Life As a Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Worker
Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Worker Definition Operate or tend washing or dry-cleaning machines to wash or dry-clean industrial or household articles, such as cloth garments, suede, leather, furs, blankets, draperies, linens, rugs, and carpets. Includes spotters and dyers of these articles.
Life As a Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Worker: What Do They Do?
- Sprinkle chemical solvents over stains, and pat areas with brushes or sponges to remove stains.
- Spray steam, water, or air over spots to flush out chemicals, dry material, raise naps, or brighten colors.
- Sort and count articles removed from dryers, and fold, wrap, or hang them.
- Mix and add detergents, dyes, bleaches, starches, and other solutions and chemicals to clean, color, dry, or stiffen articles.
- Start washers, dry cleaners, driers, or extractors, and turn valves or levers to regulate machine processes and the volume of soap, detergent, water, bleach, starch, and other additives.
- Mend and sew articles, using hand stitching, adhesive patches, or sewing machines.
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What a Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Worker Should Know
Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.
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.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Operation Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Time Management: Managing one’s own time and the time of others.
Types of Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Worker
- Utility Worker
- Stamper
- Hand Launderer
- Hatter
- Distributor
Is There Going to be Demand for Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers?
In 2016, there was an estimated number of 220,100 jobs in the United States for Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Worker. There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Worker. The BLS estimates 29,500 yearly job openings in this field.

The states with the most job growth for Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Worker are Utah, Colorado, and Florida. Watch out if you plan on working in Wisconsin, Missouri, or Georgia. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
How Much Does a Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Worker Make?
The typical yearly salary for Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers is somewhere between $18,120 and $32,530.

Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers who work in District of Columbia, Hawaii, or Alaska, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers in different U.S. states.
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $21,960 |
Alaska | $30,340 |
Arizona | $27,600 |
Arkansas | $21,500 |
California | $28,600 |
Colorado | $25,330 |
Connecticut | $26,850 |
Delaware | $23,870 |
District of Columbia | $36,870 |
Florida | $22,740 |
Georgia | $21,850 |
Hawaii | $31,870 |
Idaho | $22,650 |
Illinois | $24,140 |
Indiana | $23,100 |
Iowa | $24,510 |
Kansas | $22,450 |
Kentucky | $21,650 |
Louisiana | $22,690 |
Maine | $25,490 |
Maryland | $23,920 |
Massachusetts | $27,820 |
Michigan | $24,770 |
Minnesota | $28,180 |
Mississippi | $20,210 |
Missouri | $21,920 |
Montana | $24,790 |
Nebraska | $25,460 |
Nevada | $24,750 |
New Hampshire | $24,070 |
New Jersey | $23,820 |
New Mexico | $21,560 |
New York | $26,610 |
North Carolina | $22,020 |
North Dakota | $27,600 |
Ohio | $23,030 |
Oklahoma | $21,020 |
Oregon | $27,520 |
Pennsylvania | $24,240 |
Rhode Island | $28,090 |
South Carolina | $22,640 |
South Dakota | $23,570 |
Tennessee | $21,540 |
Texas | $23,400 |
Utah | $24,720 |
Vermont | $24,790 |
Virginia | $22,280 |
Washington | $28,910 |
West Virginia | $24,090 |
Wisconsin | $24,520 |
Wyoming | $23,940 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Web browser software
- Email software
- Microsoft Windows
How do I Become a Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Worker?
Education needed to be a Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Worker:

What work experience do I need to become a Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Worker?

Where Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers Are Employed

Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers work in the following industries:

Similar Careers
Are you already one of the many Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Worker 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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