School janitor vs custodian worker

The differences between school janitors and custodian workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a school janitor has an average salary of $30,824, which is higher than the $28,309 average annual salary of a custodian worker.

The top three skills for a school janitor include building floors, commercial cleaning and clean classrooms. The most important skills for a custodian worker are wax floors, cleanliness, and scrubbers.

School janitor vs custodian worker overview

	School Janitor	Custodian Worker
Yearly salary	$30,824	$28,309
Hourly rate	$14.82	$13.61
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	74,188	102,181
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 51%	High School Diploma, 54%
Average age	49	49
Years of experience	-	-

School janitor vs custodian worker salary

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

	School Janitor	Custodian Worker
Average salary	$30,824	$28,309
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $38,000	Between $22,000 And $36,000
Highest paying City	-	Schenectady, NY
Highest paying state	-	New York
Best paying company	-	Idyllwild Arts
Best paying industry	-	Hospitality

Differences between school janitor and custodian worker education

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

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

School janitor vs custodian worker demographics

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

	School Janitor	Custodian Worker
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 67.4% Female, 32.6%	Male, 57.4% Female, 42.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 20.8% Asian, 4.9% White, 59.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%	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 school janitor and custodian worker duties and responsibilities

School janitor example responsibilities.

Mow and trim lawns and shrubbery, using mowers and hand and power trimmers, clear debris from grounds.
Disinfect toilets and urinals plus restock paper materials.
Maintain working facilities-use floor scrubbers to clean assign areas-Polished floors-cleane bathrooms and take out garbage to maintain a clean environment
Mow and trim lawns and shrubbery, using mowers and hand and power trimmers, and clear debris from grounds.

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.

School janitor vs custodian worker skills

Common school janitor skills

Building Floors, 34%
Commercial Cleaning, 16%
Clean Classrooms, 8%
Urinals, 8%
Class Rooms, 6%
Clean Restrooms, 5%

Common custodian worker skills

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

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School Janitor vs Custodian Worker

Updated January 8, 2025

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