Wash or otherwise clean vehicles, machinery, and other equipment. Use such materials as water, cleaning agents, brushes, cloths, and hoses. Excludes “Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners” (37-2011).
National median · BLS
$35,830
▲ +1.59%YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$36,980
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
380,430
Jobs (BLS)
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Enter your pay and a location to see where you stand against BLS and H-1B pay, your estimated take-home pay, and your purchasing power.
Pay range for Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment
Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.
Percentile
All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay
$27,380
25th
$30,420
Median (50th)
$35,830
75th
$41,040
90th — top pay
$47,610
Hourly ⇄ annual pay
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Monthly—
Every 2 weeks—
Weekly—
Daily—
Based on
hrs/week ×
weeks/year
= 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035
Job outlook for Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment
BLS projects employment of cleaners of vehicles and equipment to grow 3.9% from 2025 to 2035, about the same as the 3.5% average for all occupations.
About 51,500 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.
Jobs 2025 → 2035
419,500 → 435,800
+16,300 jobs
Projected change
+3.9%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
51,500
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
No formal educational credential
No related experience required
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Self-employed
7.9% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 2)
Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment salaries by state
BLS state medians, plus the same figure adjusted for local prices (BEA Regional Price Parities). Tap a state for its full range and H-1B pay.
State
Median
Jobs
Cost-adjusted
Profile
Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment salaries by metro area
Search by city, ZIP code or metro name. Tap a metro for its full range.
Metro area
Median
Jobs
Cost-adjusted
Profile
Skills & tools
Skills needed for Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment
How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.
Top skills
Operation and Control3.0
Quality Control Analysis3.0
Operations Monitoring2.9
Monitoring2.8
Time Management2.8
Speaking2.6
Active Listening2.5
Service Orientation2.4
Coordination2.3
Critical Thinking2.3
Top knowledge areas
Customer and Personal Service3.5
English Language3.3
Transportation3.1
Administration and Management2.9
Public Safety and Security2.9
Production and Processing2.8
Mechanical2.6
Education and Training2.5
Software and technology used
Microsoft WindowsBella FSM Auto Detailing Service SoftwareBookFreshGreen Cloud KleanTRACInventory tracking softwareThoughtful Systems Scheduling Manager for Auto Detailing
Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
About the job
What cleaners of vehicles and equipment do
Rinse objects and place them on drying racks or use cloth, squeegees, or air compressors to dry surfaces.
Apply paints, dyes, polishes, reconditioners, waxes, or masking materials to vehicles to preserve, protect, or restore color or condition.
Clean and polish vehicle windows.
Drive vehicles to or from workshops or customers' workplaces or homes.
Scrub, scrape, or spray machine parts, equipment, or vehicles, using scrapers, brushes, clothes, cleaners, disinfectants, insecticides, acid, abrasives, vacuums, or hoses.
Inspect parts, equipment, or vehicles for cleanliness, damage, and compliance with standards or regulations.
Mix cleaning solutions, abrasive compositions, or other compounds, according to formulas.
Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.
Similar jobs and how they pay
Occupations O*NET lists as closely related to Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment, with BLS national medians compared with this occupation's $35,830.
