Lead janitor vs custodian

The differences between lead janitors and custodians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a lead janitor has an average salary of $30,888, which is higher than the $30,176 average annual salary of a custodian.

The top three skills for a lead janitor include commercial cleaning, cleanliness and routine maintenance. The most important skills for a custodian are cleanliness, work ethic, and customer service.

Lead janitor vs custodian overview

	Lead Janitor	Custodian
Yearly salary	$30,888	$30,176
Hourly rate	$14.85	$14.51
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	17,818	47,364
Job satisfaction	5	4
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 51%	High School Diploma, 48%
Average age	49	49
Years of experience	-	-

Lead janitor vs custodian salary

Lead janitors and custodians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Lead Janitor	Custodian
Average salary	$30,888	$30,176
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $42,000	Between $23,000 And $39,000
Highest paying City	Seattle, WA	San Jose, CA
Highest paying state	Washington	Massachusetts
Best paying company	Wegmans Food Markets	Los Alamos National Laboratory
Best paying industry	Technology	Education

Differences between lead janitor and custodian education

There are a few differences between a lead janitor and a custodian in terms of educational background:

	Lead Janitor	Custodian
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 51%	High School Diploma, 48%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Lead janitor vs custodian demographics

Here are the differences between lead janitors' and custodians' demographics:

	Lead Janitor	Custodian
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 66.4% Female, 33.6%	Male, 64.4% Female, 35.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 21.3% Asian, 5.1% White, 57.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%	Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 24.1% Asian, 5.0% White, 55.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between lead janitor and custodian duties and responsibilities

Lead janitor example responsibilities.

Clean restrooms, clean mirrors and sinks, wash toilets and urinals.
Complete payroll hours for fellow employees.
Used numerous cleaning supplies and machines, including floor scrubbers
Maintain cleanliness and sanitation in to ensure the safety of staff and students.
Record and submit payroll, bookkeeping and financial audits of payroll and invoices.
Maintain floors, stripping, waxing and buffing with automatic scrubbers at various locations.

Custodian example responsibilities.

Operate janitorial equipment including: vacuum cleaners, floor scrubbers, carpet cleaners, presser washers, leaf blowers, etc.
Fill in for custodians when they need off, clean schools, mow grass, salt lots.
Rake leaves, cut and water grass.
Clean windows, glass partitions, or mirrors, with sponges, or squeegees.
Strip and wax floors, clean windows, replace burnt-out light bulbs and ballasts.
Clean and perform preventative maintenance on all mechanical equipment (HVAC & ventilation systems).

Lead janitor vs custodian skills

Common lead janitor skills

Commercial Cleaning, 24%
Cleanliness, 9%
Routine Maintenance, 9%
Glass Partitions, 7%
Ladders, 7%
OSHA, 7%

Common custodian skills

Cleanliness, 13%
Work Ethic, 8%
Customer Service, 6%
Building Floors, 6%
Minor Maintenance, 5%
Ladders, 3%

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Lead Janitor vs Custodian

Updated January 8, 2025

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