Lead janitor vs custodian worker

The differences between lead janitors and custodian workers 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 $28,309 average annual salary of a custodian worker.

The top three skills for a lead janitor include commercial cleaning, cleanliness and routine maintenance. The most important skills for a custodian worker are wax floors, cleanliness, and scrubbers.

Lead janitor vs custodian worker overview

	Lead Janitor	Custodian Worker
Yearly salary	$30,888	$28,309
Hourly rate	$14.85	$13.61
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	17,818	102,181
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 51%	High School Diploma, 54%
Average age	49	49
Years of experience	-	-

Lead janitor vs custodian worker salary

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

	Lead Janitor	Custodian Worker
Average salary	$30,888	$28,309
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $42,000	Between $22,000 And $36,000
Highest paying City	Seattle, WA	Schenectady, NY
Highest paying state	Washington	New York
Best paying company	Wegmans Food Markets	Idyllwild Arts
Best paying industry	Technology	Hospitality

Differences between lead janitor and custodian worker education

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

	Lead Janitor	Custodian Worker
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 51%	High School Diploma, 54%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Lead janitor vs custodian worker demographics

Here are the differences between lead janitors' and custodian workers' demographics:

	Lead Janitor	Custodian Worker
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 66.4% Female, 33.6%	Male, 57.4% Female, 42.6%
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, 12.0% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 4.7% White, 58.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between lead janitor and custodian worker 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 worker example responsibilities.

Operate auto scrubbers, vacuums, and wet/dry extractors to mop, strip, wax, and buff floors.
Inspect assigned work locations to ensure cleanliness and organization.
Perform mechanical repairs and services to plumbing, electrical, mechanical systems and large rotating equipment including refrigeration systems.
Clean and disinfect lavatory areas including sinks, urinals and toilets using appropriate cleaning solutions.
Operate buffers and burnishers to strip, wax and buff floors and corridors in various facilities.

Lead janitor vs custodian worker skills

Common lead janitor skills

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

Common custodian worker skills

WAX Floors, 15%
Cleanliness, 11%
Scrubbers, 8%
Window Sills, 6%
Class Rooms, 6%
Taking Care, 5%

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Lead Janitor vs Custodian Worker

Updated January 8, 2025

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