The median hourly wage for janitors and building cleaners was $10.68 in May 2010. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than the amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $7.86 per hour, and the top 10 percent earned more than $17.88 per hour.
In May 2010, the median hourly wages in industries employing some of the largest numbers of janitors and building cleaners were as follows:
| Local government | $13.14 |
| Elementary and secondary schools | 13.04 |
| Colleges, universities, and professional schools | 12.37 |
| General medical and surgical hospitals | 11.76 |
| Services to buildings and dwellings | 9.48 |
Most janitors and building cleaners work full time. Because office buildings are usually cleaned while they are empty, many cleaning workers work evening hours. When there is a need for 24-hour maintenance, janitors may work in shifts. This is particularly true of hospitals and hotels.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition