Dry cleaning, laundry and related occupations
Also called: Dry cleaner, Laundry helper, Laundry worker, Laundry finisher, Laundry labourer, Laundry attendant, Dry cleaner helper, Apprentice dry cleaner, Laundry machine operator, Dyer - laundry and dry cleaning, Leather finisher - dry cleaning, Bagger - laundry and dry cleaning
Dry cleaning and laundry machine operators operate machines to dry-clean or launder garments and other articles. Dry cleaning and laundry inspectors and assemblers check finished garments and other articles to ensure that they meet required standards for dry-cleaning, laundering and pressing, and assemble and bag finished garments and other articles. This unit group also includes workers who iron, press or otherwise finish garments and household articles. They are employed in dry cleaning, laundry and fur cleaning establishments, and in the laundries of hotels, hospitals and other institutions.
Main tasks
- Dry cleaning and laundry machine operators
- Operate dry cleaning machines to dry-clean dresses, suits, coats, sweaters and other garments, draperies, cushion covers and other articles
- Sort garments and operate washing machines and dryers to clean and dry clothing, sheets, blankets, towels and other articles
- Operate machines to clean and blow-dry fur garments
- Operate machines to dry-clean, dye, spray, re-oil, and re-buff suede and leather garments
- Mix and add detergents, dyes, bleaches, starches and other solutions and chemicals
- Dry cleaning and laundry inspectors and assemblers
- Check finished garments and other articles to ensure that they are properly dry-cleaned or laundered
How to become one
Some secondary school education is required. Four to eight weeks of on-the-job training are usually provided. Dry cleaning and laundry machine operators may require experience as inspectors or assemblers. Suede, leather and fur cleaners may require experience as dry cleaning or laundry machine operators.
Pay · Outlook
- Median pay: $38,025 a year The middle half earn $33,150 to $42,296.
- About 13,900 people worked in this job in 2023, and about 14,600 are projected by 2033. (+5%)
- Projected labour market to 2033: balance.
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Sources
- Statistics Canada: Census 2021: employment by occupation, gender and education (98-10-0449) (2021 Census), Statistics Canada Open Licence, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Statistics Canada: National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 (Version 1.0), Open Government Licence - Canada, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Employment and Social Development Canada: Canadian Occupational Projection System (COPS) (2024 to 2033), Open Government Licence - Canada, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Employment and Social Development Canada (Job Bank): Wages by occupation (2025 (revised 2025-11-19)), Open Government Licence - Canada, retrieved 2026-10-03
Updated 2026-10-03