Career Profile: Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment

Salary and Outlook

According to the US Department of Labor, there are 391,700 people employed as cleaners of vehicles and equipment in the United States. The median annual salary is $29,280. Entry level employees earn approximately $21,890 per year and senior employees earn approximately $38,830 per year.

Estimates do not include other potential benefits such as health insurance, overtime, or retirement benefits that may be offered by employers.

Job Duties

• Scrub, scrape, or spray machine parts, equipment, or vehicles, using scrapers, brushes, clothes, cleaners, disinfectants, insecticides, acid, abrasives, vacuums, or hoses.
• Apply paints, dyes, polishes, reconditioners, waxes, or masking materials to vehicles to preserve, protect, or restore color or condition.
• Inspect parts, equipment, or vehicles for cleanliness, damage, and compliance with standards or regulations.
• Maintain inventories of supplies.
• Press buttons to activate cleaning equipment or machines.
• Monitor operation of cleaning machines and stop machines or notify supervisors when malfunctions occur.
• Mix cleaning solutions, abrasive compositions, or other compounds, according to formulas.
• Turn valves or handles on equipment to regulate pressure or flow of water, air, steam, or abrasives from sprayer nozzles.
• Rinse objects and place them on drying racks or use cloth, squeegees, or air compressors to dry surfaces.
• Turn valves or disconnect hoses to eliminate water, cleaning solutions, or vapors from machinery or tanks.
• Sweep, shovel, or vacuum loose debris or salvageable scrap into containers and remove containers from work areas.
• Disassemble and reassemble machines or equipment or remove and reattach vehicle parts or trim, using hand tools.
• Drive vehicles to or from workshops or customers' workplaces or homes.
• Clean the plastic work inside cars, using paintbrushes.
• Pre-soak or rinse machine parts, equipment, or vehicles by immersing objects in cleaning solutions or water, manually or using hoists.
• Connect hoses or lines to pumps or other equipment.
• Collect and test samples of cleaning solutions or vapors.
• Lubricate machinery, vehicles, or equipment or perform minor repairs or adjustments, using hand tools.
• Transport materials, equipment, or supplies to or from work areas, using carts or hoists.
• Fit boot spoilers, side skirts, or mud flaps to cars.
• Clean and polish vehicle windows.

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