Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners Salary in Chicago, IL (2024)
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area earn a median of $37,420 per year ($17.99 per hour) based on 72,020 jobs counted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2024. That is +4.1% against the national median of $35,930 for this occupation.
Pay distribution
The median is a single point on a wide curve. The table below shows where janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners actually sit across the pay range in Chicago, IL, from the bottom decile to the top.
| Percentile | Hourly | Annual | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $14.75 | $30,680 | |
| 25th percentile | $16.81 | $34,970 | |
| Median | $17.99 | $37,420 | half earn more, half earn less |
| 75th percentile | $21.27 | $44,250 | |
| 90th percentile | $23.73 | $49,350 | |
| Average (mean) | $19.25 | $40,040 |
How Chicago, IL compares
The local median of $37,420 runs +4.1% above the US median of $35,930 for this occupation; it pays 27.4% less than the metro-wide median across all jobs ($51,510); within the metro it ranks 632nd of 700 detailed occupations by median pay.
| Benchmark | Median annual | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago, IL — this occupation | $37,420 | — |
| US median, same occupation (all areas) | $35,930 | +4.1% |
| Chicago, IL — all occupations | $51,510 | -27.4% |
| Highest metro in the US for this job | $46,230 | -19.1% |
The location quotient of 1.13 is close to 1.0: the occupation's share of local employment tracks the national average.
High confidence The relative standard error on this estimate is 2.2%, which is a tight margin — the figure is stable enough to plan around.
Ranked 632nd of 700 detailed occupations in the metro by median annual wage.
Highest-paying jobs in Chicago, IL
To put $37,420 in context, these are the best-paid detailed occupations in the same metro area. This occupation sits 632nd.
| Occupation | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $234,440 | 1,420 |
| Dentists, All Other Specialists | $221,790 | 80 |
| Physicians, All Other | $215,680 | 14,850 |
| Pediatricians, General | $198,440 | 1,120 |
| Air Traffic Controllers | $184,930 | 840 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $182,830 | 1,200 |
| Dentists, General | $175,140 | 3,980 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $168,230 | 21,760 |
| Lawyers | $166,090 | 28,380 |
| Financial Managers | $164,470 | 41,170 |
Where janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners earn the most
Across the 25 metro areas with released data for this occupation, medians run from $30,360 to $46,230. These are the top markets.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $46,230 | 44,220 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $44,820 | 27,680 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $43,530 | 31,140 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $40,350 | 177,960 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $39,320 | 28,840 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $38,160 | 13,760 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $38,100 | 20,060 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $37,420 | 72,020 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $37,330 | 20,900 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $37,100 | 57,480 |
See the full national picture on the Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners salary by metro page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners in Chicago, IL?
The median annual wage is $37,420, or $18 per hour. That means half of the janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners working in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area earn more than this figure and half earn less. The average is $40,040.
What do the highest and lowest paid janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners in Chicago, IL earn?
The bottom 10% earn $30,680 or less, while the top 10% earn $49,350 or more — a spread of $18,670 between the two ends of the distribution. The middle half of workers sit between $34,970 and $44,250.
Is janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners pay in Chicago, IL above the local average?
Yes, it is 27.4% below the all-occupation median for the metro, which is $51,510. That comparison is the fairer one for judging local purchasing power, because it holds the metro's overall cost and wage level constant.
How does Chicago, IL pay compare with the rest of the US for this job?
At $37,420 the metro median is 4.1% higher than the US median of $35,930 for janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners. Across the 25 metro areas covered here, this occupation ranges from $30,360 to $46,230.
How many janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners work in Chicago, IL?
BLS counts about 72,020 people in this occupation in the metro area, or 16.10 jobs per 1,000 total jobs. The location quotient of 1.13 is close to 1.0: the occupation's share of local employment tracks the national average.
About these figures
Figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey for 2024 (employment relative standard error 6.3%). OEWS measures what employers pay, not what any individual earns; it excludes self-employed workers, and it does not adjust for local cost of living.
Read the full methodology, or the original data at bls.gov/oes.