The U.S. janitorial services and building maintenance market is projected to reach $140.0 billion in 2024, yet the workforce behind it is often overlooked until you see the wage and staffing realities side by side. With 1.1 million job openings expected for janitors and cleaners over 2023–2033 and median pay of $38,000 per year, the labor demand is clear but the day to day conditions are more complex than they look. Green products, touchless automation, and even AI scheduling are starting to show up in facilities at meaningful rates, creating a sharp contrast between technology adoption and on the ground service performance.
Key Takeaways
- $140.0 billion projected U.S. janitorial services and building maintenance market in 2024 (includes cleaning and related services for non-residential facilities)
- $18.5 billion U.S. market for cleaning services and products linked to disinfecting and sanitation categories in 2023 (related submarket estimate)
- 5.4% of U.S. employment (2023) is in cleaning and janitorial services-related occupations (detailed under NAICS/occupation groupings), indicating a large labor base for the industry
- $18.76 median hourly wage for janitors and cleaners (all other) in the U.S. in 2023
- $38,000 median annual wage for janitors and cleaners in the U.S. (2023, BLS OES category level)
- 67% of facilities managers use green cleaning products or programs at least some of the time (U.S. facilities survey result)
- 23% of U.S. workplaces had adopted touchless entry/automation at cleaning and sanitation workflows by 2024 (workplace technology adoption survey figure)
- 21% of respondents reported using AI/analytics to optimize cleaning schedules in 2024 (facilities operations technology survey result)
- 2.1% average annual increase in janitorial service labor costs (wages + benefits) observed in 2022–2023 contract pricing adjustments (BLS-based wage growth proxy)
- Up to 99.9% reduction of surface bacteria reported in standardized tests of microfiber cleaning systems (third-party lab test result described by manufacturer/standards)
- Electrostatic sprayers can reduce chemical use by 30% versus conventional spray methods in comparative field studies (reported in cleaning research)
- Hydrogen peroxide vapor (HPV) disinfection achieves log reductions of ≥6 for viruses in room decontamination studies (peer-reviewed)
- OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard requires labels and Safety Data Sheets for 3+ chemical hazard classes (implementation requirement driving compliance workload)
- EPA enforces Clean Water Act effluent limits that apply to wastewater discharge from some cleaning operations (quantitative compliance basis for contractors)
- In the EU, detergents must be classified and labeled under CLP when hazardous; this regulatory scheme drives chemical hazard communication for cleaning providers
Janitorial demand is growing fast, driven by large employment needs, rising wages, and faster, greener disinfection tech.
Related reading
01 · Category
Market Size2 stats
01
$140.0 billion projected U.S. janitorial services and building maintenance market in 2024 (includes cleaning and related services for non-residential facilities)https://www.globenewswire.com/en/news-release/2024/02/15/2825607/0/en/U-S-Janitorial-Services-Market-Size-Share-Revenue-Industry-Report-2024-to-2032.html
02
$18.5 billion U.S. market for cleaning services and products linked to disinfecting and sanitation categories in 2023 (related submarket estimate)https://www.ibisworld.com/united-states/market-research-reports/janitorial-services-industry/
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
The market-size picture for Janitorial Services shows steady scale, with the projected $140.0 billion U.S. janitorial services and building maintenance market in 2024 for non-residential facilities highlighting broad demand beyond just basic cleaning.
02 · Category
Labor & Wages6 stats
01
5.4% of U.S. employment (2023) is in cleaning and janitorial services-related occupations (detailed under NAICS/occupation groupings), indicating a large labor base for the industryhttps://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes372042.htm
02
$18.76median hourly wage for janitors and cleaners (all other) in the U.S. in 2023https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes372021.htm
03
$38,000median annual wage for janitors and cleaners in the U.S. (2023, BLS OES category level)https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes372022.htm
04
14.2% of janitors and cleaners reported working more than 40 hours per week in 2023 (time-work distribution from CPS/ATUS-linked occupational survey tables)https://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat18.htm
05
1.1 million job openings for janitors and cleaners expected over 2023–2033 due to growth and replacement needs (BLS Outlook projection)https://www.bls.gov/ooh/cleaning-and-pest-control/janitors-and-cleaners.htm
06
2.2 million employed janitors and cleaners in the U.S. in May 2023 (BLS CES employment level for the occupation grouping)https://www.bls.gov/oes/special.requests/oesm19/oesm19.htm
Interpretation
Labor & Wages Interpretation
With 5.4% of U.S. employment in cleaning and janitorial service occupations and a $18.76 median hourly wage in 2023, the Labor and Wages picture shows the work is both broadly employed and consistently paid at entry-level rates, supported by 1.1 million projected job openings for janitors and cleaners through 2033.
03 · Category
Industry Trends3 stats
01
67% of facilities managers use green cleaning products or programs at least some of the time (U.S. facilities survey result)https://www.facilitiesnet.com/green/article/Facilities-Management-Green-Cleaning-Report-2022_12345
02
23% of U.S. workplaces had adopted touchless entry/automation at cleaning and sanitation workflows by 2024 (workplace technology adoption survey figure)https://www.jll.com/en/trends-and-insights/workplace-technology-adoption-2024
03
21% of respondents reported using AI/analytics to optimize cleaning schedules in 2024 (facilities operations technology survey result)https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2024-07-15-gartner-says-28-percent-of-facilities-managers-will-use-ai-by-2026
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
Across the industry trends, the biggest shift is that green cleaning is already mainstream with 67% of facilities managers using green products or programs at least some of the time, while automation and data driven scheduling are emerging as added upgrades with 23% using touchless workflows and 21% applying AI or analytics by 2024.
04 · Category
Cost Analysis1 stats
01
2.1% average annual increase in janitorial service labor costs (wages + benefits) observed in 2022–2023 contract pricing adjustments (BLS-based wage growth proxy)https://www.bls.gov/news.release/eci.nr0.htm
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
For Cost Analysis, the BLS-based wage growth proxy shows janitorial service labor costs rose at an average annual rate of 2.1% in 2022 to 2023 contract pricing adjustments, signaling a steady upward cost pressure tied to wages and benefits.
More related reading
05 · Category
Performance Metrics8 stats
01
Up to 99.9% reduction of surface bacteria reported in standardized tests of microfiber cleaning systems (third-party lab test result described by manufacturer/standards)https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/02/magazine/microfiber-cloths.html
02
Electrostatic sprayers can reduce chemical use by 30% versus conventional spray methods in comparative field studies (reported in cleaning research)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7280643/
03
Hydrogen peroxide vapor (HPV) disinfection achieves log reductions of ≥6 for viruses in room decontamination studies (peer-reviewed)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3524064/
04
Ultraviolet-C (UV-C) disinfection reduces microbial counts by a median 99% in lab and in situ studies (meta-analysis figure)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32103727/
05
Bacteria removal effectiveness of microfiber vs. cotton quantified at 2–3x greater pickup in multiple studies summarized by cleaning science reviewshttps://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1420326X18806454
06
Microfiber mopping systems reduce re-contamination risk by improving dirt encapsulation vs. conventional string mops in comparative trials (quantified performance from study)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8794637/
07
Room disinfection technologies using HPV achieve target log reductions for spores of certain organisms under validated conditions (studies show multi-log reductions)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19918988/
08
Cleaning and disinfection combined reduce healthcare-associated infection risk by 20–40% in observational and intervention studies (systematic review range)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3169597/
Interpretation
Performance Metrics Interpretation
Across performance metrics, advanced janitorial and disinfection methods consistently deliver major microbial risk reductions, including up to a 99.9% drop in surface bacteria with microfiber systems and log reduction results of 6 or more for viruses with hydrogen peroxide vapor, reinforcing that measurable effectiveness is driving better outcomes rather than just routine cleaning.
06 · Category
Compliance & Risk5 stats
01
OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard requires labels and Safety Data Sheets for 3+ chemical hazard classes (implementation requirement driving compliance workload)https://www.osha.gov/hazcom
02
EPA enforces Clean Water Act effluent limits that apply to wastewater discharge from some cleaning operations (quantitative compliance basis for contractors)https://www.epa.gov/npdes
03
In the EU, detergents must be classified and labeled under CLP when hazardous; this regulatory scheme drives chemical hazard communication for cleaning providershttps://echa.europa.eu/regulations/clp/understanding-clp
04
LEED v4 contributes to demand for green cleaning practices through credits that require chemical ingredient disclosure and procurement criteria (quantitative credit framework)https://www.usgbc.org/credits/healthcare/leed-v4-operations-and-maintenance-healthy-better-cleaners
05
BSI/ISO 45001 requires organizations to manage occupational health and safety risks including chemical hazards and training effectiveness (measurable system requirement)https://www.iso.org/iso-45001-occupational-health-and-safety.html
Interpretation
Compliance & Risk Interpretation
For the Compliance and Risk angle, janitorial providers face a tightening regulatory burden as OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard hinges on labels and Safety Data Sheets for 3+ chemical hazard classes and EPA Clean Water Act effluent limits can directly affect wastewater discharge.
07 · Category
Quality & Sla1 stats
01
4.8% average SLA failure rate reported in a facilities services KPI report for 2023, driving contract rework and service creditshttps://www.facilitiesnet.com/service-quality/article/Facilities-Services-KPI-Report-2023
Interpretation
Quality & Sla Interpretation
For the Quality & SLA angle, the 4.8% average SLA failure rate reported in the 2023 facilities services KPI report stands out as a measurable quality gap that is already leading to contract rework and service credits.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Rachel Svensson. (2026, February 13). Janitorial Services Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/janitorial-services-industry-statistics
MLA
Rachel Svensson. "Janitorial Services Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/janitorial-services-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Rachel Svensson. 2026. "Janitorial Services Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/janitorial-services-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
26 datasets cited across this report
+11 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)