Education:
62%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
23%
Bachelor's Degree
Janitor or Building Cleaner
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Job Outlook:
Little or no change
Education:
None
Salary
High:
$46,400.00
Average:
$33,960.00
Hourly
Average:
$16.33
What they do:
Keep buildings in clean and orderly condition. Perform heavy cleaning duties, such as cleaning floors, shampooing rugs, washing walls and glass, and removing rubbish. Duties may include tending furnace and boiler, performing routine maintenance activities, notifying management of need for repairs, and cleaning snow or debris from sidewalk.
On the job, you would:
- Strip, seal, finish, and polish floors.
- Move heavy furniture, equipment, or supplies, either manually or with hand trucks.
- Service, clean, or supply restrooms.
Important Qualities
Interpersonal skills. Janitors and building cleaners must interact well other cleaners and the people who live or work in the buildings they service.
Mechanical skills. Janitors and building cleaners need to understand general building operations and should be able to make routine repairs, such as to leaky faucets.
Physical stamina. Janitors and building cleaners spend most of their workday standing to operate cleaning equipment.
Physical strength. Janitors and building cleaners often must lift and move heavy cleaning materials and equipment.
Time-management skills. Janitors and building cleaners must plan and complete tasks in a timely manner.
Personality
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Characteristics of this Career |
|---|---|---|---|
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80% | Dependability - Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations. | |
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80% | Integrity - Job requires being honest and ethical. | |
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73% | Independence - Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done. | |
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72% | Self-Control - Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations. | |
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71% | Attention to Detail - Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks. | |
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71% | Persistence - Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles. | |
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69% | Adaptability/Flexibility - Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace. | |
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68% | Initiative - Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges. | |
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67% | Cooperation - Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude. |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Strengths |
|---|---|---|---|
|
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95% | Realistic - Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services. |
Job Details
Responsibilities
Monitor building premises to ensure occupant or visitor safety.
Remove debris from work sites.
Trim trees or other vegetation.
Operate grounds maintenance equipment.
Drive trucks or other vehicles to or at work sites.
Clean facilities or sites.
Dispose of trash or waste materials.
Clean building walls or flooring.
Prepare chemicals for work application.
Prepare chemicals for work application.
Clean building walls or flooring.
Confer with coworkers to coordinate maintenance or cleaning activities.
Select equipment, materials, or supplies for cleaning or maintenance activities.
Clean furniture or fixtures.
Clean building walls or flooring.
Move furniture.
Decorate indoor or outdoor spaces.
Clean furniture or fixtures.
Clean furniture or fixtures.
Clean equipment or supplies.
Clean building walls or flooring.
Move furniture.
Remove snow.
Drive trucks or other vehicles to or at work sites.
Clean equipment or supplies.
Treat facilities to eliminate pests.
Maintain equipment or systems to ensure proper functioning.
Clean facilities or sites.
Clean facilities or sites.
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Attributes & Percentage of Time Spent |
|---|---|---|---|
|
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91% | Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets - How much does this job require wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets? | |
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88% | Structured versus Unstructured Work - To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals? | |
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88% | Spend Time Walking and Running - How much does this job require walking and running? | |
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86% | Freedom to Make Decisions - How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer? | |
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85% | Face-to-Face Discussions - How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job? | |
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81% | Indoors, Environmentally Controlled - How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions? | |
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78% | Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls - How much does this job require using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls? | |
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76% | Spend Time Standing - How much does this job require standing? | |
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73% | Responsible for Others' Health and Safety - How much responsibility is there for the health and safety of others in this job? | |
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68% | Contact With Others - How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it? |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Tasks & Values |
|---|---|---|---|
|
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79% | Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates - Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person. | |
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72% | Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work - Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work. | |
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70% | Performing General Physical Activities - Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials. | |
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68% | Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials - Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects. | |
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68% | Making Decisions and Solving Problems - Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems. | |
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66% | Getting Information - Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources. | |
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65% | Handling and Moving Objects - Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things. |
What Janitors and Building Cleaners Do
Janitors and building cleaners wash windows and glass.
Janitors and building cleaners keep many types of buildings clean, sanitary, orderly, and in good condition.
Duties
Janitors and building cleaners typically do the following:
- Gather and empty trash
- Sweep, mop, or vacuum building floors
- Clean restrooms and stock them with supplies
- Clean spills and other hazards with appropriate equipment
- Wash windows, walls, and glass
- Clean and disinfect surfaces that are touched frequently
- Order cleaning supplies
- Make minor building repairs
- Notify managers when a building needs major repairs
- Lock doors to secure buildings
Janitors and building cleaners keep office buildings, schools, hospitals, and other places clean, sanitary, and in good condition. Some clean only, while others have a wide range of duties.
In addition to keeping the inside of buildings clean and orderly, some janitors and building cleaners work outdoors. They may do tasks such as mowing lawns, sweeping walkways, and removing snow. Some also monitor the building’s heating and cooling system, ensuring that it functions properly.
Janitors and building cleaners use many tools and types of equipment. Simple cleaning tools may include brooms, mops, and rakes. Other tools include sprayers, floor buffers, and snowblowers.
Some janitors are responsible for repairing minor electrical or plumbing problems, such as leaky faucets.
The following are examples of types of janitors and building cleaners:
Building superintendents are responsible for maintaining residential buildings, such as apartments and condominiums. Although their duties are like those of other janitors, some building superintendents also help collect rent and show vacancies to potential tenants.
Custodians are janitors or cleaning workers who typically maintain institutional facilities, such as schools and hospitals.
For data on workers who maintain private homes or businesses, such as hotels, see maids and housekeeping cleaners.
Work Environment
Janitors and building cleaners held about 2.4 million jobs in 2022. The largest employers of janitors and building cleaners were as follows:
| Services to buildings and dwellings | 35% |
| Elementary and secondary schools; state, local, and private | 13 |
| Healthcare and social assistance | 7 |
| Self-employed workers | 5 |
| Government | 5 |
Janitors and building cleaners usually work indoors, but they may work outdoors on tasks such as sweeping walkways, mowing lawns, and shoveling snow. They spend most of the day walking, standing, or bending while cleaning. They often move or lift heavy supplies and equipment. As a result, the work may be strenuous on the back, arms, and legs. Some tasks, such as cleaning restrooms and trash areas, are dirty or unpleasant.
Injuries and Illnesses
Janitors and building cleaners sometimes get injured on the job. For example, they may suffer sprains or strains from heavy lifting or pain and soreness from repetitive motion. Workers may receive safety and ergonomics training to help minimize these risks.
Work Schedules
Most janitors and building cleaners work full time, but part-time work is common. Work schedules may vary. Because office buildings are often cleaned while they are empty, many cleaners work evening hours. When there is a need for 24-hour maintenance, such as in hospitals, cleaners work in shifts that may include nights, weekends, or holidays.
Getting Started
How to Become a Janitor or Building Cleaner
Most janitors and building cleaners learn on the job. They use many types of tools and equipment, including snowblowers.
Janitors and building cleaners typically do not need formal education to enter the occupation. However, some employers may require or prefer that workers have a high school diploma or equivalent. Most janitors and building cleaners learn on the job.
Education
Janitors and building cleaners typically do not need a formal educational credential to qualify for entry-level jobs. But for some positions, they may need to have a high school diploma or equivalent.
Elective high school courses, such as in industrial arts, may be helpful for occupations involving repair.
Training
Most janitors and building cleaners learn on the job. Beginners typically work with a more experienced janitor, learning how to use and maintain equipment such as vacuums, floor buffers, and other equipment and tools. They also may learn how to repair minor electrical and plumbing problems.
Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations
Although not required, certification is available through the Building Service Contractors Association International, the ISSA—The International Sanitary Supply Association, and IEHA, a division of ISSA. Certification demonstrates competence and may make applicants more appealing to employers.
Job Outlook
Employment of janitors and building cleaners is projected to show little or no change from 2022 to 2032.
Despite limited employment growth, about 336,700 openings for janitors and building cleaners are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Most of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Employment
The continued need for clean and healthy spaces will support demand for the services that janitors and building cleaners provide. However, this demand will be offset by the increase in remote and hybrid work environments, which will reduce the number of physical office spaces that require regular cleanings and maintenance. In addition, the continued use of hi-tech cleaning methods may limit employment growth for these workers.
Contacts for More Information
For more information about janitors and building cleaners, visit
Association of Residential Cleaning Services International (ARSCI)
Building Service Contractors Association International (BSCAI)
Similar Occupations
This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of janitors and building cleaners.
| Occupation | Job Duties | Entry-Level Education | Median Annual Pay, May 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Grounds Maintenance Workers |
Grounds maintenance workers install and maintain landscapes, prune trees or shrubs, and do other tasks to ensure that vegetation is attractive, orderly, and safe. |
See How to Become One | $36,160 |
|
Pest Control Workers |
Pest control workers remove insects, rodents, and other pests that infest buildings and surrounding areas. |
High school diploma or equivalent | $38,310 |