What is a Janitor?
Job Description: 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.
Life As a Janitor
- Clean and restore building interiors damaged by fire, smoke, or water, using commercial cleaning equipment.
- Move heavy furniture, equipment, or supplies, either manually or by using hand trucks.
- Requisition supplies or equipment needed for cleaning and maintenance duties.
- Drive vans, industrial trucks, or other vehicles required to travel to or to perform cleaning work.
- Gather and empty trash.
- Spray insecticides or fumigants to prevent insect or rodent infestation.
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Things a Janitor Should Know How to Do
When polled, Janitors say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Time Management: Managing one’s own time and the time of others.
Related Job Titles for this Occupation:
- Scrub Woman
- Environmental Services Technician
- Light Fixture Servicer
- Home Restoration Service Cleaner
- Sweeper
Are There Job Opportunities for Janitors?
In the United States, there were 2,384,600 jobs for Janitor in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 9.9% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 236,600 new jobs for Janitor by 2026. The BLS estimates 344,100 yearly job openings in this field.

The states with the most job growth for Janitor are Utah, Washington, and Nevada. Watch out if you plan on working in Maine, Vermont, or Illinois. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Do Janitors Make A Lot Of Money?
The salary for Janitors ranges between about $19,060 and $43,340 a year.

Janitors who work in Massachusetts, Washington, or Alaska, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Janitors in different U.S. states.
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $23,700 |
Alaska | $34,130 |
Arizona | $26,410 |
Arkansas | $23,520 |
California | $33,570 |
Colorado | $28,980 |
Connecticut | $34,360 |
Delaware | $28,530 |
District of Columbia | $32,260 |
Florida | $25,450 |
Georgia | $24,180 |
Hawaii | $31,350 |
Idaho | $25,770 |
Illinois | $30,410 |
Indiana | $26,900 |
Iowa | $28,030 |
Kansas | $25,900 |
Kentucky | $25,940 |
Louisiana | $22,030 |
Maine | $29,940 |
Maryland | $28,370 |
Massachusetts | $35,560 |
Michigan | $27,230 |
Minnesota | $31,680 |
Mississippi | $22,120 |
Missouri | $27,470 |
Montana | $29,790 |
Nebraska | $27,350 |
Nevada | $30,380 |
New Hampshire | $29,420 |
New Jersey | $31,700 |
New Mexico | $24,320 |
New York | $35,080 |
North Carolina | $24,190 |
North Dakota | $30,740 |
Ohio | $27,930 |
Oklahoma | $23,670 |
Oregon | $29,860 |
Pennsylvania | $28,730 |
Rhode Island | $31,000 |
South Carolina | $23,370 |
South Dakota | $25,900 |
Tennessee | $24,430 |
Texas | $24,870 |
Utah | $25,270 |
Vermont | $31,280 |
Virginia | $26,340 |
Washington | $35,220 |
West Virginia | $26,000 |
Wisconsin | $28,200 |
Wyoming | $29,340 |
What Tools & Technology do Janitors Use?
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Janitors:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
How to Become a Janitor
Individuals working as a Janitor have obtained the following education levels:

How Long Does it Take to Become a Janitor?

Who Employs Janitors?

Below are examples of industries where Janitors work:

Similar Careers
Are you already one of the many Janitor in the United States? If you’re thinking about changing careers, these fields are worth exploring:
References:
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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