Vehicle valeters and cleaners: salary in the UK
About £24,013 a year after tax (England, Wales and Northern Ireland, 2026/27)
median salary a year, full-time, +6.6% on last year
£2,372 a month About £2,001 a month after tax 8 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 £18,983 in 2021 to £28,463 in 2026 (+50%); 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 | £17,704 | £18,983 | x | x |
| 2022 | x | £19,342 | £21,778 | x | x |
| 2023 | x | £20,300 | £23,191 | £25,330 | x |
| 2024 | x | £22,997 | £24,732 | £27,671 | x |
| 2025 | x | £24,080 | £26,703 | £30,386 | x |
| 2026 | x | £25,935 | £28,463 | £30,829 | x |
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 £28,463 a year and half earn more. That is 30% less than the median for all full-time employees in the UK (£40,911).
The middle half earn between £25,935 and £30,829.
Ranked by median, it is number 325 of the 362 occupations with a published figure.
At the median salary, take-home pay after Income Tax and National Insurance is about £2,001 a month in England, Wales or Northern Ireland and £2,004 in Scotland.
Percentiles
| Percentile | Annual | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th (P10) | x | x |
| 20th | £25,397 | £2,116 |
| 25th (P25) | £25,935 | £2,161 |
| 30th | £26,315 | £2,193 |
| 40th | £27,836 | £2,320 |
| Median (50th) | £28,463 | £2,372 |
| 60th | £29,048 | £2,421 |
| 70th | £30,127 | £2,511 |
| 75th (P75) | £30,829 | £2,569 |
| 80th | x | x |
| 90th (P90) | x | x |
Men and women
| Median | Mean | Jobs (thousands) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men | £28,266 | £27,803 | 8 |
| Women | x | £33,494 | x |
Take-home pay at the median
| Where you live | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| England, Wales, NI | £24,013 | £2,001 |
| Scotland | £24,052 | £2,004 |
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 £28,000
Job titles in this occupation
ONS codes these 32 job titles to SOC 9226 Vehicle valeters and cleaners. Pay figures are for the whole occupation, not for each title.
- Aircraft cleaner
- Aircraft groomer
- Boat cleaner
- Bus cleaner
- Cab cleaner
- Cab washer
- Car cleaner
- Car detailer
- Car valeter
- Car wash assistant
- Car washer
- Carriage cleaner
- Carriage service man
- Cleaner
- Coach cleaner
- Exterior train cleaner
- Interior train cleaner
- Lorry washer
- Motor car polisher
- Motor cleaner
- Ship's cleaner
- Train care operative
- Train presentation operative
- Valet
- Valeter
- Van washer
- Vehicle appearance technician
- Vehicle cleaner
- Vehicle progressor
- Vehicle valeter
- Washer
- Washing machinist
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.