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What does a janitorial supervisor do?

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read

A janitorial supervisor acts as an overseer to the janitorial staff. Their job is to monitor and assist day-to-day work, schedule shifts, and work hours with other crew members. They may also make a weekly report, conduct evaluations, and review performance records. They sometimes give recommendations to human resources for promotions and dismissals. As a supervisor, they must have leadership skills and know how to communicate well with staff.

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Janitorial supervisor responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real janitorial supervisor resumes:

  • Clean windows, mirrors, using cleaners, sponges, or squeegees.
  • Maintain HVAC equipment in optimum condition.
  • Clean spills and other hazards using sponges and squeezes.
  • Operate trane summit and backtalk computer software for school HVAC system.
  • Wash walls and equipment; used ladders when require in work assignments.
  • Use large and small scrubbers and help in all areas of the facility.
  • Sanitize the available facilities at the restroom: basins, urinals, and toilets.
  • Handle the tasks of transplanting, pruning, weeding, mulching, leaf removal, and mowing.
  • Involve working on floor refinishing, mowing, painting, cleaning, and assistance in boiler maintenance.
  • Operate power equipment such as wet and dry vacuums, buffers, polishers, and snow blowers.
  • Train and delicate responsibility to other employees run crew and staff if about 6 and various other locations.
  • Implement a reusable gowning program for GMP areas within the building to contribute to the overall building cost improvement.
  • Maintain building, perform minor and routine painting, plumbing, and other relate maintenance activities, using hand tools.
  • Handle payroll and schedule tasks as needed weekly, also any issues that may present on day to day operations.
  • Maintain general cleanliness of facilities.

Janitorial supervisor skills and personality traits

We calculated that 10% of Janitorial Supervisors are proficient in Minor Maintenance, Cleanliness, and Safety Procedures. They’re also known for soft skills such as Interpersonal skills, Physical strength, and Time-management skills.

We break down the percentage of Janitorial Supervisors that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Minor Maintenance, 10%

    Order supplies for the school as well as minor maintenance around the school like installing pencil sharpeners and changing ceiling tiles.

  • Cleanliness, 9%

    Worked independently at various offices ensuring very precise cleanliness.

  • Safety Procedures, 7%

    Follow safety procedures for use of chemical cleaners in order to prevent damages to floors & equipment.

  • Commercial Cleaning, 6%

    General commercial cleaning and upkeep, as well as waxing and stripping floors.

  • Work Ethic, 6%

    Issued supplies and equipment to employees to ensure quality and timely work ethics.

  • Plumbing, 6%

    Maintained building, performed minor and routine painting, plumbing, and other related maintenance activities, using hand tools.

"minor maintenance," "cleanliness," and "safety procedures" are among the most common skills that janitorial supervisors use at work. You can find even more janitorial supervisor responsibilities below, including:

Interpersonal skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a janitorial supervisor to have is interpersonal skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "janitors and building cleaners must interact well other cleaners and the people who live or work in the buildings they service." Janitorial supervisors often use interpersonal skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "general maintenance of grounds other routine maintenance duties as assigned skills used good communication and interpersonal skills. "

Physical strength. Another essential skill to perform janitorial supervisor duties is physical strength. Janitorial supervisors responsibilities require that "janitors and building cleaners often must lift and move heavy cleaning materials and equipment." Janitorial supervisors also use physical strength in their role according to a real resume snippet: "helped patients with simple exercises to maintain strength and range of motion. "

Time-management skills. This is an important skill for janitorial supervisors to perform their duties. For an example of how janitorial supervisor responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "janitors and building cleaners must plan and complete tasks in a timely manner." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a janitorial supervisor: "assigned quarterly building maintenance schedules with manpower and completion time lines. ".

Mechanical skills. For certain janitorial supervisor responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "mechanical skills." The day-to-day duties of a janitorial supervisor rely on this skill, as "janitors and building cleaners need to understand general building operations and should be able to make routine repairs, such as to leaky faucets." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what janitorial supervisors do: "experience with carpentry, plumbing, mechanical repair, painting and hvac systems. "

All janitorial supervisor skills

The three companies that hire the most janitorial supervisors are:

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Compare different janitorial supervisors

Janitorial supervisor vs. Lead custodian

A Lead Custodian supervises the custodian division to maintain cleanliness in the office, building, and property at a given time, typically in the morning and evening. They are the ones in charge of performing minor maintenance, furniture, and other office equipment. They also ensure that all assigned tasks to members are completed within the scheduled time and conducts an inventory of all the equipment and supplies. Also, they keep the security surveillance to protect the employees and staff.

We looked at the average janitorial supervisor salary and compared it with the wages of a lead custodian. Generally speaking, lead custodians are paid $1,011 lower than janitorial supervisors per year.Even though janitorial supervisors and lead custodians are distinct careers, a few of the skills required for both jobs are similar. For example, both careers require minor maintenance, cleanliness, and safety procedures in the day-to-day roles and responsibilities.

There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, janitorial supervisor responsibilities require skills like "ventilation," "work ethic," "strong work ethic," and "lawn care." Meanwhile a typical lead custodian has skills in areas such as "ladders," "osha," "custodial equipment," and "safety hazards." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.

Lead custodians really shine in the education industry with an average salary of $32,661. Comparatively, janitorial supervisors tend to make the most money in the finance industry with an average salary of $32,178.On average, lead custodians reach similar levels of education than janitorial supervisors. Lead custodians are 0.4% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.2% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Janitorial supervisor vs. Building coordinator

Housekeeping Assistant Managers inspect the rooms cleaned earlier by the opposite housekeepers. During the inspection, they make sure space's cleanliness is up to the corporate standards. They look for dust, loose hairs, and incorrectly folded linens. They search from top to bottom, going inside drawers, checking the microwaves and refrigerators, and searching underneath the beds. Housekeeping assistant managers are responsible for the cleanliness of the public areas. These public areas consist of bathrooms, lobbies, stairwells, and hallways.

On average, building coordinators earn a $12,300 higher salary than janitorial supervisors a year.

In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, janitorial supervisor responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "minor maintenance," "cleanliness," "safety procedures," and "ventilation." Meanwhile, a building coordinator has duties that require skills in areas such as "hvac," "prototype," "office equipment," and "facilities management." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.

Building coordinators earn a higher average salary than janitorial supervisors. But building coordinators earn the highest pay in the professional industry, with an average salary of $56,384. Additionally, janitorial supervisors earn the highest salaries in the finance with average pay of $32,178 annually.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Building coordinators tend to reach higher levels of education than janitorial supervisors. In fact, they're 8.1% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Janitorial supervisor vs. Room inspector

On average, room inspectors earn lower salaries than janitorial supervisors, with a $771 difference per year.By looking over several janitorial supervisors and room inspectors resumes, we found that both roles require similar skills in their day-to-day duties, such as "cleanliness," "corrective action," and "personnel actions." But beyond that, the careers look very different.

The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, janitorial supervisors are more likely to have skills like "minor maintenance," "safety procedures," "ventilation," and "commercial cleaning." But a room inspector is more likely to have skills like "room attendants," "guest satisfaction," "front desk," and "guest service."

Room inspectors make a very good living in the automotive industry with an average annual salary of $35,163. On the other hand, janitorial supervisors are paid the highest salary in the finance industry, with average annual pay of $32,178.When it comes to education, room inspectors tend to earn similar degree levels compared to janitorial supervisors. In fact, they're 0.7% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.0% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Janitorial supervisor vs. Housekeeping assistant manager

Housekeeping assistant managers typically earn higher pay than janitorial supervisors. On average, housekeeping assistant managers earn a $15,735 higher salary per year.While their salaries may vary, janitorial supervisors and housekeeping assistant managers both use similar skills to perform their duties. Resumes from both professions include skills like "cleanliness," "commercial cleaning," and "inventory control. "Each job also requires different skills to carry out their responsibilities. A janitorial supervisor uses "minor maintenance," "safety procedures," "ventilation," and "work ethic." Housekeeping assistant managers are more likely to have duties that require skills in "customer service," "front desk," "guest satisfaction," and "guest rooms. "housekeeping assistant managers enjoy the best pay in the health care industry, with an average salary of $57,950. For comparison, janitorial supervisors earn the highest salary in the finance industry.In general, housekeeping assistant managers hold similar degree levels compared to janitorial supervisors. Housekeeping assistant managers are 1.0% more likely to earn their Master's Degree and 0.2% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of janitorial supervisor

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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