formal education.

How to start a janitorial business

To start a janitorial business, you need to determine what type of janitorial business you want to start, do market research on your local area, and research janitorial-related laws in your state. Here are more details on these steps and others you can take to start a janitorial business:

How To Become A Janitor: What It Is and Career Path

What is a janitor and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

A janitor is responsible for cleaning and maintaining buildings, such as schools, hospitals, offices, and public spaces. They perform a variety of tasks including sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, dusting, and trash removal. Janitors also sanitize bathrooms, restock supplies, and maintain the overall appearance of the building. They may operate cleaning equipment and perform minor repairs or maintenance tasks. Their work is essential to maintaining the cleanliness and hygiene of various facilities.

ScoreJanitorUS Average

Salary

2.2

Avg. Salary $27,954

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

5.7

Growth Rate 4%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.3

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.32%

Asian 4.42%

Black or African American 11.60%

Hispanic or Latino 20.07%

Unknown 4.12%

White 58.46%

Gender

female 36.89%

male 63.11%

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

What are the pros and cons of being a Janitor?

Pros

Job security
Good exercise
Sense of pride in keeping the environment clean
Interaction with diverse groups of people
Overtime opportunities

Cons

Physically demanding work
Exposure to harsh chemicals and cleaning agents
Low pay compared to other professions
Dealing with unpleasant tasks (cleaning up bodily fluids)
Limited opportunities for creativity or decision making

Newest jobs for Janitor in Ashburn, VA

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Key steps to become a janitor

Explore janitor education requirements

Most common janitor degrees

High School Diploma

56.2 %

Diploma

16.0 %

Associate

12.6 %

Start to develop specific janitor skills

Skills	Percentages
Building Floors	11.69%
Cleanliness	11.59%
Patients	9.17%
Window Sills	6.43%
Commercial Cleaning	5.41%

Complete relevant janitor training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New janitors 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 based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real janitor resumes.

Research janitor duties and responsibilities

Clean private residents entire home, floors, windows, using soapy water and other cleaners, sponges, and squeegees.
Use of floor extractors machine to strip, scrub, wax, and buff floors.
Wash windows and mirrors, tables and counter tops using window cleaner and cloths or paper, sponges, squeegees.
Organize supplies such as broom, mop, sponges, cleaning supplies, etc.

Prepare your janitor resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your janitor 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 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 Resume templates

Build a professional Janitor 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 resume.