A commercial window cleaner washes the outside glass of stores, offices and apartment buildings. They work from poles, lifts, swing stages or ropes, whichever the building is set up for. A typical day covers several buildings under contract, often before stores open, with a check-in at each front desk.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, building services companies · BLS, May 2025
Responsible for maintaining and enhancing the appearance of commercial building exteriors by effectively cleaning windows and glass surfaces while adhering to safety protocols.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Clean and maintain commercial building exteriors and windows to high standards of cleanliness and customer satisfaction.
Operate and handle basic cleaning equipment and tools with proficiency.
Adhere to company safety protocols and industry regulations at all times.
Report any equipment malfunctions or safety hazards to management promptly.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Perform daily cleaning assignments as scheduled for a variety of commercial buildings.
Inspect and prepare cleaning equipment and supplies prior to starting work.
Engage with on-site contacts to confirm service requirements and address any concerns.
Log completed tasks, note any maintenance issues, and ensure work areas are left in safe condition.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Number of commercial properties cleaned per day: Minimum of 3 buildings per day.
Customer Satisfaction Rating: Achieve an average rating of >4.8 stars.
Service Completion Rate: Complete 95% of scheduled cleaning sessions without rescheduling.
Safety Compliance: Maintain a 100% adherence rate to safety protocols and incident-free performance.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
High school diploma or equivalent is required.
At least 1-2 years of experience in commercial cleaning or related field.
Ability to effectively operate basic cleaning equipment and tools.
Strong attention to detail and commitment to following safety protocols.
Excellent time management and communication skills.
6. Preferred Experience
Experience in commercial window cleaning or related building maintenance tasks.
Familiarity with high-rise or multi-story building cleaning procedures.
Previous work in industries with stringent safety and equipment handling protocols.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to lift up to 30 lbs and handle physically demanding work.
Capability to work at heights using ladders or scaffolding safely.
Frequent standing, walking, and bending during work shifts.
Adaptability to work in varying weather conditions in an outdoor environment.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Regular work hours during weekdays with occasional early mornings or late afternoons.
Travel between multiple commercial sites within the designated territory.
Occasional overtime as required during peak periods.
Dynamic work environment that may include exposure to outdoor elements.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Hourly wage range of $18 - $25 per hour based on experience and qualifications.
Performance bonuses awarded based on service completion rate and customer satisfaction.
Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance plans.
401(k) retirement plan with company matching contributions.
Additional benefits such as paid time off and opportunities for professional development.
10. Company Culture and Overview
We foster a collaborative and growth-oriented environment where every team member’s contributions are valued.
Our commitment to excellence and customer satisfaction drives continuous improvement and innovation.
We encourage professional development through ongoing training and career advancement opportunities.
We believe in building a diverse, inclusive, and supportive workplace that celebrates success together.
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
Commercial work is the outside of many buildings in a day, reached by whatever system each building was built for, under safety rules that start with paperwork from the building owner.
The building owner signs off on the anchors
Before anyone uses a rope descent system, the building owner must confirm to the employer, on paper, that each anchor was found, tested and certified, and has been kept up, to hold at least 5,000 pounds, in any direction, for each worker tied to it. That rests on a yearly inspection by a qualified person and a certification at least every 10 years. No one may use an anchor until the company has that letter, and it stays on file for the job. Source: OSHA: Scaffolds and rope descent systems (29 CFR 1910.27).
Rope descent comes with hard limits
OSHA allows rope descent systems up to 300 feet above grade. Going higher is allowed only when no other way up is feasible or the other ways are more dangerous. Each worker is trained first and wears a separate fall arrest line. The whole system gets checked before work begins on each shift that uses it. Ropes are padded at roof edges, squeegees and buckets ride on lanyards, and no one goes over in storms or gusty wind. Prompt rescue must be ready. Source: OSHA: Scaffolds and rope descent systems (29 CFR 1910.27).
Swing stages fall under scaffold rules
OSHA's general industry rule points swing stages to its construction scaffold rules. On a two-point stage that moves up and down, each worker needs both a guardrail and a fall arrest system. A competent person checks the ropes for damage before each shift. Some buildings have their own built-in powered platform. Then the owner confirms in writing that it was inspected, tested and kept up, and a competent person trains each operator. Source: OSHA: General requirements for scaffolds (29 CFR 1926.451).
Lifts cover the low and mid-rise glass
Taller storefronts and low office buildings are often done from a lift. For bucket trucks and other vehicle-mounted lifts, OSHA lets only trained workers run them. The controls get tested each day before use, and each worker wears a fall arrest or restraint system clipped to the boom or basket. Workers stand on the basket floor, never on its edge or a ladder inside it. Brakes are set and outriggers sit on pads. Source: OSHA: Vehicle-mounted elevating and rotating work platforms (29 CFR 1910.67).
The customer is a property manager
Work comes through service contracts with property managers, store chains and apartment owners. The cleaner signs in at the front desk or with the building engineer and gets roof access. Then they work around tenants, entry doors and busy sidewalks. Many buildings add their own badge, sign-in and safety forms. A crew that skips those steps can lose the account.
How much commercial window cleaners make
The closest BLS group for commercial window cleaners is janitors and cleaners. Janitors and cleaners who work for building and home services companies earned a median of $17.21 an hour ($35,790 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s about the same as the $36,840 median for janitors and cleaners in all industries. About 829,300 of the 2,209,760 janitors and cleaners in that survey work for building services companies.
BLS counts window washers inside its janitors and cleaners group, next to custodians, so this median says little about work at height. The template's hourly range sits above it, with bonuses for finished services and customer scores. A cleaner already trained on ropes or swing stages saves you weeks of training. Decide before you post whether that earns a higher starting rate.
Building services companies
$35,790$35,790 median Middle half $30,590–$38,520 10th–90th $28,130–$46,250
All industries
$36,840$36,840 median Middle half $32,240–$44,060 10th–90th $28,640–$50,270
$20k$30k$40k$50k$60k
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
$28,130
$30,590
$35,790
$38,520
$46,250
All industries
$28,640
$32,240
$36,840
$44,060
$50,270
BLS doesn’t publish pay for window cleaning 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
Willing to work from lifts, stages and ropes at height after training
Sticks to the written procedure on every drop, short ones included
Sets up barricades and signs so people below stay clear
Fast, clean squeegee work on large panes and storefront doors
Keeps a clear log of buildings finished and problems found
Polite with front desks, building engineers and tenants
Teach these on the job
Rope descent setup, inspection and descent under your program
Rigging and running a two-point swing stage
Aerial lift controls and the daily control test
Removing paint, mortar and labels in post-construction cleans
Your building access rules, keys and sign-in steps
Commercial crews carry water-fed poles, squeegees and applicators, belt buckets with tool lanyards, ropes, seats and descenders, harnesses and lifelines, edge protectors, and barricades for the sidewalk below. Larger accounts add swing stages, lifts and building-owned platforms. In the ad, name the access systems you use and the tallest building on your routes.
Commercial window cleaner interview questions
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 · Wind on a lift
You're cleaning the third floor from a boom lift, and the wind picks up so the basket sways. What do you do?
A strong answer: Stops work, stays tied off, lowers the basket, tells the lead, and waits until the wind is within the lift maker's limits.
Behavioral · Safety over speed
Tell me about a time you followed a safety rule on a job even though it slowed you down.
A strong answer: Gives a specific example, such as tying off, setting barricades or waiting out wind, and explains why it mattered.
Read these by building type. A row of storefronts and a ten-story office tower don't take the same day, so base targets on your own route history.
Number of commercial properties cleaned per day
Buildings finished per shift, from the route log. Weight each by size or access method, so a cleaner on a rope job isn't held to the count of one working single-story stores.
Customer Satisfaction Rating
Scores or written feedback from each property manager on the cleaner's buildings, after each service or once a quarter. Note complaints about drips on frames, missed panes or spray on cars below.
Service Completion Rate
Scheduled services finished on their booked day, out of all assigned. Log weather holds on their own line, since stopping high work for wind or storms is a safety call, not a miss.
Safety Compliance
Spot audits by the lead of harnesses, anchor letters, lift checks and barricades, along with reported incidents and near misses. Reward clean audits and honest reports, never a long run of zero reported incidents.
Career path
Residential window cleaner or building cleanerLearns the squeegee on homes, storefronts or a janitorial crew.
TechnicianCleans commercial glass from poles, lifts, stages or ropes.
Lead technicianRuns a crew, rigs the roof and checks the anchor paperwork.
Field supervisorOversees crews across buildings and audits safety.
Other roles in a commercial window cleaning business
What training does a commercial window cleaner need?
OSHA's rules center on training, not a license. Anyone on a rope descent system needs training first. A building's built-in powered platform is run only by workers a competent person has trained, and the employer keeps a record for each one. A truck-mounted lift is for trained operators only. Put each of these in your onboarding before a new hire's first drop.
How much does a commercial window cleaner make?
Janitors and cleaners who work for building and home services companies earned a median of $17.21 an hour ($35,790 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $30,590 and $38,520 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and overtime.
What is ANSI/IWCA I-14.1?
It's the window cleaning industry's own safety standard, approved in 2001, and the International Window Cleaning Association, which led it, says building owners, property managers and OSHA still refer to it. It isn't an OSHA rule, but a building code can adopt it. Minnesota's did, starting November 7, 2025: windows must come with a safe cleaning method that meets the standard, and glass 38 feet or more above the work surface needs anchors or a powered platform, with an exception for some glass under steep roofs.
How many people does a rope, stage or lift job need?
Plan on at least two. OSHA requires prompt rescue for a worker who falls while on a rope descent system, which is hard to provide with nobody else on the roof. A second person also helps rig and check the setup and keeps watch on the sidewalk below. Ground-level storefront routes are often a one-person job. Build the crew size into how you schedule and quote each building.
What order should new commercial window cleaners learn the work in?
Start with storefronts from the ground, poles and squeegees. Then lifts, alongside a trained operator, then swing stages or ropes under a lead. Give each step its own sign-off. Teach site habits early too: signing in, getting roof access, barricading the sidewalk and reading the owner's anchor letter before anything goes over the edge.
