Housekeeper Hourly Pay, Skills & Requirements (2026)
Advertised pay, starting pay, skills and experience from 20,700 US job postings by 4,831 employers. Data as of October 2026.
What US employers post for housekeepers: advertised pay, the skills and experience they ask for, and the job titles they use, from 20,700 open job postings (October 2026).
- The median advertised pay for housekeepers in US job postings is $17.75 an hour (3,958 postings from 997 employers, October 2026).
- The middle half of those postings offer $16.00 to $20.00 an hour.
- Postings that ask for up to 1 year of experience advertise a median of $18.59 an hour (564 postings).
- The skills that most set housekeeper postings apart are attention to detail, work independently, as part of a team.
- Postings that state a minimum ask for a median of 1 year of experience.
Housekeeper job postings in the US, October 2026
- $17.75/hr
- Median advertised pay (3,958 postings)
- $16.00–$20.00
- Middle 50% of postings
- $18.59/hr
- Starting pay (postings asking up to 1 year)
- 20,700
- US job postings from 4,831 employers
How much does a housekeeper make an hour?
The median advertised pay is $17.75 an hour, from 3,958 US job postings by 997 employers that state pay. That is about $37,000 a year at 2,080 hours.
Advertised pay in 3,958 US housekeeper job postings: median $37,000 a year ($17.75 an hour), middle half $33,000 to $42,000.
- Median: $37,000 ($17.75/hr)
- 25th percentile: $33,000
- 75th percentile: $42,000
The figures as a table
| Annual pay | Share of postings |
|---|---|
| $10K–$20K | 0.4% |
| $20K–$30K | 8.3% |
| $30K–$40K | 56.8% |
| $40K–$50K | 22.0% |
| $50K–$60K | 5.9% |
| $60K–$70K | 2.2% |
| $70K–$80K | 1.8% |
| $80K–$90K | 0.7% |
| $90K–$100K | 0.5% |
| $100K–$110K | 0.1% |
| $110K–$120K | 0.9% |
Midpoint of each posting's pay range, hourly pay × 2,080 hours; at most 20 postings per employer; US, October 2026.
| Median | Middle 50% | Postings | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Postings that state an hourly rate | $17.75 | $16.00–$20.00 | 2,808 |
| All pay postings, annualised | $37,000 | $33K–$42K | 3,958 |
For comparison, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the national median annual wage of Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners (37-2012) at $36,000 (May 2025). Postings advertise pay; the BLS measures what people earn, across all employers and levels.
What is the starting salary for a housekeeper?
Postings that ask for up to 1 year of experience advertise a median of $18.59 an hour (564 postings).
| Experience asked | Median advertised pay | Postings |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1 years | $18.59/hr | 564 |
| 2-4 years | withheld | 201 |
| 5+ years | withheld | 33 |
Highest-paying housekeeper jobs
Specializations with at least 250 postings that state pay.
| Specialization | Median pay | Postings with pay | Employers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Room Attendant | $18.00/hr | 629 | 185 |
| House Cleaner | $18.00/hr | 266 | 80 |
| Housekeeper (general) | $17.50/hr | 1,740 | 561 |
| Housekeeping Aide | $17.20/hr | 506 | 146 |
Housekeeper pay by state
Single-location US postings; states with at least 100 postings that state pay. States with pay-transparency laws (such as California, Colorado, New York and Washington) are over-represented among postings that state pay.
| State | Median pay | Middle 50% | Postings with pay | Share of postings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $20.61/hr | $18.50–$25.00 | 387 | 7.4% |
| Colorado | $20.00/hr | $18.50–$21.96 | 178 | 2.4% |
| Massachusetts | $18.70/hr | $16.50–$20.94 | 102 | 1.8% |
| New York | $18.31/hr | $17.20–$23.07 | 278 | 4.7% |
| Illinois | $18.00/hr | $16.50–$20.50 | 152 | 4.1% |
| New Jersey | $18.00/hr | $16.46–$19.00 | 126 | 2.2% |
| Florida | $16.00/hr | $15.00–$18.00 | 128 | 7.2% |
| Pennsylvania | $16.00/hr | $15.00–$17.75 | 154 | 4.0% |
| Virginia | $16.00/hr | $14.75–$17.50 | 109 | 3.6% |
| Texas | $15.71/hr | $14.62–$17.50 | 186 | 8.1% |
Skills employers ask for in housekeeper job postings
| Skill | Share of postings |
|---|---|
| Attention to detail | 28% |
| Communication | 18% |
| Work independently | 17% |
| Customer service | 14% |
| Organizational skills | 12% |
| Time management | 9% |
| Detail-oriented | 8% |
| Dependable | 7% |
| Positive attitude | 7% |
| As part of a team | 7% |
Skills named in the posting text; at most 20 postings per employer; US, October 2026. Methodology.
Skills that set housekeepers apart
- As part of a team5× as often as in all postings · 7%
- Friendly4× as often as in all postings · 5%
Skills named in at least 5% of these postings and at least 3 times as often as in job postings overall.
Have a housekeeper job posting in front of you? See which of its skills your resume is missing.
What does a housekeeper do?
Employers post these jobs as Housekeeping, Housekeeping Supervisor, Room Attendant, Housekeeping Aide, Houseperson and other titles. The largest specializations are Room Attendant (20%), Housekeeping Aide (8%), Housekeeping Supervisor (6%), House Cleaner (7%), Housekeeping Manager (4%), Housekeeping/Laundry Aide (2%).
The closest official occupation is Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners (37-2012.00). Its most important tasks:
- 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.
- 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.
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
How much experience do you need to be a housekeeper?
Among 1,670 postings that state a minimum, the median is 1 year. 2% say 0 years and 70% ask for 1 year or less.
Minimum experience asked in 1,670 US housekeeper job postings: median 1 year, and 70% ask for 1 year or less.
The figures as a table
| Minimum experience asked | Share of postings |
|---|---|
| 0 yr | 11% |
| 1 yr | 59% |
| 2 yrs | 18% |
| 3-4 yrs | 7% |
| 5-7 yrs | 3% |
| 8-9 yrs | under 1% |
| 10+ yrs | 1% |
Postings that state a minimum (required or preferred); at most 20 postings per employer; US, October 2026.
We do not show a degree figure: in our checks, degree requirements in posting text were found too rarely to publish one. Why.
Full-time 66%, Part-time 34% of the 1,934 postings that state working hours.
Other names for a housekeeper: job titles employers use
| Job title | Employers using it |
|---|---|
| Housekeeper | 2,128 (44.0%) |
| Housekeeping | 698 (14.4%) |
| Housekeeping Supervisor | 352 (7.3%) |
| Room Attendant | 282 (5.8%) |
| Housekeeping Aide | 277 (5.7%) |
| Houseperson | 199 (4.1%) |
| House Cleaner | 157 (3.2%) |
| Housekeeping Manager | 140 (2.9%) |
| Public Area Attendant | 109 (2.3%) |
| Executive Housekeeper | 99 (2.1%) |
| Housekeeping Attendant | 89 (1.8%) |
| Housekeeping Room Attendant | 89 (1.8%) |
| Housekeeping Inspector | 73 (1.5%) |
| Housekeeping Staff | 72 (1.5%) |
| Hotel Housekeeper | 68 (1.4%) |
| Housekeeping Associate | 64 (1.3%) |
| Housekeeping Assistant | 61 (1.3%) |
| Guest Room Attendant | 61 (1.3%) |
| Housekeeping Houseperson | 54 (1.1%) |
| Lobby Attendant | 49 (1.0%) |
Titles read in our audit and used by at least 3 employers.
Housekeeper job titles compared
The titles people search for most, from the US job postings that use each exact title (October 2026).
| Job title | Open postings | Employers | Median pay | Median experience | Skills named most |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Housekeeping | 1,495 | 698 | $18.00/hr | – | attention to detail, communication, customer service |
| Room Attendant | 1,391 | 282 | – | – | attention to detail, work independently, organizational skills |
Housekeeper compared with similar careers
| Career | Median pay | Median experience | Postings | Shares N of top 25 skills |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Housekeeper | $17.75/hr | 1 year | 20,700 | – |
| Custodian | $17.85/hr | 1 year | 27,601 | 22 |
| Dishwasher | $17.00/hr | 1 year | 14,337 | 18 |
| Automotive Detailer | $17.50/hr | 1 year | 5,577 | 17 |
| Server | $16.90/hr | 1 year | 28,843 | 14 |
Similar careers
| Career | Shares N of the top 25 skills | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Custodian | 22 | $17.85/hr |
| Dishwasher | 18 | $17.00/hr |
| Automotive Detailer | 17 | $17.50/hr |
| Server | 14 | $16.90/hr |
| Groundskeeper | 20 | $19.73/hr |
| Front Desk Agent | 14 | $18.50/hr |
Applying for housekeeper jobs?
- Housekeeper resume examples: one-page examples for these roles
- Match your resume to a job: paste a posting and see the skills your resume is missing
- Check your resume: see how an applicant tracking system reads it
- Find housekeeper jobs: search open postings
Frequently asked questions
What are other names for a housekeeper?
How much does a Housekeeping make?
Source and method
Open US job postings collected from employers' applicant tracking systems, de-duplicated, counted only when their job title was read in our audit. Shares count at most 20 postings per employer, and franchise locations of one brand count as one employer. Pay uses hourly and annual figures only; a figure is shown when leaving out the largest employer moves it by 10% or less. Every figure states its number of postings. Methodology and measured accuracy.
Accuracy check: we read 20 randomly chosen postings counted on this page in full; 20 of them were this career or a closely related one (October 2026).
Download the figures on this page (CSV): every number above with its count of postings. Aggregate figures are licensed CC BY 4.0; cite the page when you reuse them.