How Much Do House Cleaners Make? (Per Hour, Per House, and Per Year)

The short answer

House cleaners working as employees for a company typically make about $15 to $25 per hour. Independent cleaners who book their own clients usually earn $25 to $60 per hour, and owners who build a small team can earn well beyond that.

The single biggest factor in how much a house cleaner makes is not skill or speed; it is whether they work for someone else or for themselves.

Employee vs. independent: the real gap

A cleaner employed by an agency often takes home half or less of what the client pays, because the agency keeps the rest for scheduling, insurance, and profit. The same person working independently keeps the full rate, which is why going solo commonly doubles or triples take-home pay for the same hours.

Per house and per year

• Per house: a standard clean at $120 to $220 usually takes 2 to 4 hours, an effective rate well above hourly employee pay.
• Full-time solo: roughly $40,000 to $80,000 a year depending on rates, route density, and how booked you stay.
• With a small team: six figures is realistic once you are managing cleaners rather than doing every job yourself.

How house cleaners actually increase their income

• Go independent, or take on private clients alongside agency work.
• Switch from hourly to flat per-job pricing, then get faster.
• Lock in recurring weekly and biweekly clients to fill the calendar.
• Cluster clients by neighborhood to cut unpaid drive time.
• Raise rates on new clients first, then bring existing ones up.

Know your number

If you are setting your own rate, the question 'how much do cleaners make' is really 'how much should I charge.' Run your area and experience through the free calculator to get a defensible per-hour and per-job number to build your income around.