Commercial Cleaning
The short answer: Commercial cleaning matches the work of janitors and cleaners, employees who earned a median $36,840 a year in May 2025, according to the BLS. The catch on the franchise route is entry cost: on Chris Koerner's podcast, commercial cleaning franchises were put at $50,000–$60,000 to get into. (BLS OEWS; Chris Koerner) That price means a commercial cleaning franchise suits someone able to fund or borrow it. (Chris Koerner)
| Median pay of employed janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners | $17.71/hr ($36,840/yr) BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employee pay, not side-hustle income |
|---|---|
| Projected job growth, janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners | +2.2% BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 |
| One creator's reported startup cost | $50,000–$60,000 Reported by Chris Koerner, Mar 2026 |
From 2 quotes by 2 creators and BLS data. A creator figure is one person's account.
Go deeper: every source on commercial cleaning
How much do commercial cleaners make?
For commercial cleaning, the nearest employee job is janitors and cleaners, who earned a median $17.71 an hour in May 2025, according to the BLS. That employee pay ran from $28,640 a year at the 10th percentile to $50,270 at the 90th, and location moves it: state medians include $45,580 in Massachusetts and $28,380 in Mississippi. (BLS OEWS)
| Related occupation | Median pay | Middle 80% |
|---|---|---|
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | $17.71/hr ($36,840/yr), BLS OEWS, May 2025 | $28,640–$50,270/yr |
Median annual pay of employed janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners: $36,840 nationally; highest and lowest states below (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
| Highest-paying states | Median | Lowest-paying states | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $45,580/yr | Louisiana | $28,930/yr |
| Washington | $45,520/yr | Mississippi | $28,380/yr |
| New York | $41,640/yr | Puerto Rico | $21,890/yr |
What do people doing commercial cleaning say?
“office cleaning or commercial cleaning businesses. Those are very you know accessible financially. They're 50k, 60k to get into”
“Your commercial cleaning clients aren't always going to complain when something isn't cleaned properly. Sometimes they will just replace you.”
How much does it cost to start commercial cleaning?
A commercial cleaning franchise is one route Chris and Alex Smereczniak of Franzy discuss, in an interview on franchising with SBA loans covering up to 90% of startup cost. (Chris Koerner)
- Read a franchise's disclosure document, including Item 19. (Chris Koerner)
- Judge the brand's maturity.
- Look into SBA loans.
When is commercial cleaning done?
Commercial cleaning is often done in evenings or weekends alongside a main job.
Not enough evidence yet: No source we track says how long the first payout takes or how many hours it needs yet.
Who is commercial cleaning a good side hustle for?
Commercial cleaning takes place in offices, retail spaces and other business premises, so it suits someone comfortable working in them. The work comes on a contract or recurring basis, so anyone wanting one-off jobs should skip it.
Is commercial cleaning worth it?
Pros
- Chris calls office and commercial cleaning businesses very accessible financially. (Chris Koerner)
Cons
- The BLS projects a 2.2% employment change for janitors and cleaners over 2025-35, a stable demand trend. (BLS Employment Projections)
What are the alternatives to commercial cleaning?
- Window Cleaning Services side hustle: Also in local services.
- Pressure Washing Services side hustle: Also in local services.
- Mobile Car Detailing as a side hustle: Also in local services.
- Junk Removal Services: Also in local services.
- Landscaping Services: Also in local services.
- Handyman Services: Also in local services.
Part of: Local services
What else should commercial cleaners know?
Where do the franchise figures for commercial cleaning come from?
The episode says its figures are cited from franchise disclosure documents (Item 19). (Chris Koerner)
Sources and method
Quotes are verbatim and linked to the moment they were said. A figure from one report is not confirmed by a second source. BLS figures describe employees in the closest related occupation. Every quote, the pay in each state and the full source list are on the every source on commercial cleaning.
- Chris Koerner, YouTube, 3 Mar 2026.
- Carolyn Arellano, YouTube, 6 Nov 2026.
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
- O*NET 31.0 Database, 31.0.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35.
Other data behind this page (2)
| Fact | Value | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Common pitfalls | Assuming clients are happy because no one complains, then losing the contract without warning | Accepted | Carolyn Arellano |
| Demand trend | stable | Accepted | BLS Employment Projections |