Cleaners and domestics: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time cleaners and domestics in the UK earned a median £24,130 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): 38% less than the £39,039 median for all full-time jobs.
What the figures show
It is in the lowest-paid third of the 382 occupations (14th from the bottom).
One in ten full-time jobs paid under £16,912; one in ten paid over £33,113.
Median full-time pay: women £23,794 a year, men £25,391 a year.
Most jobs here are part-time: 106,000 of about 512,000 are full-time.
Since 2021 the median has risen 30.1% (from £18,547), faster than the 25.0% for all jobs.
The Annual Population Survey counts 497,200 people in this line of work, 12% of them in London.
Pay distribution, 2025 provisional
| Gross pay | Full-time, annual | Full-time, weekly | Full-time, hourly | All, annual | All, weekly | All, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £16,912 | £409.10 | £12.21 | £4,127 | £92.30 | – |
| 20th percentile | £19,986 | £437.70 | £12.27 | £6,543 | £131.30 | £12.21 |
| 25th percentile | £20,942 | £449.30 | £12.36 | £7,434 | £149.70 | £12.25 |
| 30th percentile | £21,921 | £458.00 | £12.48 | £8,277 | £165.00 | £12.31 |
| 40th percentile | £23,101 | £471.60 | £12.60 | £9,955 | £195.00 | £12.50 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £24,130 | £492.20 | £12.89 | £11,852 | £233.90 | £12.64 |
| 60th percentile | £25,444 | £518.90 | £13.30 | £13,749 | £275.80 | £13.03 |
| 70th percentile | £27,144 | £552.60 | £13.85 | £16,889 | £336.10 | £13.62 |
| 75th percentile | £27,960 | £573.70 | £14.13 | £18,884 | £383.10 | £13.87 |
| 80th percentile | £29,241 | £600.00 | £14.50 | £21,103 | £428.60 | £14.38 |
| 90th percentile | £33,113* | £677.70 | £15.58 | £25,537 | £511.30 | £16.34 |
| Mean | £24,674 | £522.70 | £13.51 | £13,640 | £274.50 | £13.66 |
Pay since 2021
| ASHE year | Full-time, annual median | Full-time, weekly median | Full-time, hourly median | All, annual median | All, weekly median | Jobs (thousands, indicative) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 revised | £18,547 | £370.50 | £9.50 | £8,431 | £165.60 | 542 |
| 2022 revised | £19,279 | £399.00 | £10.19 | £9,021 | £182.80 | 543 |
| 2023 revised | £21,244 | £435.70 | £11.19 | £10,044 | £196.30 | 518 |
| 2024 revised | £22,988 | £471.30 | £12.12 | £10,964 | £217.40 | 503 |
| 2025 provisional | £24,130 | £492.20 | £12.89 | £11,852 | £233.90 | 512 |
Cleaners and domestics by region
UK: 497,200 (± 27,400), April 2025 to March 2026.
| Region or nation | People in employment | 95% confidence interval |
|---|---|---|
| London | 60,400* | ± 12,700 |
| North West | 58,100 | ± 9,200 |
| South East | 56,500 | ± 9,400 |
| West Midlands | 52,000 | ± 9,400 |
| Scotland | 46,300 | ± 7,800 |
| South West | 44,800 | ± 7,600 |
| East Midlands | 44,500* | ± 8,800 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 41,800 | ± 7,600 |
| East of England | 41,500* | ± 8,800 |
| North East | 20,400* | ± 4,500 |
| Wales | 19,000* | ± 3,900 |
| Northern Ireland | 12,000* | ± 3,500 |
Annual Population Survey (Nomis)
What cleaners and domestics do
Cleaners and domestics clean interiors of private houses, shops, hotels, schools, offices and other buildings. (ONS SOC 2020, 9223)
Also covers: chambermaid, cleaner, domestic, home help, school cleaner, asda ace, bank cleaner, bed maker, bedroom assistant, berth cleaner, cabin man, canteen cleaner, chalet assistant, chalet maid, chamber maid, church cleaner, cleaner (hospital) and cleaner (offices) (102 titles in the ONS coding index).
- 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
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.
Related
Elementary cleaning occupations (median £25,303) · Street cleaners · Launderers, dry cleaners and pressers · salary percentile · UK average weekly earnings growth · Median
ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026