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Boston Career Explorer

Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance

Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners

Perform any combination of light cleaning duties to maintain private households or commercial establishments, such as hotels and hospitals, in a clean and orderly manner. Duties may include making beds, replenishing linens, cleaning rooms and halls, and vacuuming.

Also called: Chambermaid, Cleaner, Cottage Attendant, Environmental Services Aide, Environmental Services Worker, Guest Room Attendant (GRA)

Median pay in Greater Boston
$39,470
$18.98/hr
Jobs in Greater Boston
10,920
Massachusetts 2024–2034
+3.3%
3,160 openings a year
Typical U.S. entry requirement
No formal educational credential
plus Short-term on-the-job training

Greater Boston: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025. Growth and openings: Massachusetts statewide projection.

Pay range in Greater Boston

Yearly pay in Greater Boston by percentile
10th25thMedian75th90th
$33,870$37,490$39,470$46,480$61,060

10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.

What you’d do

  • Keep storage areas and carts well-stocked, clean, and tidy.
  • Carry linens, towels, toilet items, and cleaning supplies, using wheeled carts.
  • Clean rooms, hallways, lobbies, lounges, restrooms, corridors, elevators, stairways, locker rooms, and other work areas so that health standards are met.
  • Empty wastebaskets, empty and clean ashtrays, and transport other trash and waste to disposal areas.
  • Sweep, scrub, wax, or polish floors, using brooms, mops, or powered scrubbing and waxing machines.
  • Replenish supplies, such as drinking glasses, linens, writing supplies, and bathroom items.

AI and this job

AI exposure: how much of this job’s work AI tools can do or help with, based on national research. It is not a forecast of job loss.

Lower exposure12 of 100

The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:

  • AIOE 5
  • Language-model AIOE 16
  • GPTs-are-GPTs 14

Observed AI use today: Little or none (Anthropic Economic Index)

Housekeeping is hands-on work like making beds, restocking carts, and cleaning rooms and hallways. AI exposure is lower and observed AI use is little or none. AI tools do not do the physical cleaning, though scheduling or supply tracking may get some digital help.

Likely to change

  • Tracking room cleaning schedules
  • Keeping supply carts and storage stocked

Still relies on people

  • Cleaning rooms, restrooms, and hallways by hand
  • Meeting health standards in person

Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.

Next steps from here

Related jobs that build on what you already do.

  • Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners

    Cleaning restrooms, floors, and trash areas carry over directly, and the Boston median pay is higher than for housekeeping.

    Pay difference
    +$7,080 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +2.8%
    To get started
    No formal educational credential

  • Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand

    Stocking carts and storage areas and following work instructions carry over to moving materials, with 7.3% projected growth and short-term training.

    Pay difference
    +$6,130 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +7.3%
    To get started
    No formal educational credential

  • Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators

    Using powered scrubbing machines and wheeled carts builds comfort with equipment, and this job has 21.7% projected growth with short-term training.

    Pay difference
    +$8,330 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +21.7%
    To get started
    No formal educational credential

Training near Boston

College and school programs in the Boston metro area that lead to this job, with 2023-24 completions (IPEDS).

No college programs near Boston map to this job. Many people enter through on-the-job training or apprenticeship.

Talk to a career coach at the Office of Workforce Development about apprenticeships and City partner programs.

Related occupations

Talk to a career coach

A coach at the Office of Workforce Development can help you plan your next step, and connect you with training, apprenticeships and City partner programs that are not listed here.

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