Careers / Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers
Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$34,890
United States, 2025
Employment
198,040
United States, 2025
Typical education
Not recorded
Job Zone 2
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
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.
- O*NET code
- 51-6011.00
- Job zone
- 2
- Experience required
- None
Typical tasks
- 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.
- Clean machine filters, and lubricate equipment.
- Determine spotting procedures and proper solvents, based on fabric and stain types.
- Sprinkle chemical solvents over stains, and pat areas with brushes or sponges to remove stains.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$27,440
25th percentile
$30,360
75th percentile
$37,560
90th percentile
$43,190
Most important skills
- Active Listening2.9
- Monitoring2.9
- Operation and Control2.9
- Critical Thinking2.8
- Social Perceptiveness2.8
- Time Management2.8
- Coordination2.6
- Operations Monitoring2.6
- Speaking2.6
- Service Orientation2.5
- Reading Comprehension2.5
- Judgment and Decision Making2.4
What skills do you need?
No skill ratings are recorded for this occupation in the current O*NET release.
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Compare with Laundry and Dry-Cleaning WorkersHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $44,410 | 810 | 2025 |
| Seattle, WA | $43,610 | 2,140 | 2025 |
| San Francisco, CA | $43,310 | 2,040 | 2025 |
| Napa, CA | $42,600 | 160 | 2025 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $41,080 | 260 | 2025 |
| Bismarck, ND | $39,760 | 170 | 2025 |
| Vallejo, CA | $39,680 | 200 | 2025 |
| WA | $39,590 | 3,870 | 2025 |
| Boulder, CO | $39,430 | 160 | 2025 |
| Bellingham, WA | $39,320 | 210 | 2025 |
| Portland, OR | $39,290 | 1,050 | 2025 |
| Rochester, MN | $39,030 | 160 | 2025 |
| Grand Forks, ND | $39,000 | 100 | 2025 |
| Denver, CO | $39,000 | 1,620 | 2025 |
| Burlington, VT | $38,980 | 50 | 2025 |
| San Diego, CA | $38,910 | 2,400 | 2025 |
| Barnstable Town, MA | $38,820 | 150 | 2025 |
| Bremerton, WA | $38,620 | 80 | 2025 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $38,600 | 2,130 | 2025 |
| Anchorage, AK | $38,480 | 320 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.