How To Become A Lead Custodian: What It Is and Career Path

What is a lead custodian and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Lead Custodians are responsible for overseeing and organizing the tasks provided by the head custodian. They ensure that maintenance is carried out in a timely manner and that responsibilities are well executed. Having physical strength and agility are must-haves for this role.

The primary responsibilities of this role include cleaning, waxing, and constant transportation of furniture. They also monitor and maintain records of the quality of work performed by other custodial employees. This role requires repetitive bending over and carrying heavy objects. There is also potential exposure to body fluids. Lead custodians work irregular hours, so flexibility is a must.

Lead custodians report and work under the guidance of the head custodian. The job is carried out in compliance with defined protocols. Usually, the head custodian provides the general input on the nature of the job and goals. However, in the absence of the head custodian, lead custodians may assign, plan and assign the goals and schedule of all workers. The minimum qualifications for this role are a high school diploma or equivalent and two years of experience performing custodial responsibilities.

ScoreLead CustodianUS Average

Salary

2.5

Avg. Salary $32,122

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.7

Growth rate 4%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.2

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.07%

Asian 3.24%

Black or African American 9.60%

Hispanic or Latino 21.44%

Unknown 5.51%

White 59.15%

Gender

female 31.99%

male 68.01%

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

7.7

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

5.2

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.0

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a lead custodian

Explore lead custodian education requirements

Most common lead custodian degrees

High School Diploma

47.5 %

Associate

17.8 %

Diploma

13.8 %

Start to develop specific lead custodian skills

Skills	Percentages
Cleanliness	11.08%
Floor Care	10.36%
Safety Procedures	7.23%
Ladders	6.84%
Minor Maintenance	5.01%

Complete relevant lead custodian training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New lead custodians 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 lead custodian based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real lead custodian resumes.

Research lead custodian duties and responsibilities

Operate equipment including carpet extractors, floor scrubbers, slow/high speeds for stripping/refinishing floors, furniture moving equipment and snow blowers.
Operate power tools, buffers, scrubbers, extractors, vacuums, brooms, mops, to ensure daily cleaning.
Perform repairs, including painting, basic carpentry, and wall repair, minor plumbing and electrical.
Execute minor repairs including furniture assembly, changing ballasts, plumbing, locks, windows, ceiling tiles.

Get lead custodian experience

Generally, it takes 1-2 years to become a lead custodian. The most common roles before becoming a lead custodian include custodian, cashier team lead and customer service representative.

Prepare your lead custodian resume

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

Choose from 10+ customizable lead custodian resume templates

Build a professional lead custodian 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 lead custodian resume.

Apply for lead custodian jobs

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

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

How do lead custodians rate their job?

-/5

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Lead custodian reviews

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.

A zippia user wrote a review on May 2019