Housekeeper job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

9

O*NET task statements

Preparation

Job Zone 1-2 of 5

very little to some preparation

Typical entry education

No formal educational credential

BLS 2025–35

Median pay

$35,510

BLS May 2025

Data Government data groups this job as Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners (O*NET-SOC 37-2012.00). Figures on this page are for that occupation.

1. Keep storage areas and carts well-stocked, clean, and tidy. importance 4.4 of 5
2. Carry linens, towels, toilet items, and cleaning supplies, using wheeled carts. importance 4.4 of 5
3. Clean rooms, hallways, lobbies, lounges, restrooms, corridors, elevators, stairways, locker rooms, and other work areas so that health standards are met. importance 4.3 of 5
4. Empty wastebaskets, empty and clean ashtrays, and transport other trash and waste to disposal areas. importance 4.2 of 5
5. Sweep, scrub, wax, or polish floors, using brooms, mops, or powered scrubbing and waxing machines. importance 4.2 of 5
6. Replenish supplies, such as drinking glasses, linens, writing supplies, and bathroom items. importance 4.2 of 5
7. Clean rugs, carpets, upholstered furniture, and draperies, using vacuum cleaners and shampooers. importance 4.1 of 5
8. Wash windows, walls, ceilings, and woodwork, waxing and polishing as necessary. importance 4.0 of 5
9. Dust and polish furniture and equipment. importance 4.0 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Performing General Physical Activities, Assisting and Caring for Others, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Performing for or Working Directly with the Public and Getting Information.

Also part of the job

Supplemental tasks O*NET lists for this occupation: less central than the core duties above, and not done in every job.

• Disinfect equipment and supplies, using germicides or steam-operated sterilizers.
• Observe precautions required to protect hotel and guest property and report damage, theft, and found articles to supervisors.
• Sort, count, and mark clean linens and store them in linen closets.
• Sort clothing and other articles, load washing machines, and iron and fold dried items.
• Move and arrange furniture and turn mattresses.
• Deliver television sets, ironing boards, baby cribs, and rollaway beds to guests' rooms.

Knowledge areas: Customer and Personal Service, English Language and Public Safety and Security.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: Facebook, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Windows, Computerized bed control system software, Computerized maintenance management system CMMS, Eko. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education: BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical entry-level education.
• Experience: BLS lists no work experience in a related occupation as typical to enter.
• Training on the job: BLS lists short-term on-the-job training as typical once hired.
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 1-2 of 5 (very little to some preparation). Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board and see how to become a housekeeper.

The most common answer among housekeepers surveyed by O*NET is less than a high school diploma (45%).

Job title: Housekeeper
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring a Housekeeper to perform any combination of light cleaning duties to maintain private households or commercial establishments, such as hotels and hospitals, in a clean and orderly manner.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- Keep storage areas and carts well-stocked, clean, and tidy.
- Carry linens, towels, toilet items, and cleaning supplies, using wheeled carts.
- Clean rooms, hallways, lobbies, lounges, restrooms, corridors, elevators, stairways, locker rooms, and other work areas so that health standards are met.
- Empty wastebaskets, empty and clean ashtrays, and transport other trash and waste to disposal areas.
- Sweep, scrub, wax, or polish floors, using brooms, mops, or powered scrubbing and waxing machines.
- Replenish supplies, such as drinking glasses, linens, writing supplies, and bathroom items.
- Clean rugs, carpets, upholstered furniture, and draperies, using vacuum cleaners and shampooers.
- Wash windows, walls, ceilings, and woodwork, waxing and polishing as necessary.

What we are looking for
- [Education: BLS lists no formal educational credential as typical for this occupation; set the level this role truly needs]
- [Experience: BLS lists no related work experience as typical to enter; set what this role needs]
- Strength in service orientation, coordination and time management
- Working knowledge of Customer and Personal Service and English Language
- [Software your team uses, e.g. Facebook or Microsoft Excel]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

The median annual wage was $35,510 in May 2025. The median hourly wage was $17.07. BLS estimates about 860,670 jobs in this occupation in the U.S.

BLS projects employment of Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners to grow 0.6% from 2025 to 2035, with about 175,500 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

See the full housekeeper salary breakdown by percentile, state and metro.

• Read a real housekeeper posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Keep storage areas and carts well-stocked, clean, and tidy”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only housekeeper work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (service orientation and coordination); housekeeper interview questions turns them into practice questions.