A janitorial chief financial officer manages cash, payroll and billing for a commercial cleaning company with a large part-time night workforce. They help price bids, track margin building by building and keep the books ready for owners, lenders and auditors.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, building services companies · BLS, May 2025
Provide strategic and operational financial leadership to ensure fiscal stability and growth within the janitorial home services sector. Oversee budgeting, cost controls, and comprehensive financial analysis to support business objectives and operational excellence.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Lead the development and execution of financial strategies that align with the company's goals in the home services market.
Manage budgeting processes, monitor cost controls, and oversee detailed financial analysis and reporting.
Collaborate with operational leaders to optimize resource allocation and drive profitability across all janitorial services.
Ensure compliance with financial regulations and maintain effective internal controls.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Review and analyze daily financial reports and budgets to ensure operational efficiencies.
Monitor expense trends and collaborate with department heads for cost-saving opportunities.
Approve and oversee vendor invoices, expense allocations, and financial documentation.
Prepare and present financial performance reports and forecasts for executive leadership.
Engage with on-site janitorial teams to understand financial challenges and opportunities.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Budget adherence with a variance of less than 5% per quarter.
Achieve a cost reduction target of 10% in annual operating expenses.
Maintain cash flow forecasting accuracy of over 95%.
Increase net profit margins to at least 15% year-over-year.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, or a related field.
8+ years of financial management experience in a dynamic industry environment.
Strong analytical, strategic planning, and leadership skills.
Expertise in budgeting, cost control, and financial analysis using advanced financial software and MS Office.
Excellent interpersonal, communication, and problem-solving abilities.
6. Preferred Experience
Prior experience in financial leadership within the home services or janitorial industry.
Demonstrated success in managing large-scale budgets and financial operations.
CPA or equivalent advanced certification is preferred.
Proven track record of implementing cost control initiatives and driving financial improvements.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to occasionally lift essential documents or materials up to 15 lbs.
Standard office environment with periods of prolonged sitting and computer use.
May require occasional visits to janitorial operational sites.
Comfortable working in typical indoor settings with standard office equipment.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Typical office hours with occasional after-hours meetings as needed.
On-call availability during peak financial periods or urgent operational needs.
Occasional regional travel to operational sites and vendor meetings.
Collaborative, fast-paced, and dynamic work environment with a focus on teamwork.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Annual base salary range of $150,000 - $200,000.
Eligibility for performance-based bonuses tied to measurable financial outcomes.
Comprehensive Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance.
401(k) plan with company match contributions.
Paid time off, professional development programs, and additional fringe benefits.
10. Company Culture and Overview
We are committed to a growth-oriented workplace where innovation and collaboration are at the forefront.
Our mission is to deliver exceptional janitorial and home services while driving continuous improvement.
We value integrity, customer satisfaction, and community impact in all our business initiatives.
Our culture supports professional development, work-life balance, and an inclusive environment that empowers every employee.
11. How to Apply
If you meet the above criteria and want to be part of a growth-oriented company focused on customer satisfaction, please send your resume to [INSERT EMAIL HERE] or apply online at [INSERT WEBSITE LINK HERE].
Need help filling this role? HireBus posts the ad, Iris interviews every applicant by phone before you do, and you decide who to hire. Start hiring now
Cleaners are paid every payroll, while clients pay a fixed monthly fee on their own terms. The CFO manages that gap.
Option years reprice federal labor
On a multi-year federal cleaning contract, the labor rates are adjusted when a new Department of Labor wage determination takes effect at an anniversary or option date. The clause covers the wage and fringe increase it requires, but you must notify the contracting officer of the increase within 30 days of receiving the new determination. Put those dates on the finance calendar. Source: FAR 52.222-43, price adjustment for multiple-year and option contracts.
Sales tax depends on the state
Building cleaning is taxed in some states and not in others. Minnesota, for example, lists janitorial services as taxable, and a contract that mixes taxable and nontaxable work is taxed on the full amount unless the nontaxable part is stated separately. In a 2007 ruling, Tennessee's revenue department said cleaning real property is not subject to sales tax, though cleaning personal property is. Check each state before you set up invoices. Source: Minnesota Department of Revenue: building cleaning and maintenance.
Supplies inside a flat fee
Many contracts fold paper towels, toilet tissue, can liners and hand soap into the monthly price. When the client adds staff or opens longer, usage climbs and the fee stays put. Track supply cost per account each month, and write a way to adjust it into new contracts.
Cash goes out before it comes in
A new account means hiring and paying cleaners, buying equipment and stocking the building before the first invoice is paid. Fast growth can drain cash even when every contract makes money. Model the start-up cost and the client's payment terms before the CEO signs.
Clients ask for proof of coverage
Facility managers often want certificates of liability and workers' compensation insurance, and many also ask for a janitorial bond or crime coverage for theft by employees. The CFO prices that coverage into bids, keeps certificates current for every account and reviews claims with the broker each year.
How much janitorial chief financial officers make
The closest BLS group for janitorial chief financial officers is chief executives. Chief executives who work for building and home services companies earned a median of $130,000 a year ($62.50 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s below the $213,990 median for chief executives in all industries. About 430 of the 204,350 chief executives in that survey work for building services companies.
Most CFOs here are salaried and earn a bonus on margin and cash goals. The template's range is higher than the BLS midpoint for this code among building services employers.
Building services companies
$130,000$130,000 median Middle half $102,340–$208,630 10th–90th $93,610–$275,020
All industries
$213,990$213,990 median Middle half $129,540–$356,200 10th–90th $75,700–$507,730
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Building services companies
$93,610
$102,340
$130,000
$208,630
$275,020
All industries
$75,700
$129,540
$213,990
$356,200
$507,730
BLS doesn’t publish pay for janitorial companies on their own. These figures cover services to buildings and dwellings, which include them. Post a real range for your market in the ad.
The pay line in the template above is an example from our Role Blueprint. Set yours from these figures and what local companies pay.
Skills to hire for, and what you can teach
Hire for these
Cash forecasting built around frequent payroll and monthly billing
Costing labor by building from timekeeping data
Pricing multi-year bids with wage and benefit increases built in
Tight controls over payroll changes and time edits
Explaining margin by account to the CEO and operations leaders in plain words
Teach these on the job
Federal price adjustment rules for service contracts
Sales tax treatment in each state you serve
Your janitorial management and timekeeping systems
Your insurance program and certificate requests
How your company workloads a building
The CFO works in the accounting and payroll systems, plus the timekeeping data from cleaners clocking in at each building, by phone app or a call-in line. Ask candidates which payroll and accounting systems they have run for a large hourly workforce.
Two of the 6 questions we'd ask, and what a strong answer sounds like. Ask every candidate the same questions, and rate each answer on your own before you compare notes.
Situational · Working capital
As you win bigger clients, the average time to get paid keeps growing. What do you do?
A strong answer: Tracks days to collect by client, fixes invoice accuracy and portal setup, negotiates terms up front, and sets up a credit line before it's needed.
Behavioral · Lasting cost control
Tell me about a cost-control program you led that was still working a year later.
A strong answer: Explains what they changed, how managers owned it, and the numbers that showed it lasted.
The template's targets are only a sample. Build the CFO's from your last two years of financials, your contract terms and the growth plan.
Budget adherence with a variance of less than 5% per quarter
Compare actual spending with the budget each quarter line by line, with labor split by building or region, and explain any gap before the next quarter starts.
Achieve a cost reduction target of 10% in annual operating expenses
Measure operating expenses against the prior year after adjusting for accounts added or lost, so growth doesn't hide savings or look like waste.
Maintain cash flow forecasting accuracy of over 95%
Compare each month's forecast cash balance with the actual balance at month end, and note whether payroll, collections or a large purchase caused the gap.
Increase net profit margins to at least 15% year-over-year
Compare the closed year's net margin with the year before, then rank contracts by margin so leaders can see which accounts lift it and which drag it down.
Career path
Staff accountantCloses the books and learns how payroll and billing flow through a service company.
ControllerRuns accounting, payroll controls and month-end reports.
Chief financial officerOwns cash, bid pricing support, insurance and reporting to owners and lenders.
Chief executive officerSome CFOs go on to run the company, especially where growth comes from bids and buying competitors.
Should a cleaning company bill in advance or after the month?
Billing at the start of the month for that month's service shortens the cash gap, and many commercial clients accept it. If a client insists on billing after the month ends, ask for shorter payment terms or price in the cost of carrying payroll for that extra time.
How much does a janitorial chief financial officer make?
Chief executives who work for building and home services companies earned a median of $130,000 a year ($62.50 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $102,340 and $208,630 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and bonus terms.
How should a janitorial CFO handle a client that pays late?
Start with a call from the manager who runs the account, not a letter from finance, since the relationship matters. Write into the contract the point at which service pauses, and decide ahead of time who can approve working past it. Cleaners still get paid on time, whatever the client does.
Which payroll risks matter most in commercial cleaning?
Unpaid time is the common one: cleaners who wait for a building to be unlocked, or who stay late to finish and clock out on schedule. Time edits are the other: a supervisor who trims punches to fit a building's budget creates back pay you owe later. Audit every edit each pay period, and have payroll flag anyone close to overtime before the week closes.
Why does the CFO template mention lifting up to 15 pounds?
It describes office tasks: carrying a box of files or binders to a meeting room, plus occasional walks through client buildings. Write those tasks in the ad. If a candidate can't do one, talk through whether a cart or another change would let them.
