Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for laundry and dry-cleaning workers in the U.S. is $34,890 ($16.78 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $34,890
- Mean annual wage
- $34,920
- Median hourly wage
- $16.78
- Employment
- 198,040
198,040 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $27,440 | $13.19 |
| 25th percentile | $30,360 | $14.60 |
| Median (50th) | $34,890 | $16.78 |
| 75th percentile | $37,560 | $18.06 |
| 90th percentile | $43,190 | $20.77 |
Highest-paying states for laundry and dry-cleaning workers
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | $39,590 | 3,870 |
| Oregon | $37,800 | 1,890 |
| California | $37,790 | 21,940 |
| District of Columbia | $37,790 | 320 |
| Colorado | $37,680 | 3,370 |
| Minnesota | $37,580 | 3,530 |
| Massachusetts | $37,490 | 3,700 |
| North Dakota | $37,470 | 840 |
| Maine | $37,380 | 820 |
| Vermont | $37,300 | 280 |
Lowest-paying states
- Mississippi: $27,190 median annual wage
- Louisiana: $27,460 median annual wage
- Oklahoma: $28,170 median annual wage
- Alabama: $28,370 median annual wage
- Arkansas: $28,460 median annual wage
About this occupation
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.
Typical tasks
- Load articles into washers or dry-cleaning machines, or direct other workers to perform loading.
- Mix and add detergents, dyes, bleaches, starches, and other solutions and chemicals to clean, color, dry, or stiffen articles.
- Hang curtains, drapes, blankets, pants, and other garments on stretch frames to dry.
- Operate machines that comb, dry and polish furs, clean, sterilize and fluff feathers and blankets, or roll and package towels.
- 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.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: No formal educational credential
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 32.6% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 41.4% |
| Some college, no degree | 14.2% |
| Associate's degree | 4.5% |
| Bachelor's degree | 6.1% |
| Master's degree | 0.8% |
| Doctoral or professional degree | 0.4% |
Occupation profile data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Related occupations
- Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators$44,650
- First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers$74,450
- Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers$48,570
- Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers$53,750
- Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders$43,220
- Machinists$58,750
- Production Workers, All Other$40,110
- Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers$45,850
About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- CareerOneStop Occupation Profiles — data period 2026-08, retrieved August 14, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.