SOC 37-2019 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Building Cleaning Workers, All Other — North Carolina
North Carolina · 1 metro areas compared
In North Carolina the median wage is $39,180.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow about as fast as average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +2.5%
- Openings per year
- 2,600
- Typical entry-level education
- No formal educational credential
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
6.8% of people in this occupation work for themselves.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for North Carolina.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
In North Carolina the median wage is $39,180. That is 11.0% lower than the national median of $44,040. Pay ranges from under $30,530 at the tenth percentile to more than $44,350 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $35,360 to $43,040.
North Carolina ranks number 24th out of 29 states by median pay for this occupation. Within the state, Winston-Salem records the highest median at $38,480. Of the 745 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 621st.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $30,530 | −30.7% |
| 25th | $35,360 | −19.7% |
| Median (50th) | $39,180 | −11.0% |
| 75th | $43,040 | −2.3% |
| 90th | $44,350 | +0.7% |
| Mean | $38,380 | −12.9% |
Highest-paying metro areas in North Carolina
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Winston-Salem | $38,480 | 80 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in North Carolina run 5.7% below the national average, so the median of $39,180 goes as far as $41,548 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 5.7% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$39,180as reported by BLSLocal price level
94.3US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$41,548US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $39,180 a year, 11.0% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $30,530 to $44,350 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- It ranks 24th of 29 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Winston-Salem, at $38,480.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Building Cleaning Workers, All Other in North Carolina?
The median annual wage is $39,180, or $18.84 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $44,040, so pay in North Carolina is 11.0% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in North Carolina earns more than $44,350 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $30,530 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Winston-Salem, at $38,480 per year.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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