Keep buildings in clean and orderly condition. Perform heavy cleaning duties, such as cleaning floors, shampooing rugs, washing walls and glass, and removing rubbish. Duties may include tending furnace and boiler, performing routine maintenance activities, notifying management of need for repairs, and cleaning snow or debris from sidewalk.
U.S. Workers
2,199,900
Median Salary
$35,930
10-Year Growth
+2.0%
Annual Openings
351,300
Typical entry: No formal educational credential
23 of 23 tasks have some AI capability
Exposure Trend
This score reflects estimated AI technical capability for tasks in this occupation. It does not predict employment changes, and it does not account for company-specific constraints, regulation, or adoption barriers.
Monitor building security and safety by performing tasks such as locking doors after operating hours or checking electrical appliance use to ensure that hazards are not created.
AI: Fully automatable - AI-driven building management systems, smart locks, cameras, and appliance sensors can schedule/lock doors and detect unsafe appliance use, enabling full automation in many facilities.
Clean building floors by sweeping, mopping, scrubbing, or vacuuming.
AI: Fully automatable - Autonomous vacuums and commercial floor-scrubbing robots can reliably sweep, mop, scrub, and vacuum routine floor areas in many buildings without continuous human intervention by 2025.
Notify managers concerning the need for major repairs or additions to building operating systems.
AI: Fully automatable - Sensor networks and AI maintenance systems can detect faults and automatically notify managers or create tickets, a capability widely implemented by 2025.
Requisition supplies or equipment needed for cleaning and maintenance duties.
AI: Fully automatable - Inventory tracking and procurement can be fully automated by software agents to requisition supplies based on usage and thresholds, and such systems are common by 2025.
Remove snow from sidewalks, driveways, or parking areas, using snowplows, snow blowers, or snow shovels, or spread snow melting chemicals.
AI: Partial - Autonomous snow-removal vehicles and equipment exist for many scenarios, but variable public environments, safety concerns, and unpredictable conditions limit fully general deployment by 2025.
Service, clean, or supply restrooms.
AI: Partial - AI-enabled machines can automate some restroom servicing (dispensers, monitoring, limited robots), but comprehensive servicing and nuanced sanitation tasks still require humans in most settings.
Gather and empty trash.
AI: Partial - Robotic systems and sensors can assist with trash collection and automated emptying in controlled environments, but varied bin types, cluttered spaces, and irregular items make full automation uncommon.
Follow procedures for the use of chemical cleaners and power equipment to prevent damage to floors and fixtures.
AI: Partial - AI can provide, enforce, and monitor procedures for chemical and equipment use and program robots to follow them, but nuanced judgment, safety oversight, and regulatory compliance still require human involvement.
Mix water and detergents or acids in containers to prepare cleaning solutions, according to specifications.
AI: Partial - Robotic and automated dispensing systems can accurately mix solutions in controlled settings, but on-site variability and safety handling of chemicals still typically require human oversight in 2025.
Clean laboratory equipment, such as glassware or metal instruments, using solvents, brushes, rags, or power cleaning equipment.
AI: Partial - Automated glassware washers and robotic cleaning systems handle many routine lab cleaning tasks but cannot yet cover the full range of delicate, variable, or specialized laboratory equipment cleaning.
Clean windows, glass partitions, or mirrors, using soapy water or other cleaners, sponges, or squeegees.
AI: Partial - Autonomous window-cleaning robots and squeegee systems exist for many surfaces, but irregular layouts, edges, indoor access and quality expectations mean full replacement of humans is not yet general.
Dust furniture, walls, machines, or equipment.
AI: Partial - Vacuuming and some surface-cleaning robots handle many dusting tasks, but delicate, varied-height, and detailed dusting of furniture and equipment still often needs human dexterity and judgment.
Mow or trim lawns or shrubbery, using mowers or hand or power trimmers, and clear debris from grounds.
AI: Partial - Autonomous robotic mowers reliably handle turf mowing, but trimming shrubbery and comprehensive debris clearing still require human dexterity and judgment.
Strip, seal, finish, and polish floors.
AI: Partial - Automated floor scrubbers and polishers exist and can perform many steps, but full end-to-end floor stripping, sealing, finishing and quality control in varied environments usually require human supervision and intervention.
Clean and polish furniture and fixtures.
AI: Partial - Machines can clean and buff certain furniture surfaces, but the diversity of fixtures and the need for careful handling and finish-quality checks mean full automation is limited in practice.
Steam clean or shampoo carpets.
AI: Partial - Commercial carpet-cleaning machines and some autonomous units can steam or shampoo carpets, but consistent deep-clean coverage and handling of obstacles/spot treatments typically need human operators.
Set up, arrange, or remove decorations, tables, chairs, ladders, or scaffolding to prepare facilities for events, such as banquets or meetings.
AI: Partial - Robots can move and position some furniture, but the varied, ad hoc physical manipulation and safe setup/removal of event equipment in diverse environments remains beyond full automation.
Make adjustments or minor repairs to heating, cooling, ventilating, plumbing, or electrical systems.
AI: Partial - AI can assist with diagnostics and guide technicians, but making physical adjustments and minor repairs to HVAC/plumbing/electrical systems generally still requires human hands and trade skills.
Move heavy furniture, equipment, or supplies, either manually or by using hand trucks.
AI: Partial - Autonomous mobile robots and material-handling equipment can move standardized heavy loads in controlled settings, but irregular furniture moves in buildings still commonly require human judgment and strength.
Clean and restore building interiors damaged by fire, smoke, or water, using commercial cleaning equipment.
AI: Partial - Fire/smoke/water restoration requires complex assessment, hazardous-material handling, and adaptive manual work that current automation can only partially support.
Spray insecticides or fumigants to prevent insect or rodent infestation.
AI: Partial - Autonomous spraying platforms exist (mainly in agriculture), but indoor insecticide/fumigant application is constrained by safety, regulation, and variable indoor conditions, limiting full automation.
Drive vans, industrial trucks, or other vehicles required to travel to or to perform cleaning work.
AI: Partial - While indoor industrial vehicles and some last-mile systems are automated, widespread autonomous driving of vans and trucks for cleaning crews in mixed public environments is not yet fully reliable or deployed.
Clean chimneys, flues, and connecting pipes, using power or hand tools.
AI: Partial - There are robotic solutions for some duct and pipe cleaning, but chimney and flue cleaning in irregular, confined residential/industrial settings remains largely manual and not fully automated.