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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2020

51-6011 Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers

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.


National estimates for Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers
Industry profile for Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers
Geographic profile for Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers

National estimates for Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
179,890 1.3 % $ 12.79 $ 26,600 0.4 %

Percentile wage estimates for Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 9.20 $ 10.52 $ 12.24 $ 14.44 $ 16.98
Annual Wage (2) $ 19,130 $ 21,890 $ 25,470 $ 30,030 $ 35,310


Industry profile for Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Drycleaning and Laundry Services 91,230 35.83 $ 12.58 $ 26,170
Traveler Accommodation 28,960 1.91 $ 12.81 $ 26,630
Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) 20,500 1.34 $ 12.23 $ 25,440
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 6,830 0.12 $ 14.65 $ 30,460
Services to Buildings and Dwellings 6,650 0.31 $ 12.60 $ 26,200

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Drycleaning and Laundry Services 91,230 35.83 $ 12.58 $ 26,170
Traveler Accommodation 28,960 1.91 $ 12.81 $ 26,630
Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) 20,500 1.34 $ 12.23 $ 25,440
Rooming and Boarding Houses 80 0.78 $ 12.69 $ 26,400
Facilities Support Services 1,180 0.73 $ 12.33 $ 25,640

Top paying industries for Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) 1,000 0.05 $ 18.67 $ 38,840
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 1,330 0.06 $ 17.93 $ 37,300
Other Personal Services (8) (8) $ 16.71 $ 34,750
Warehousing and Storage (8) (8) $ 16.27 $ 33,840
Outpatient Care Centers 70 0.01 $ 16.02 $ 33,330


Geographic profile for Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 13,820 0.84 0.65 $ 15.72 $ 32,710
Florida 13,610 1.61 1.25 $ 11.69 $ 24,320
Texas 12,800 1.06 0.82 $ 11.96 $ 24,870
New York 12,550 1.44 1.12 $ 14.98 $ 31,160
Illinois 7,650 1.36 1.05 $ 12.86 $ 26,740




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Hawaii 1,510 2.63 2.03 $ 15.82 $ 32,900
Rhode Island 1,130 2.54 1.96 $ 13.90 $ 28,900
Nevada 2,450 1.96 1.52 $ 12.57 $ 26,150
South Dakota 780 1.90 1.47 $ 11.95 $ 24,850
Montana 860 1.89 1.46 $ 12.62 $ 26,250




Top paying states for Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 580 0.85 0.66 $ 17.64 $ 36,680
Washington 3,390 1.06 0.82 $ 15.87 $ 33,010
Hawaii 1,510 2.63 2.03 $ 15.82 $ 32,900
California 13,820 0.84 0.65 $ 15.72 $ 32,710
Alaska 510 1.72 1.33 $ 15.06 $ 31,320





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 13,110 1.48 1.15 $ 14.54 $ 30,250
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 5,750 0.99 0.76 $ 15.32 $ 31,870
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 5,510 1.26 0.98 $ 13.24 $ 27,540
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 4,160 1.66 1.28 $ 11.60 $ 24,120
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 3,400 1.31 1.01 $ 14.50 $ 30,160
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 3,300 1.09 0.85 $ 13.88 $ 28,870
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 3,150 1.20 0.92 $ 11.15 $ 23,180
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 3,040 0.85 0.66 $ 11.54 $ 23,990
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL 2,930 2.46 1.90 $ 12.15 $ 25,260
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 2,410 1.36 1.05 $ 13.16 $ 27,380




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI 360 5.38 4.16 $ 18.63 $ 38,750
Valdosta, GA 250 4.79 3.71 $ 10.52 $ 21,880
Enid, OK 100 4.25 3.29 $ 9.78 $ 20,350
Pueblo, CO 220 3.61 2.79 $ 12.78 $ 26,580
Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL 240 3.30 2.55 $ 12.44 $ 25,880
Farmington, NM 140 3.27 2.53 $ 10.58 $ 22,010
Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC 510 3.27 2.53 $ 10.83 $ 22,520
St. Cloud, MN 320 3.22 2.49 $ 15.55 $ 32,340
Rapid City, SD 200 3.22 2.49 $ 11.70 $ 24,330
Pine Bluff, AR 90 3.07 2.38 $ 11.34 $ 23,590




Top paying metropolitan areas for Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 1,670 0.72 0.55 $ 18.67 $ 38,840
Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI 360 5.38 4.16 $ 18.63 $ 38,750
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 590 0.53 0.41 $ 16.84 $ 35,040
Visalia-Porterville, CA 50 0.33 0.26 $ 16.70 $ 34,750
Napa, CA 60 0.85 0.66 $ 16.57 $ 34,470
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 2,100 1.07 0.83 $ 16.35 $ 34,000
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA 190 0.64 0.49 $ 15.95 $ 33,170
Anchorage, AK 240 1.46 1.13 $ 15.92 $ 33,120
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA 1,210 0.86 0.67 $ 15.71 $ 32,680
Santa Rosa, CA 120 0.64 0.49 $ 15.64 $ 32,530

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 600 1.59 1.23 $ 10.87 $ 22,600
North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (noncontiguous) 480 1.54 1.19 $ 12.19 $ 25,350
Hill Country Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 440 2.30 1.78 $ 14.09 $ 29,310
Northern Indiana nonmetropolitan area 430 2.14 1.66 $ 13.65 $ 28,380
West Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 390 2.03 1.57 $ 14.41 $ 29,980

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northeast Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area 370 3.24 2.50 $ 11.04 $ 22,970
Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 290 3.19 2.46 $ 15.16 $ 31,540
East North Dakota nonmetropolitan area 190 3.03 2.34 $ 14.35 $ 29,860
West South Dakota nonmetropolitan area 170 2.98 2.31 $ 11.89 $ 24,730
North Missouri nonmetropolitan area 310 2.90 2.24 $ 10.76 $ 22,370

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Coastal Plains Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 240 1.67 1.29 $ 16.92 $ 35,180
Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area 50 0.54 0.42 $ 15.88 $ 33,040
Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area 60 1.01 0.78 $ 15.74 $ 32,750
Northwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area 270 2.37 1.84 $ 15.62 $ 32,490
North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area 130 1.37 1.06 $ 15.54 $ 32,320


About May 2020 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OEWS estimates and related information:

May 2020 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 31, 2021