Part of: Cleaning Business Growth
Most cleaning businesses pay employees near the local market rate, and the US median for maids and housekeeping cleaners was $17.07 an hour in 2025, with the lowest 10% at $13.29 or less and the top 10% at $23.35 or more, according to BLS data on O*NET OnLine. Whatever you pay must meet the federal $7.25 minimum and any higher state minimum wage, and the Department of Labor counts travel between jobs as paid work time.
This guide is part of our Cleaning Business Growth hub. It covers employee pay, not what to charge clients. It is general information, so check your state labor office before you set wages.
What do cleaners earn in the US?
Here is the national pay range for maids and housekeeping cleaners from the Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2025 survey, as shown on O*NET OnLine. The median means half earned more and half earned less.
| Pay level | Hourly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% | $13.29 or less | $27,640 or less |
| 25th percentile | $14.59 | $30,350 |
| Median | $17.07 | $35,510 |
| 75th percentile | $19.03 | $39,590 |
| Highest 10% | $23.35 or more | $48,570 or more |
Commercial work pays a little more. Janitors and cleaners had a median of $17.71 an hour in 2025. These figures cover employees, not self-employed cleaners, and pay varies a lot by area. O*NET lets you look up wages by state or ZIP code.
What is the lowest I can legally pay?
The federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, but many states set a higher rate, and the Department of Labor says employers must follow both. As of its July 1, 2026 update, the DOL lists these examples:
- California: $16.90
- Washington: $17.13
- District of Columbia: $18.40
- Texas: $7.25
Some cities set their own higher minimums too. The minimum is a legal floor. Compare it with the local median before you set your rate.
Do I pay for drive time between houses?
Yes, for employees. The Department of Labor's Fact Sheet 22 says travel from job site to job site during the workday is work time and must be counted as hours worked. Ordinary travel from home to the first job is not. Short breaks of 20 minutes or less also count as hours worked.
If your cleaners visit several homes a day, this adds up. Track the time between jobs, and build it into your prices so it does not come out of your margin.
When do cleaners get overtime?
Under federal law, covered nonexempt employees must get at least one and a half times their regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek. A workweek is a fixed, repeating 168 hours, and you cannot average two weeks together. Some states add more. California, for example, also requires overtime after eight hours in a day.
Should my cleaners be employees or 1099 contractors?
The IRS looks at three areas: behavioral control, financial control and the type of relationship. If you set the schedule, the checklist and the supplies, the worker may be an employee.
For employees, you withhold income, Social Security and Medicare taxes, and pay your share of Social Security and Medicare plus unemployment tax. If you treat an employee as a contractor without a reasonable basis, you can be held liable for employment taxes. The IRS says you can file Form SS-8 to have it decide, but expect at least six months for an answer. Ask a tax professional if you are not sure. Once you have employees, check your state's workers' comp rules in our cleaning business insurance guide.
How do I set pay so the business still earns money?
- Look up your local rate. Find the median for your state or ZIP code on O*NET.
- Check your minimum wage. Use the DOL state table and your city's rules.
- Set a base rate and a raise path. For example, add pay for experience, team leads or deep cleans.
- Add the true cost of each hour. Include employer taxes, workers' comp, drive time and supplies.
- Price your jobs to cover it. Our house cleaning pricing guide walks through building a rate from your costs.
If you are still setting up, our how to start a cleaning business guide covers the steps before your first hire.
How Momyntum helps
Good pay helps you keep cleaners. Steady bookings help you afford it. Get your free website check to see what to fix first, or start a 14-day trial of Momyntum for help with your website, Google and AI search, and outreach.
Sources
- O*NET OnLine (U.S. Department of Labor), Maids and housekeeping cleaners wages, BLS 2025 data
- O*NET OnLine, Janitors and cleaners summary, BLS 2025 wage data
- U.S. Department of Labor, State minimum wage laws
- U.S. Department of Labor, Overtime pay
- U.S. Department of Labor, Fact Sheet 22: Hours worked under the FLSA
- IRS, Independent contractor (self-employed) or employee?
Questions
How much should I pay a house cleaner per hour?
Start from your local market. Maids and housekeeping cleaners earned a median of $17.07 an hour in 2025, and the middle half earned about $14.59 to $19.03, based on BLS data shown on O*NET OnLine. You can look up the rate for your state or ZIP code there.
Do I have to pay cleaners for driving between houses?
Yes, for employees. The Department of Labor says travel from job site to job site during the workday is work time and must be counted as hours worked. The trip from home to the first job is usually ordinary commuting and is not.
Do cleaners get overtime?
Covered, nonexempt employees must get at least time and a half for hours over 40 in a workweek under federal law. You cannot average hours across two weeks. Some states, such as California, also require daily overtime.
Can I pay my cleaners as 1099 contractors?
Only if they truly are contractors. The IRS looks at behavioral control, financial control and the type of relationship. If you set the schedule, the checklist and the supplies, a worker may be an employee, and misclassifying without a reasonable basis can leave you owing employment taxes.
By Momyntum Team. Updated November 1, 2026. For: House cleaning.
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