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What is a Janitor?

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: What Do They Do?

  • Dust furniture, walls, machines, or equipment.
  • Strip, seal, finish, and polish floors.
  • Set up, arrange, or remove decorations, tables, chairs, ladders, or scaffolding to prepare facilities for events, such as banquets or meetings.
  • Requisition supplies or equipment needed for cleaning and maintenance duties.
  • Make adjustments or minor repairs to heating, cooling, ventilating, plumbing, or electrical systems.
  • Gather and empty trash.

What Skills Do You Need to Work as a Janitor?

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.

  • Airport Attendant
  • Industrial Sweeper-Cleaner
  • Day Worker
  • Furnace Caretaker
  • Venetian Blind Cleaner and Repairer

Job Demand 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.

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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?

Janitors make between $19,060 and $43,340 a year.

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Janitors who work in Massachusetts, Washington, or Alaska, make the highest salaries.

How much do Janitors make in each U.S. state?

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

Learn what Janitor education requirements there are.

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How many years of work experience do I need?

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Where do Janitors Work?

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The table below shows the approximate number of Janitors employed by various industries.

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Similar Careers

Career changers with experience as a Janitor sometimes find work in one of the following fields:

References:

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More about our data sources and methodologies.

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