A cleaning worker is responsible for maintaining a building in a proper condition. The job has several varieties, each with its own set of unique extra responsibilities – cleaning workers include maids, janitors, and even the auxiliary workers such as the window washers. Sometimes a building cleaning worker’s job is not restricted to cleaning tasks, as for example janitors may be required to fix damaged mechanical components. Maids generally do not perform the more heavy-duty cleaning tasks, as those are left to specific personnel.
Becoming a building cleaning worker requires no education and usually no background experience. The specifics of the job at hand are usually taught in the course of the worker’s employment, and their skills are thus mainly attained on the job. In some cases, such as working in buildings with hazardous chemicals, the building cleaning worker may be required to present a high school diploma, in order to certify their grammar and basic chemistry, etc skills. In these cases, the rule for on the job training still applies, as the majority of the skills involved are attained with time.
Janitors and cleaners are usually compensated a little better than housekeepers and maids. The overall median salary for a building cleaning worker is around $20,000 annually, with maids earning between $17,000 – $19,000, and janitors earning around $22,000 – $25,000. The salary for janitors grows with the number of additional responsibilities they’re given, such as performing maintenance on some piece of equipment.