Cleaner: salary in the UK
ONS occupation: Cleaners and domestics (SOC 9223)
About £22,047 a year after tax (England, Wales and Northern Ireland, 2026/27)
median salary a year, full-time, +6.4% on last year
£2,144 a month About £1,837 a month after tax 84 thousand full-time jobs
Gross pay before tax, including bonuses, commission and overtime. Not included: benefits in kind such as a company car. About the data
Pay range
The dark part is the middle half of full-time employees (25% to 75%); the light bar runs from 10% to 90%. ONS doesn't publish the highest or lowest salary, and x means a figure wasn't published.
Pay by year
The median went from £18,547 in 2021 to £25,732 in 2026 (+39%); for all full-time employees in the UK it changed by +31% over the same years.
Figures by year
| P10 | P25 | Median | P75 | P90 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | x | £15,757 | £18,547 | £21,921 | x |
| 2022 | £13,127 | £16,478 | £19,279 | £22,803 | £27,495 |
| 2023 | £15,879 | £18,441 | £21,244 | £24,850 | x |
| 2024 | £16,731 | £19,908 | £22,988 | £27,182 | £31,219 |
| 2025 | £17,237 | £21,074 | £24,174 | £27,994 | £33,443 |
| 2026 | £19,342 | £22,766 | £25,732 | £29,979 | £35,200 |
ONS figures for each year, not adjusted for inflation. Years before 2021 used a different occupation classification, so they can't be compared. Earlier years are ONS's revised figures; the latest is provisional.
Half of full-time employees in this occupation earn less than £25,732 a year and half earn more. That is 37% less than the median for all full-time employees in the UK (£40,911).
The middle half earn between £22,766 and £29,979; the middle 80% between £19,342 and £35,200.
Ranked by median, it is number 349 of the 362 occupations with a published figure.
At the median salary, take-home pay after Income Tax and National Insurance is about £1,837 a month in England, Wales or Northern Ireland and £1,841 in Scotland.
The median for men is £26,536 and for women £25,198, a gap of 5% in men's favour. This compares full-time salaries only and doesn't account for seniority or hours.
Percentiles
| Percentile | Annual | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th (P10) | £19,342 | £1,612 |
| 20th | £21,791 | £1,816 |
| 25th (P25) | £22,766 | £1,897 |
| 30th | £23,468 | £1,956 |
| 40th | £24,854 | £2,071 |
| Median (50th) | £25,732 | £2,144 |
| 60th | £26,850 | £2,237 |
| 70th | £28,900 | £2,408 |
| 75th (P75) | £29,979 | £2,498 |
| 80th | £31,099 | £2,592 |
| 90th (P90) | £35,200 | £2,933 |
Men and women
| Median | Mean | Jobs (thousands) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men | £26,536 | £27,709 | 31 |
| Women | £25,198 | £25,492 | 53 |
Take-home pay at the median
| Where you live | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| England, Wales, NI | £22,047 | £1,837 |
| Scotland | £22,086 | £1,841 |
After Income Tax and National Insurance for 2026 to 2027, with the standard tax code and no pension or student loan. Work out your own take-home pay · Take-home pay on £26,000
Job titles in this occupation
ONS codes these 108 job titles to SOC 9223 Cleaners and domestics. Pay figures are for the whole occupation, not for each title.
- Asda ace
- Bank cleaner
- Bar cleaner
- Bed maker
- Bedder
- Bedroom assistant
- Berth cleaner
- Cabin man
- Canteen cleaner
- Chalet assistant
- Chalet maid
- Chamber maid
- Chambermaid
- Chambermaid-housekeeper
- Charlady
- Charwoman
- Church cleaner
- Cleaner
- Cleaner-doorman
- Cleaning assistant
- Cleaning attendant
- Cleaning contractor
- Cleaning lady
- Cleaning operative
- Cleaning technician
- Closet cleaner
- College servant
- Commercial cleaner
- Daily help
- Daily servant
- Domestic
- Domestic assistant
- Domestic carer
- Domestic cleaner
- Domestic engineer
- Domestic help
- Domestic helper
- Domestic operative
- Domestic orderly
- Domestic servant
- Domestic technician
- Domestic worker
- Floor cleaner
- Floor polisher
- General assistant
- General cleaner
- General hand
- Guest house assistant
- Healthcare cleaner
- Help
- Home help
- Home helper
- Homehelp
- Hospital cleaner
- Hotel cleaner
- Hotel room attendant
- Hotel services assistant
- House cleaner
- House keeping assistant
- House maid
Show all 108 titles
- House steward
- House worker
- Household assistant
- Housekeeping assistant
- Housemaid
- Houseman
- Hygiene assistant
- Hygiene controller
- Kitchen cleaner
- Library cleaner
- Maid
- Maidservant
- Matron's assistant
- Mess room cleaner
- Mobile cleaner
- Night cleaner
- Night closer
- Office cleaner
- Oven cleaner
- Parlourmaid
- Parlourman
- Patient services assistant
- Porter-cleaner
- Private cleaner
- Private house cleaner
- Room assistant
- Room attendant
- Room maid
- School cleaner
- School houseman
- Scout
- Servant
- Service operator
- Shop cleaner
- Show room cleaner
- Station cleaner
- Steriliser
- Sweeper
- Sweeper-up
- Telephone cleaner
- Telephone kiosk cleaner
- Telephone sterilizer operator
- Tube sweeper
- Ward maid
- Ward service officer
- Warehouse cleaner
- Workshop cleaner
- Yard cleaner
Similar occupations
All jobs in Elementary occupations
Source: ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2026 provisional, Table 14.7a (full-time employees, gross annual pay, UK, tax year ending 5 April 2026). Provisional figures may be revised.