Laundry Attendant job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

10

O*NET task statements

O*NET occupation

Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers

O*NET-SOC 51-6011.00

Preparation

Job Zone 1-2 of 5

very little to some preparation

Typical entry education

No formal educational credential

BLS 2025–35

Median pay

$34,890

BLS May 2025

Data Government data groups this job as Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers (O*NET-SOC 51-6011.00). O*NET 31.0 lists “Laundry Attendant” as a job title for this occupation only (evidence: O*NET's Sample of Reported Titles (titles job holders report), O*NET job-incumbent data, the SOC Index and employer job postings). Figures on this page are for that occupation. TryHired has no separate career page for this title yet.

1. Operate extractors and driers, or direct their operation. importance 4.4 of 5
2. Remove items from washers or dry-cleaning machines, or direct other workers to do so. importance 4.4 of 5
3. Load articles into washers or dry-cleaning machines, or direct other workers to perform loading. importance 4.3 of 5
4. Sort and count articles removed from dryers, and fold, wrap, or hang them. importance 4.3 of 5
5. Start washers, dry cleaners, driers, or extractors, and turn valves or levers to regulate machine processes and the volume of soap, detergent, water, bleach, starch, and other additives. importance 4.2 of 5
6. Examine and sort into lots articles to be cleaned, according to color, fabric, dirt content, and cleaning technique required. importance 3.9 of 5
7. Clean machine filters, and lubricate equipment. importance 3.7 of 5
8. Determine spotting procedures and proper solvents, based on fabric and stain types. importance 3.6 of 5
9. Sprinkle chemical solvents over stains, and pat areas with brushes or sponges to remove stains. importance 3.6 of 5
10. Inspect soiled articles to determine sources of stains, to locate color imperfections, and to identify items requiring special treatment. importance 3.6 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Performing General Physical Activities, Getting Information, Handling and Moving Objects, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials and Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings.

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.

• Apply chemicals to neutralize the effects of solvents.
• Receive and mark articles for laundry or dry cleaning with identifying code numbers or names, using hand or machine markers.
• Apply bleaching powders to spots and spray them with steam to remove stains from fabrics that do not respond to other cleaning solvents.
• Operate machines that comb, dry and polish furs, clean, sterilize and fluff feathers and blankets, or roll and package towels.
• Pre-soak, sterilize, scrub, spot-clean, and dry contaminated or stained articles, using neutralizer solutions and portable machines.
• Mix and add detergents, dyes, bleaches, starches, and other solutions and chemicals to clean, color, dry, or stiffen articles.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Word, Cents, Curbside Laundries Wash and Fold POS Software. 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.

Most laundry attendants surveyed by O*NET (74%) name a high school diploma or equivalent as the education the job requires.

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

About the role
[Company] is hiring a Laundry Attendant to operate or tend washing or dry-cleaning machines to wash or dry-clean industrial or household articles, such as cloth garments, suede, leather, furs, blankets, draperies, linens, rugs, and carpets.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- Operate extractors and driers, or direct their operation.
- Remove items from washers or dry-cleaning machines, or direct other workers to do so.
- Load articles into washers or dry-cleaning machines, or direct other workers to perform loading.
- Sort and count articles removed from dryers, and fold, wrap, or hang them.
- Start washers, dry cleaners, driers, or extractors, and turn valves or levers to regulate machine processes and the volume of soap, detergent, water, bleach, starch, and other additives.
- Examine and sort into lots articles to be cleaned, according to color, fabric, dirt content, and cleaning technique required.
- Clean machine filters, and lubricate equipment.
- Determine spotting procedures and proper solvents, based on fabric and stain types.

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 operation and control, active listening and monitoring
- [Software your team uses, e.g. Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Office software]
- [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.

For Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers, the median annual wage was $34,890 in May 2025. The median hourly wage was $16.78. BLS estimates about 198,040 jobs in this occupation in the U.S.

BLS projects employment of Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers to grow 4.3% from 2025 to 2035, with about 28,200 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

• Read a real laundry attendant posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Operate extractors and driers, or direct their operation”, 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 laundry attendant work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (operation and control and active listening): a real situation, what you did and what changed.