Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers
Human ServicesO*NET 51-6011.00United States
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. Includes spotters and dyers of these articles.
- Median annual earnings
- $34,749
- Projected change
- +6.7%
- Typical education
- High school diploma or less
- Employment
- 209.87K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
99.4% of the workforce
Growing to 223.98K by 2035
Explore this career by location
Compare nationwide estimates with state or county job-market data.
Showing United States
Loading available locations…
Build the skills
ASU learning related to this career
These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.
Loading related ASU learning
The work
What laundry and dry-cleaning workers do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- Load articles into washers or dry-cleaning machines, or direct other workers to perform loading.
- 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.
- Operate extractors and driers, or direct their operation.
- Sort and count articles removed from dryers, and fold, wrap, or hang them.
- Remove items from washers or dry-cleaning machines, or direct other workers to do so.
- Clean machine filters, and lubricate equipment.
- Examine and sort into lots articles to be cleaned, according to color, fabric, dirt content, and cleaning technique required.
- Receive and mark articles for laundry or dry cleaning with identifying code numbers or names, using hand or machine markers.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $26,833
- 25th percentile
- $29,956
- 50th percentile
- $34,749
- 75th percentile
- $38,051
- 90th percentile
- $45,390
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $34,749 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
+6.7%faster than average
2025209,873 jobs
2035 projected223,975 jobs
14,102 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- High school diploma or less
- 99.4%
- Certificate
- 0.6%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Operation and Control
- Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Service Orientation
- Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
- Negotiation
- Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
- Persuasion
- Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
- Learning Strategies
- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Quality Control Analysis
- Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Management of Personnel Resources
- Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Laundry Attendants8,245 postings
- 02Laundry Workers3,553 postings
- 03Laundry Aides3,091 postings
- 04Laundry Assistants1,006 postings
- 05Hotel Laundry Attendants827 postings
- 06Laundry Managers672 postings
- 07Laundry Technicians600 postings
- 08Laundromat Managers578 postings
- 09Laundry Associates399 postings
- 10Laundry Supervisors224 postings
- 11Clothing Clerks163 postings
- 12Wash Attendants135 postings
- 13Linen Attendants128 postings
- 14Laundry People110 postings
- 15Night Guest Laundry Attendants92 postings
- 16Laundry Washers82 postings
- 17Public Area Attendants77 postings
- 18Attendants75 postings
- 19Linen Technicians70 postings
- 20Linen Distribution Technicians64 postings
Top employers
- 01Healthcare Services Group2,356 postings
- 02Hilton673 postings
- 03Marriott International593 postings
- 04Extended Stay America329 postings
- 05ESA Management314 postings
- 06Holiday Inn300 postings
- 07Aimbridge Hospitality205 postings
- 08French Lick Resort205 postings
- 09Aramark185 postings
- 10Life Care Centers of America175 postings
- 11Hyatt152 postings
- 12Drury Hotels129 postings
- 13Omni Hotels & Resorts108 postings
- 14Schulte Hospitality Group103 postings
- 15Blue Beacon Truck Wash96 postings
- 16Best Western Hotels & Resorts84 postings
- 17Temple Square Hospitality Corporation81 postings
- 18The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints80 postings
- 19Park Hotels & Resorts74 postings
- 20PruittHealth70 postings
Keep looking