How much does a house cleaner make in California?
In California, maids and housekeeping cleaners earned an average of $22.08 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $20.51 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$22.08
$20.51
$17.83
$4.25 more an hour
$45,926
By the hour, the week and the year in California
At 40 hours a week, the average of $22.08 an hour comes to $883.20 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $45,926 a year, and the median of $20.51 to $42,661 a year.
In California, the average is $1.57 above the median (7.7%): a smaller group of higher wages pulls the average up, and half of maids and housekeeping cleaners earn $20.51 an hour or less.
How does California compare?
The average in California is $4.25 above the national average of $17.83 (23.8% more), about $8,840 more a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, California ranks 3 of 51 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $17.07 an hour.
California and its Census division, Pacific
By average wage, California ranks 2 of the 5 states of the division with data for this trade: the highest is Hawaii, $25.18, and the lowest Oregon, $19.00.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against California |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $25.18 | $24.81 | +$3.10 |
| California | $22.08 | $20.51 | |
| Washington | $20.61 | $20.28 | -$1.47 |
| Alaska | $19.03 | $17.97 | -$3.05 |
| Oregon | $19.00 | $18.07 | -$3.08 |
This trade and the others in California
Of the 5 trades this site prices, maids and housekeeping cleaners rank 5 of the 5 by average wage in California. Among them, the average runs from $22.08 (Cleaning) to $35.91 (Drywall).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against cleaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drywall | $35.91 | $31.67 | +$13.83 |
| Concrete | $34.09 | $30.15 | +$12.01 |
| Painting | $30.03 | $28.38 | +$7.95 |
| Landscaping | $22.80 | $21.90 | +$0.72 |
| Cleaning | $22.08 | $20.51 |
Against the minimum wage in California
The minimum wage in California is $16.90 an hour for most employers. The median of maids and housekeeping cleaners, $20.51, is $3.61 above it, 21.4% more than the minimum. Over 2,080 hours the minimum comes to $35,152 a year.
From wage to rate
This is what an employer pays an employee, not what a contractor bills. Your rate also has to cover your overhead (vehicle, insurance, tools), your profit, and the hours you cannot bill.
If you pay a helper the median wage in California, $20.51 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the cleaning calculator cost $164.08 in wages. With its $20.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $232.86; at the national median, $17.07, the same job comes to $198.05. A wage is only the floor: your own rate also pays your taxes, your unbilled hours and your business.