Janitor job description template

What a janitor does

Janitors and custodians keep schools, offices, hospitals, and factories clean, safe, and healthy. Much of the work happens at night when no one is watching, so reliability and trust are the qualities employers prize most. Say what kind of building, which shift, and what equipment the person will use, such as floor scrubbers or burnishers. Those details help you attract steady, long-term employees.

Janitor job description template

Copy the description, replace everything in [brackets], and cut any line that isn't true for your job. The duties and requirements are a starting point written by HR practitioners, not a legal standard, so edit them to match the real work.

Janitor

Details
- Department: [Department]
- Reports to: [Manager title]
- Location: [City, State, or remote]
- Employment type: [Full-time, part-time, or seasonal]
- FLSA status: Nonexempt
- Pay range: [$X to $Y per hour]

About [Company]
[Two or three sentences about what your company does, who it serves, and why people like working here.]

Job summary
We're hiring a janitor to keep our [building or facility] clean, safe, and welcoming for everyone who works in or visits it.

What you'll do
- Clean and sanitize restrooms, break rooms, offices, and common areas.
- Sweep, mop, vacuum, and scrub floors.
- Empty trash and recycling and take it to collection areas.
- Restock paper products, soap, and supplies.
- Operate floor machines such as scrubbers and burnishers.
- Report repairs, safety hazards, and pest problems.
- Set up rooms for meetings and events.
- Use and store cleaning chemicals safely.

What you'll need
- Ability to stand, walk, bend, and lift up to 40 pounds for the full shift.
- Reliability and good attendance.
- Ability to follow cleaning procedures and safety rules.
- Ability to pass a background check where required.

Nice to have
- Previous custodial or commercial cleaning experience.
- Floor care experience.
- Experience in [school, healthcare, or office] settings.

Skills
Thoroughness, Reliability, Chemical safety, Time management, Trustworthiness, Independence.

Physical demands and work environment
Indoor facility, often evenings or nights. Requires standing, walking, bending, lifting, and using cleaning chemicals and equipment.

Pay and benefits
[$X to $Y per hour], based on experience and location. [List benefits, such as health insurance, retirement plan match, paid time off, and training.]

Equal opportunity
[Company] is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other status protected by law. If you need a reasonable accommodation to apply or interview, contact [name] at [email or phone].

How to customize it for your job

• Name the building type and shift.
• List equipment used.
• Say whether the role works alone or on a team.
• Mention any background check requirement.

Then check it against the HRTally job description standard, our 10-point checklist, and run it through the inclusive language swap list. Both take about five minutes.

How much to pay a janitor

Half of US janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners earned more than $17.71 an hour in May 2025, and half earned less, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That national figure is a starting point, not a pay range. Pay for the same job can differ by 30 percent or more between metro areas, so check the BLS occupation profile for state and metro data before you set your range.

For hourly roles, the legal floor matters as much as the market rate. Check the current rate where the job is based in our minimum wage by state table, and the state's overtime and break rules in our state labor law library.

To convert between hourly and annual pay, use our salary to hourly calculator. If you hire in a state or city with a pay transparency law, the range must appear in the posting itself. Our pay transparency laws guide lists where, and our guide to salary bands explains how to set ranges you can defend.

Exempt status, licenses, and legal notes

FLSA status: Nonexempt (overtime eligible). Job titles don't decide overtime eligibility. Duties and pay do. Our guide to exempt vs non-exempt employees walks through each test, and the overtime calculator shows what a nonexempt employee is owed.

Janitors are nonexempt. OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard requires training on the chemicals they use and access to safety data sheets, and custodians who may handle sharps or bodily fluids need bloodborne pathogen training. California requires janitorial employers to provide sexual harassment prevention training to janitors under its Property Service Workers Protection Act, and employers there must register with the Labor Commissioner.

This is general information for US employers, not legal advice. Laws change and vary by state and city, so confirm the current rules or talk to employment counsel before you rely on them.

Interview questions to ask

Ask every candidate the same core questions and score answers against the same criteria. Structured interviews are fairer and predict job performance better than open conversation.

1. How do you make sure nothing gets missed on a nightly cleaning route?
2. What would you do if you spilled a cleaning chemical?
3. How do you stay motivated when working alone at night?
4. Tell me about your experience with floor machines.

When you're ready to schedule, use our interview invitation email template. For a full hiring process, read the recruitment process guide.

Frequently asked questions