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.

Also Known As

• Environmental Services Aide
• Environmental Services Worker
• Housekeeper
• Housekeeping Laundry Worker

Alternate Job Titles

• Bed Maker
• Bunk House Worker
• Butler
• Cabin Cleaner
• Chambermaid
• Charwoman
• Cleaner
• Cleaning Maid
• Cleaning Matron
• Cleaning Porter
• Cleaning Team Member
• Commercial Housekeeper
• Cottage Attendant
• Curtain Worker
• Dining Room Maid

What You'll Do

In this role, your typical responsibilities 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.

Knowledge You'll Use

You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:

• Customer and Personal Service

Key Abilities

This career requires key abilities in:

• Trunk Strength
• Oral Comprehension
• Oral Expression
• Near Vision
• Extent Flexibility
• Stamina
• Selective Attention
• Speech Recognition
• Dynamic Strength
• Static Strength

Work Style

People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:

• Dependability
• Attention to Detail
• Integrity
• Cooperation
• Humility

What Matters in This Career

This career tends to satisfy these work values:

• Relationships
• Support
• Independence
• Achievement
• Working Conditions

Education & Preparation

Typical Education: Less than a High School Diploma

On-the-Job Training: Anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month

Education Details: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.

Experience Required: Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.

Technology You'll Use

Popular Technologies & Software

• Facebook
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Windows

Tools & Equipment

• Backpack vacuums
• Carpet shampooers
• Carpet steamers
• Cleaning brushes
• Cleaning scrapers
• Clothes ironing equipment
• Commercial automatic floor scrubbers
• Commercial dishwashers
• Dust masks
• Dust mops
• Dusters
• Floor burnishers
• Floor scrubbing machines
• Household dryers
• Household washers

Work Environment

• 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

Salary & Job Market

Salary Percentile	Annual Wage
Entry-Level (10th percentile)	$26,800
Median	$34,660
Top Earners (90th percentile)	$47,590

Workers Employed Nationally: 854,910

Related Careers

If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:

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Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.