Hospital Housekeeping Pay Scale

by Aurelio Locsin
Housekeeping staff keep hospital corridors free of dirt.

Housekeeping staff keep hospital corridors free of dirt.

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The importance of hospital housekeeping cannot be overstated. Rooms must not only be neat and clean, they must also be sterile so they don't pose a health hazard to very sick patients. Much of the work is done by maids and janitors, who clean patient rooms, corridors, operating rooms and public spaces. Their supervisors ensure that job standards are met.


Housekeepers in hospitals averaged $12.51 per hour or $26,030 per year as of May 2011, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Housekeepers change sheets, towels and other linens; make beds and dust furniture; sweep and wax floors using brooms or vacuum cleaners; and empty wastebaskets. No formal education is required because they obtain their training on the job under experienced workers or supervisors.


The BLS reports that janitors in hospitals earned a mean $12.51 per hour or $26,030 per year as of May 2011. These workers gather and empty wastebaskets, mop and vacuum floors, clean bathrooms and stock them with soap and toilet paper, and order cleaning supplies. They also can make minor repairs, such as changing the light bulb or fixing leaky faucets. As with housekeepers, janitors do not need any formal training because they learn their skills on the job. Certification is available from national organizations, which can make jobs easier to find and increase starting salaries.


In 2011, housekeeping supervisors in hospitals earned a mean $19.15 per hour or $39,840 per year. Supervisors hire, train and fire housekeeping workers; assign schedules and duties; and monitor their performance. They also inspect medical facilities to determine the work required; maintain records of work hours, payroll and tasks; and confer with medical staff to resolve cleaning issues. According to ONET OnLine, more than half had high school diplomas and more than a quarter had some college education but no degree.


The sources of funding for hospitals can determine housekeeping salaries. Housekeepers in privately owned hospitals earned the highest wages at a mean $11.48 per hour or $23,880 per year, while janitors averaged $12.51 per hour or $26,030 per year. Their supervisors averaged $19.49 per hour or $40,530 per year. Maids in hospitals owned by local government earned a mean $10.57 per hour or $21,980 per year. Janitors here averaged $12.67 per hour or $26,630. Their supervisors averaged $18.19 per hour or $37,830 per year. In hospitals owned by state governments, housekeepers earned a mean $11.16 per hour or $23,220 per year, janitors averaged $12.33 per hour or $25,650 per year, and supervisors averaged $17.83 per hour or $37,080 per year.

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