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Boston Career Explorer

Production

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.

Also called: Dry Cleaner, Industrial Laundry Attendant, Laundry Aide, Laundry Assistant, Laundry Attendant, Laundry Housekeeper

Compare with my current job (Shampooers)
Median pay in Greater Boston
$37,690
$18.12/hr
Jobs in Greater Boston
2,820
Massachusetts 2024–2034
+5.1%
600 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
$35,560$36,100$37,690$39,450$43,090

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

What you’d do

  • Operate extractors and driers, or direct their operation.
  • Remove items from washers or dry-cleaning machines, or direct other workers to do so.
  • Load articles into washers or dry-cleaning machines, or direct other workers to perform loading.
  • Sort and count articles removed from dryers, and fold, wrap, or hang them.
  • Start washers, dry cleaners, driers, or extractors, and turn valves or levers to regulate machine processes and the volume of soap, detergent, water, bleach, starch, and other additives.
  • Examine and sort into lots articles to be cleaned, according to color, fabric, dirt content, and cleaning technique required.

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 exposure16 of 100

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

  • AIOE 14
  • Language-model AIOE 21
  • GPTs-are-GPTs 13

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

Laundry and dry-cleaning workers have lower AI exposure, and there is little or no observed AI use in this job today. Most of the work is physical: loading and unloading machines, sorting, folding, and hanging items. AI tools may offer small help with counting or tracking orders, but they do not do the hands-on work. Massachusetts projects 5.1% job growth from 2024 to 2034.

Likely to change

  • Counting and tracking items and orders
  • Machine settings that get more automated

Still relies on people

  • Loading, sorting, folding, and hanging items
  • Judging stains and fabric care by hand

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.

  • Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

    Running machines, adjusting settings, and pressing control buttons carry over. This job pays a higher Boston median of $47,730 and needs a high school diploma.

    Pay difference
    +$10,040 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +2.9%
    To get started
    High school diploma or equivalent

  • Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

    Operating machines and removing defective items carry over. This job offers a higher Boston median pay of $44,320, with moderate on-the-job training.

    Pay difference
    +$6,630 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +5.2%
    To get started
    High school diploma or equivalent

  • Sewing Machine Operators

    Handling fabric and watching machines for problems carry over. This job pays a Boston median of $42,970 and needs only short-term training.

    Pay difference
    +$5,280 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +1.7%
    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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