Building and grounds
Maids and housekeeping cleaners
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.
Median pay
$35,510
Growth to 2035
+1%
little or no change
Openings a year
175,500
Time to qualify*
1 month
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Maids and housekeeping cleaners
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- No formal educational credential
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- Prior experience
- None
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time standing
Hazardous conditions
Exposure to disease
Maids and housekeeping cleaners: 13% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core tasks
- 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.
Also called: Chambermaid · Cleaner · Cottage Attendant · Environmental Services Aide · Environmental Services Worker · Guest Room Attendant (GRA) · Housekeeper · Housekeeping Laundry Worker
Outlook and AI
Maids and housekeeping cleaners held 1,332,100 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 1,339,500 by 2035 (+1%, little or no change; all jobs: +3.5%).
Compare with
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