Window Cleaning Services
The short answer: For window cleaning services, the BLS benchmark is employee pay: janitors and cleaners, the occupation that includes window cleaners, earned a median $17.71 an hour in May 2025. The catch is that this BLS figure describes employees, not people running their own per-job or recurring window cleaning service. (BLS OEWS) Window cleaning suits people willing to clean interior and exterior windows of homes and businesses using squeegees and poles.
| 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 earnings | $100/hr Reported by Window Cleaning Resource (Chris Lambrinides), Nov 2026 |
From 8 quotes by 2 creators and BLS data. A creator figure is one person's account.
Go deeper: every source on window cleaning services
How much do window cleaners make?
Window cleaners are grouped with janitors and cleaners, whose employees earned a median $36,840 a year in May 2025 per the BLS, with the top tenth at $50,270 or more. Location moves the window cleaning pay benchmark: employee medians reached $45,580 in Massachusetts and $45,520 in Washington but $28,380 in Mississippi in May 2025. (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 window cleaning services say?
“The cost of that is nothing when you're making $100 an hour.”
“You showed up and charged somebody $5 a screen to clean their screens through 2x4s and brooms. Like that's embarrassing to the company.”
“But if you set a ladder up over some begonias, and one of the begonias breaks, you're like, oh, well, I just put the ladder up. Just hit The customer is upset.”
“the waterfed pole systems you know which are the the pure water filters that you use a big pole with a brush to do the cleaning and that's one aspect you need to know how to do the traditional style too you know with the squeegee”
What equipment do you need to start window cleaning services?
Window cleaning services run on squeegees, poles and cleaning solutions for interior and exterior windows. Austin Davis, a pressure washing operator, advises buying cheap starter equipment in cash and setting up an LLC, a business bank account and general liability insurance. (Austin Davis)
Not enough evidence yet: No source we track states a dollar startup cost yet.
- Buy squeegees, poles and cleaning solutions.
- Decide whether to serve homes, businesses or both.
- Choose per-job pricing, recurring service or both.
- Do practice jobs for friends and family to collect photos and reviews, as Austin advises for pressure washing. (Austin Davis)
How much time does window cleaning services take?
Not enough evidence yet: No source we track says how long the first payout takes or how many hours it needs yet.
Who are window cleaning services a good fit for?
Window cleaning services fit people who want hands-on work at homes and businesses, cleaning both interior and exterior windows. Because window cleaning can be sold per job or on a recurring basis, it suits both people wanting occasional jobs and people wanting repeat clients.
Is window cleaning worth it as a side hustle?
Pros
- The BLS rates demand for janitors and cleaners, which include window cleaners, as stable, with 2.2% projected employment growth for 2025-35. (BLS Employment Projections)
- Window cleaning can be sold on a recurring basis, so a single client can bring repeat work.
Cons
- The bottom tenth of employed janitors and cleaners, the occupation that includes window cleaners, earned $28,640 a year or less in May 2025. (BLS OEWS)
- In Puerto Rico, the employee median for janitors and cleaners was $21,890 in May 2025.
What are the risks of window cleaning services?
Window cleaning pay benchmarks swing by state: employed janitors and cleaners earned a median $28,930 in Louisiana but $41,640 in New York in May 2025. Those BLS figures cover employees, so they don't show what a self-run window cleaning service will bring in. (BLS OEWS)
What are the alternatives to window cleaning services?
- Mobile Car Detailing: Also can go full-time.
- Pressure Washing Services: Often covered together (6 shared videos).
- Vacation Rentals: Also can go full-time.
- Junk Removal Services side hustle: Also can go full-time.
- Commercial Cleaning: Also in local services.
- Tour Guide side hustle: Also can go full-time.
Part of: Local services
What else do people ask about window cleaning services?
How do you find window cleaning customers?
In his pressure washing plan, Austin Davis uses yard signs, flyers, door-to-door visits, and realtor and property manager partnerships. (Austin Davis)
What job volume does a related exterior cleaning business target?
Austin's pressure washing plan for $10k/month assumes about a $450 average ticket and 19 jobs a month. (Austin Davis)
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 window cleaning services.
- Austin Davis, YouTube, 2 Nov 2026.
- Window Cleaning Resource (Chris Lambrinides), YouTube, 6 Nov 2026.
- Chris Koerner, YouTube, 20 May 2026.
- Chris Koerner, YouTube, 23 Sep 2024.
- 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 (5)
| Fact | Value | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demand trend | stable | Accepted | BLS Employment Projections |
| Full-time or part-time | full time capable | Accepted | Chris Koerner |
| Scalability | high | Accepted | Chris Koerner |
| Common pitfalls | Damaging a customer's plants when setting up a ladder | One report | Window Cleaning Resource |
| Equipment | Water-fed poles, Truck | One report | Chris Koerner |