Career Profile: Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners

Salary and Outlook

According to the US Department of Labor, there are 1,237,400 people employed as maids and housekeeping cleaners in the United States. The median annual salary is $28,780. Entry level employees earn approximately $21,820 per year and senior employees earn approximately $38,370 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

• 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.
• Dust and polish furniture and equipment.
• Disinfect equipment and supplies, using germicides or steam-operated sterilizers.
• Observe precautions required to protect hotel and guest property and report damage, theft, and found articles to supervisors.
• Sort, count, and mark clean linens and store them in linen closets.
• Sort clothing and other articles, load washing machines, and iron and fold dried items.
• Assign duties to other staff and give instructions regarding work methods and routines.
• Move and arrange furniture and turn mattresses.
• Answer telephones and doorbells.
• Replace light bulbs.
• Deliver television sets, ironing boards, baby cribs, and rollaway beds to guests' rooms.
• Hang draperies and dust window blinds.
• Request repair services and wait for repair workers to arrive.
• Prepare rooms for meetings and arrange decorations, media equipment, and furniture for social or business functions.
• Remove debris from driveways, garages, and swimming pool areas.
• Wash dishes and clean kitchens, cooking utensils, and silverware.
• Polish silver accessories and metalwork, such as fixtures and fittings.
• Run errands, such as taking laundry to the cleaners and buying groceries.
• 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.

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