Career prospects for janitorial jobs

Janitors hold some of the most important building maintenance positions. They are responsible for cleaning office buildings, stores, apartments, restaurants, and hospitals. Without janitors, debris would pile up in an area and could make building occupants sick. A tidy building always makes an indelible impression on those who enter it. 

A janitor's duties vary depending on what industry they are employed in. Some janitors remove trash, vacuum, sweep walkways, and clean and disinfect surfaces. Others perform more heavy cleaning duties, such as removing hazardous waste or disposing of chemicals. 

Others perform jobs such as fixing faucets, painting, changing lightbulbs, replenishing cleaning inventories, mowing lawns, and fixing heating and air-conditioning equipment. 

Janitors also perform extermination duties, such as removing rodents and insects and setting traps. Rodents in a building can be dangerous because they spread disease.

Janitors also mop and scrub floors and disinfect bathrooms. Often in a large building there are multiple bathrooms, so a janitor's workday is typically very hard on his or her body, as he will need to get on his knees to clean and squeeze into tight spaces. 

In a hospital a janitor's role is very important. To stop the spread of disease, a janitor must clean floors and surfaces daily. Trash receptacles are emptied often several times a day. Hazardous implements such as needles, bandages, and dressings are removed and disposed of properly by janitors.

Janitors use a variety of equipment during a typical work day. He may use a mop and broom, sanding machines, power washers, chemicals, and pesticides. If he performs lawn maintenance, a janitor may use a mower, weed whacker, fertilizers, and edgers. He may need to carry heavy bags of soil to and from sheds, which can put a strain on his back.

Janitors often work late into the evening, when buildings are empty and they can freely move from room to room without disturbing anyone. The exception is hospitals and schools, where janitors are needed during the day to dispose of debris and trash readily.

When hiring janitors, a high school diploma is preferred but not required. Performing simple arithmetic when meting out chemicals and the ability to follow directions are important attributes.

According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, building cleaning workers held about 4.1 million jobs in 2008. About 299,000 were self-employed. Janitors specifically held about 2.4 million jobs. Around 33 percent of janitors worked for firms supplying services to buildings and dwellings, about 20 percent were employed in educational services, and 6 percent worked in government. About 132,700 were self employed.

Overall employment of building cleaning workers is expected to be good. Employment of janitors and cleaners is projected to increase by 4 percent, more slowly than average, for all occupations. As the pace of construction contracts and fewer buildings are built, growth in this occupation should be relatively slow. But in the healthcare industry, growth is very rapid. There will always be a need for dependable janitors in hospitals and doctor's offices.