How to become a cleaner and domestics

Official title: Cleaners and domestics

Also called: Cleaner, Domestic, Bar cleaner, Bank cleaner, Oven cleaner, Shop cleaner, Yard cleaner, Berth cleaner, Floor cleaner, Hotel cleaner, House cleaner, Night cleaner

Cleaners and domestics clean interiors of private houses, shops, hotels, schools, offices and other buildings.

Main tasks

• Scrubs, washes, sweeps and polishes floors, corridors and stairs
• Dusts and polishes furniture and fittings
• Cleans toilets and bathrooms
• Washes down walls and ceilings
• Empties ashtrays, waste bins and removes rubbish

How to become one

No academic qualifications are required. On-the-job training may be provided. Vocational qualifications in Cleaning and Support Services Skills are available at levels 1 and 2.

Ways in

• Apprenticeship (England): Cleaning hygiene operative (level 2). England. Typically 12 months. Skills England standard ST0843.

Pay · Outlook

• Median full-time pay: £24,130 a year The middle half earn £20,942 to £27,960.
• About 591,600 people work in this job now, and about 569,800 are projected by 2035. (-3.7%)

Related jobs

• Window cleaners
• Street cleaners
• Launderers, dry cleaners and pressers
• Refuse and salvage occupations
• Vehicle valeters and cleaners

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Questions people ask

How do I become a cleaner and domestics?

No academic qualifications are required. On-the-job training may be provided. Vocational qualifications in Cleaning and Support Services Skills are available at levels 1 and 2.

How much does a cleaner and domestics earn in the UK?

Median full-time pay is £24,130 a year (Office for National Statistics). The middle half earn £20,942 to £27,960.

Is a cleaner and domestics a growing career in the UK?

Employment is projected to fall 4% by 2035, from about 591,600 to about 569,800 people (Department for Education).

Do you need a degree to become a cleaner and domestics?

Usually not. Only 10% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Cleaning hygiene operative (level 2).

Sources

• Office for National Statistics: Annual Population Survey: employment by occupation (April 2025 to March 2026), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• Office for National Statistics: SOC 2020 Volume 1: structure and descriptions (2026-08-27 edition), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• Department for Education: Skills Imperative 2035: employment projections by occupation (2021 to 2035 (Warwick IER / Cambridge Econometrics)), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• Office for National Statistics: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14 (2025 provisional), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03