How much does a house cleaner make in New York?
In New York, maids and housekeeping cleaners earned an average of $23.88 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $20.17 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$23.88
$20.17
$17.83
$6.05 more an hour
$49,670
By the hour, the week and the year in New York
At 40 hours a week, the average of $23.88 an hour comes to $955.20 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $49,670 a year, and the median of $20.17 to $41,954 a year.
In New York, the average is $3.71 above the median (18.4%): a smaller group of higher wages pulls the average up, and half of maids and housekeeping cleaners earn $20.17 an hour or less.
How does New York compare?
The average in New York is $6.05 above the national average of $17.83 (33.9% more), about $12,584 more a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, New York ranks 2 of 51 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $17.07 an hour.
New York and its Census division, Middle Atlantic
Of the 3 states of the division with data for this trade, New York pays the highest average, $23.88; next comes New Jersey with $19.10.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against New York |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $23.88 | $20.17 | |
| New Jersey | $19.10 | $18.26 | -$4.78 |
| Pennsylvania | $16.23 | $16.29 | -$7.65 |
This trade and the others in New York
Of the 5 trades this site prices, maids and housekeeping cleaners rank 4 of the 5 by average wage in New York. Among them, the average runs from $21.93 (Landscaping) to $34.92 (Concrete).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against cleaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete | $34.92 | $30.79 | +$11.04 |
| Drywall | $33.14 | $29.46 | +$9.26 |
| Painting | $32.72 | $28.64 | +$8.84 |
| Cleaning | $23.88 | $20.17 | |
| Landscaping | $21.93 | $21.56 | -$1.95 |
Against the minimum wage in New York
The minimum wage in New York is $17.00 an hour for most employers. The median of maids and housekeeping cleaners, $20.17, is $3.17 above it, 18.6% more than the minimum. Over 2,080 hours the minimum comes to $35,360 a year.
That is the rate of New York City, Long Island and Westchester; the rest of the state pays $16.00.
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 New York, $20.17 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the cleaning calculator cost $161.36 in wages. With its $20.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $229.43; 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.