Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners: Career Overview
Perform any combination of light cleaning duties to maintain private households or commercial establishments, such as hotels and hospitals, in a clean and orderly manner. Duties may include making beds, replenishing linens, cleaning rooms and halls, and vacuuming.
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What Do Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners Do?
The day-to-day responsibilities of maids and housekeeping cleaners include:
- Keep storage areas and carts well-stocked, clean, and tidy.
- Carry linens, towels, toilet items, and cleaning supplies, using wheeled carts.
- Clean rooms, hallways, lobbies, lounges, restrooms, corridors, elevators, stairways, locker rooms, and other work areas so that health standards are met.
- Empty wastebaskets, empty and clean ashtrays, and transport other trash and waste to disposal areas.
- Sweep, scrub, wax, or polish floors, using brooms, mops, or powered scrubbing and waxing machines.
- Replenish supplies, such as drinking glasses, linens, writing supplies, and bathroom items.
- Clean rugs, carpets, upholstered furniture, and draperies, using vacuum cleaners and shampooers.
- Wash windows, walls, ceilings, and woodwork, waxing and polishing as necessary.
What Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners Need to Know
Top maids and housekeeping cleaners draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
These are the skills most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Types of Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners Jobs
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Bed Maker
- Bunk House Worker
- Butler
- Cabin Cleaner
- Chambermaid
- Charwoman
- Cleaner
- Cleaning Maid
Job Outlook
There are about 252,120 maids and housekeeping cleaners working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to grow by +8.0% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $40,871 |
| Hourly median | $19.65 |
| 10th percentile | $27,834 |
| 25th percentile | $34,352 |
| 75th percentile | $47,389 |
| 90th percentile | $53,908 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners Make in Different U.S. States?
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Hawaii | $51,530 |
| Nevada | $44,920 |
| New York | $42,890 |
| California | $40,200 |
| Washington | $39,410 |
| District of Columbia | $38,990 |
| Massachusetts | $38,150 |
| Colorado | $37,240 |
| Vermont | $37,140 |
| Alaska | $37,070 |
| New Jersey | $36,670 |
| Minnesota | $36,630 |
| Maine | $36,450 |
| New Hampshire | $36,200 |
| Oregon | $35,970 |
| Rhode Island | $35,780 |
| Illinois | $35,600 |
| Connecticut | $35,400 |
| Arizona | $35,400 |
| Utah | $34,660 |
| Idaho | $34,540 |
| North Dakota | $34,140 |
| Maryland | $34,100 |
| Wisconsin | $34,080 |
| Montana | $34,020 |
| Pennsylvania | $33,580 |
| Michigan | $33,550 |
| Virginia | $32,620 |
| Florida | $31,830 |
| Nebraska | $31,440 |
| Delaware | $31,200 |
| Missouri | $31,200 |
| Iowa | $31,090 |
| Indiana | $30,740 |
| North Carolina | $30,380 |
| Wyoming | $30,240 |
| Tennessee | $30,100 |
| Kansas | $30,020 |
| Ohio | $29,820 |
| New Mexico | $29,760 |
| Texas | $29,500 |
| Kentucky | $29,470 |
| South Carolina | $29,290 |
| South Dakota | $28,950 |
| Georgia | $28,760 |
| Virgin Islands | $28,620 |
| West Virginia | $27,710 |
| Oklahoma | $27,410 |
| Arkansas | $27,250 |
| Alabama | $27,160 |
| Louisiana | $25,380 |
| Mississippi | $24,460 |
| Guam | $22,040 |
| Puerto Rico | $21,080 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Compensation for maids and housekeeping cleaners vary by region. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $41,140 | 20.0% | 1.42 |
| Middle Atlantic | $38,210 | 12.7% | 0.83 |
| New England | $36,954 | 4.2% | 0.92 |
| Rocky Mountains | $35,308 | 4.6% | 1.24 |
| Great Lakes | $32,911 | 12.0% | 0.84 |
| Plains States | $32,302 | 6.8% | 1.01 |
| Southwest | $30,615 | 12.2% | 1.00 |
| Southeast | $30,087 | 27.1% | 1.15 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Urban Honolulu, HI | HI | $55,800 | 6,440 |
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | HI | $51,240 | 2,390 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | NV | $45,850 | 20,240 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $45,670 | 13,510 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $45,640 | 5,130 |
| Napa, CA | CA | $43,940 | 1,010 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | NY | $43,090 | 42,610 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $42,860 | 9,390 |
Which Industries Hire Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners
Most maids and housekeeping cleaners work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation and Food Services | 436,460 | $34,150 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 226,480 | $35,610 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 129,650 | $34,070 |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 22,600 | $36,350 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 10,790 | $34,260 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 9,780 | $35,780 |
| Educational Services | 4,530 | $35,740 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 3,000 | $37,120 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Software Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners Use
- Web page creation and editing software: Facebook (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Microsoft Windows (hot technology)
The Day-to-Day Environment
Daily working conditions for maids and housekeeping cleaners tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Spend Time Standing
- Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions
- Spend Time Bending or Twisting Your Body
- Spend Time Walking or Running
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
Education and Training
Entry-level maids and housekeeping cleaners positions require less than a high school diploma as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Food Preparation Workers (Supplemental)
- Fast Food and Counter Workers (Primary-Long)
- Food Servers, Nonrestaurant (Supplemental)
- Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers (Primary-Short)
- Dishwashers (Primary-Short)
- First-Line Supervisors of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers (Primary-Long)
- Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners (Primary-Short)
- Locker Room, Coatroom, and Dressing Room Attendants (Primary-Short)
About the Data
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 37-2012.00 (Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners).
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