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Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners

Typical education: High school diplomaLower pressure Bright Outlook

What they do

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.

Kinds of work

  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.

Lower pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $35,510 Median per year · $17.07/hr Most earn $27,640–$48,570

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Empty wastebaskets, empty and clean ashtrays, and transport other trash and waste to disposal areas.
  • Keep storage areas and carts well-stocked, clean, and tidy.
  • Carry linens, towels, toilet items, and cleaning supplies, using wheeled carts.
  • Wash windows, walls, ceilings, and woodwork, waxing and polishing as necessary.
  • Hang draperies and dust window blinds.
  • Polish silver accessories and metalwork, such as fixtures and fittings.

Job outlook

Bright Outlook Numerous Job Openings

United States
1% more jobs by 2035, slower than average · about 175,500 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Private households19.8%
  • Self-employed (their own business)13.7%
  • General medical and surgical hospitals6.1%
  • Nursing care facilities (skilled nursing facilities)5.2%
  • Continuing care retirement communities and assisted living facilities for the elderly3.8%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: Up to 1 month

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: High school diplomaExperience before this job: Up to 1 monthEntry-level

This is an entry-level job. Most people need only a high school diploma and can learn the work on the job in about a month or less, so you can start soon after school.

  1. High school diploma

    4 years

    Finishing high school gives you the basic education most employers ask for, and it shows you can show up and follow directions.

  2. Maid and Housekeeping Cleaner

    Up to 1 month of on-the-job training

    You learn the routines for making beds, cleaning rooms, restocking linens, and vacuuming, usually by working alongside an experienced cleaner. This is the career itself.

Where it can lead

  1. Housekeeping Supervisor

    1-2 years of experience first

    You would oversee a team of cleaners, schedule work, check the quality of rooms or buildings, and train new staff. Employers usually look for a track record of reliable, thorough work first.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take family and consumer science or health classesThese classes teach cleaning safety, organization, and basic household skills that translate directly to this work.
  • Get a starter job or babysitting gigAny job where you keep a space tidy, follow a checklist, and work with people builds the habits employers look for.
  • Help with cleaning at home or for neighborsTaking on regular chores or small paid jobs for neighbors builds a sense of how much work a clean space really takes.
  • Volunteer at a hospital, shelter, or community centerVolunteering in a place that needs regular cleaning shows you how a clean, orderly environment supports people's health and comfort.

In college

  • Take courses in customer service or hospitalityThese classes teach how to work with guests and clients, which matters a lot in hotel and household housekeeping.
  • Work a campus job in facilities or housingA residence hall or campus custodial job gives you real experience keeping shared spaces clean and on schedule.
  • Look for a summer job at a hotel or cleaning serviceHands-on experience in a professional setting teaches the pace, routines, and standards that employers expect.
  • Earn a basic workplace safety or first-aid certificateMany local programs offer short certificates in safety or first aid, which can make you a stronger candidate for cleaning jobs in hospitals or care settings.

Tips for getting started

  • Show reliability: arriving on time, finishing tasks, and being careful with homes or guest rooms are the qualities employers look for most in this work.
  • Ask about the training and pay range for specific jobs near you on the career's page in this app, since that data is there for your area and nationally.
  • Get comfortable with basic cleaning supplies and safety rules, such as which products not to mix, since many employers expect you to know them.

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

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