# How Much Does a Janitor Make? BLS Wage Data 2026

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Publisher: SimplyWise, Inc. (https://www.simplywise.com)
Published: November 5, 2026
Updated: November 5, 2026
Category: Project Cost Guides
Summary: How much does a janitor make: national pay, the spread by employer type, and BLS state wages, plus how a building-service contractor turns that into a bid.

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## How Much Does a Janitor Make? BLS Wage Data

How much does a janitor make? $18.64 an hour on average, $38,760 a year (BLS, May 2025). Contract cleaning companies pay less than schools, hospitals, and local government.

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How much a janitor makes, at a glance

1. Janitors fall under BLS code 37-2011. National mean wage: $18.64 an hour, $38,760 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
2. Median pay is lower: $17.71 an hour, $36,840 a year. The middle 50 percent earns $15.50 to $21.18 an hour.
3. Who you work for changes the number. Local government janitors average $20.27 an hour, $42,160 a year. Contract building-service janitors average $17.44 an hour, $36,270 a year, a $5,890 gap.
4. School custodians average $20.07 an hour, $41,740 a year. Hospital janitors average $19.87 an hour, $41,330 a year.
5. Washington pays the most among states, $47,410 a year. Mississippi pays the least, $29,790.
6. Employment is projected to grow 2 percent from 2025 to 2035, slower than average (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook).

## How much does a janitor make an hour?

BLS tracks janitors under one classification, code 37-2011, Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners. That code covers school custodians, office janitors, and general cleaners together, with no separate split between them.

Nationally, the mean wage is $18.64 an hour, $38,760 a year. The median, where half earn more and half less, is lower: $17.71 an hour, $36,840 a year. A smaller group of higher earners pulls the mean above the median. The classification counts an estimated 2,209,760 workers (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

## What is the full pay range for this classification?

An average hides most of the story. BLS also publishes percentile wages, from the lowest-paid tenth of workers to the highest-paid tenth.

| Percentile | Hourly wage | Annual wage |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 10th percentile | $13.77 | $28,640 |
| 25th percentile | $15.50 | $32,240 |
| Median (50th) | $17.71 | $36,840 |
| Mean (average) | $18.64 | $38,760 |
| 75th percentile | $21.18 | $44,060 |
| 90th percentile | $24.17 | $50,270 |

The 10th-to-90th spread runs from $28,640 to $50,270 a year, all one classification (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

## Does pay change based on who you work for?

Yes, by about $5,890 a year between local government and contract cleaning companies. A janitor employed directly by local government, a school, or a hospital is paid differently than one employed by a contract cleaning company.

| Employer type | Mean hourly | Mean annual |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Local government, incl. schools and hospitals | $20.27 | $42,160 |
| Elementary and secondary schools | $20.07 | $41,740 |
| Hospitals | $19.87 | $41,330 |
| Services to buildings and dwellings (contract cleaning) | $17.44 | $36,270 |

Local government custodial pay runs $5,890 a year above contract building-service pay for the same classification (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

A school or hospital carries custodial wages as an institutional payroll line. A building-service contractor bids the contract competitively, so the crew wage has to fit inside the winning price. That is the group this guide is written for. To win that work, see how to get commercial cleaning contracts (https://www.simplywise.com/blog/how-to-get-commercial-cleaning-contracts/). Our own contractor hourly labor rates by trade (https://www.simplywise.com/blog/contractor-hourly-labor-rates-by-trade/) page tracks pay across more trades from the same BLS release.

## Which states pay janitors the most, and which pay the least?

State averages move even more. Here are the six highest-paying and six lowest-paying states in the classification, by mean annual wage.

| State | Mean hourly | Mean annual | Rank |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Washington | $22.79 | $47,410 | Highest |
| Massachusetts | $21.75 | $45,250 | Highest |
| New York | $21.55 | $44,830 | Highest |
| California | $21.25 | $44,210 | Highest |
| Connecticut | $20.48 | $42,590 | Highest |
| Vermont | $20.35 | $42,320 | Highest |
| South Carolina | $15.73 | $32,720 | Lowest |
| Oklahoma | $15.52 | $32,280 | Lowest |
| Alabama | $15.51 | $32,260 | Lowest |
| Arkansas | $15.21 | $31,640 | Lowest |
| Louisiana | $14.56 | $30,290 | Lowest |
| Mississippi | $14.32 | $29,790 | Lowest |

Washington’s mean pay runs $17,620 a year above Mississippi’s, about a 59 percent gap (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

## What about shift work and union jobs?

Janitorial work runs on the building’s schedule, not nine to five. Most janitors work full time, though part-time work is common, and schedules may include evenings, nights, or weekends (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook).

Local government custodial staff, including many school employees, are often covered by public-sector unions where states allow it. BLS does not break out union membership for this classification.

## How to bid a janitorial or building-maintenance contract

1. Start from the wage floor for the right employer type Use $17.44 to $18.64 an hour if bidding as a contract cleaning company. Use the higher local-government figures only when pricing against an in-house crew.
2. Add supervision, supplies, and insurance on top of wages Wages are the labor line, not the whole bid. Add your standard markup for supplies, equipment, liability insurance, and supervisor time.
3. Walk the property and set a cleaning frequency Estimate square footage and decide nightly, weekly, or per-visit service. Square footage and frequency drive contract cost more than headcount alone.
4. Turn the walkthrough into a bid Snap a photo in SimplyWise Cost Estimator. Edit the material, labor, and fee lines, then send a branded quote.

## SimplyWise Cost Estimator for pricing janitorial contracts

SimplyWise Cost Estimator turns a walkthrough photo into an itemized estimate in about 6 seconds. Material, labor, and fee lines are editable, so you can enter your own crew wage and markup for a janitorial bid. Send a branded quote the client signs to approve. $29.99/mo or $239.99/yr, about $20/mo on annual, with a 7-day free trial.

## Sources

### BLS wage data

- BLS OEWS, May 2025 national estimates (https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), code 37-2011, verified 2026-09-26.
- BLS OEWS, May 2025 state estimates (https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25st.zip), code 37-2011, verified 2026-09-26.
- BLS OEWS, May 2025 industry-specific national estimates (https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25in4.zip), code 37-2011, verified 2026-09-26.
- SimplyWise, contractor hourly labor rates by trade (https://www.simplywise.com/blog/contractor-hourly-labor-rates-by-trade/), cross-check, live 2026-09-26.

### BLS job outlook

- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Janitors and Building Cleaners (https://www.bls.gov/ooh/building-and-grounds-cleaning/janitors-and-building-cleaners.htm), verified 2026-09-26.

### SimplyWise

- SimplyWise Cost Estimator on the App Store (https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simplywise-cost-estimator/id6670619664), 4.8 rating, verified 2026-09-26.

## Frequently asked questions about janitor pay

### The wage

**How much does a janitor make an hour?**

Janitors fall under BLS code 37-2011, Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners. The mean is $18.64 an hour, the median $17.71 an hour (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

**What is the median janitor salary a year?**

Median annual wage: $36,840. Mean: $38,760 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The 10th percentile earns $28,640 a year, the 90th earns $50,270.

### The range

**Which state pays janitors the most?**

Washington: $47,410 a year, $22.79 an hour, the highest mean pay among states. Massachusetts, New York, California, Connecticut, and Vermont round out the top six (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

### Who you work for

**Does a janitor make more working for a school district than a cleaning contractor?**

Yes. Local government janitors, including school and hospital staff, average $20.27 an hour, $42,160 a year. Contract building-service janitors average $17.44 an hour, $36,270 a year, a $5,890 gap (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

### Estimating the job

**Can I quote a cleaning contract from a photo?**

Yes. Walk the property and snap a photo. SimplyWise Cost Estimator turns it into an itemized estimate in about 6 seconds. Every line stays editable.

**Does SimplyWise Cost Estimator work for janitorial or building-maintenance bids?**

It builds material, labor, and fee line items, each with unit, quantity, and price per unit, so you can price a contract by square footage or crew hour. Send a branded quote the client signs to approve. Pricing is $29.99/mo or $239.99/yr, with a 7-day free trial.

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