How much does a house cleaner make in North Carolina?
In North Carolina, maids and housekeeping cleaners earned an average of $16.07 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $15.05 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$16.07
$15.05
$17.83
$1.76 less an hour
$33,426
By the hour, the week and the year in North Carolina
At 40 hours a week, the average of $16.07 an hour comes to $642.80 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $33,426 a year, and the median of $15.05 to $31,304 a year.
In North Carolina, the average is $1.02 above the median (6.8%): a smaller group of higher wages pulls the average up, and half of maids and housekeeping cleaners earn $15.05 an hour or less.
How does North Carolina compare?
The average in North Carolina is $1.76 below the national average of $17.83 (9.9% less), about $3,661 less a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, North Carolina ranks 34 of 51 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $17.07 an hour.
North Carolina and its Census division, South Atlantic
By average wage, North Carolina ranks 6 of the 9 states of the division with data for this trade: the highest is District of Columbia, $21.83, and the lowest West Virginia, $13.97.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against North Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $21.83 | $20.32 | +$5.76 |
| Maryland | $17.40 | $17.07 | +$1.33 |
| Florida | $16.78 | $16.28 | +$0.71 |
| Virginia | $16.59 | $16.26 | +$0.52 |
| Delaware | $16.49 | $16.42 | +$0.42 |
| North Carolina | $16.07 | $15.05 | |
| Georgia | $15.02 | $14.31 | -$1.05 |
| South Carolina | $14.88 | $14.55 | -$1.19 |
| West Virginia | $13.97 | $13.51 | -$2.10 |
This trade and the others in North Carolina
Of the 5 trades this site prices, maids and housekeeping cleaners rank 5 of the 5 by average wage in North Carolina. Among them, the average runs from $16.07 (Cleaning) to $22.70 (Concrete).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against cleaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete | $22.70 | $22.49 | +$6.63 |
| Drywall | $21.66 | $21.67 | +$5.59 |
| Painting | $21.59 | $21.21 | +$5.52 |
| Landscaping | $19.04 | $18.22 | +$2.97 |
| Cleaning | $16.07 | $15.05 |
Against the minimum wage in North Carolina
In North Carolina most employers pay the federal minimum wage, $7.25 an hour. The median of maids and housekeeping cleaners, $15.05, is $7.80 above it, 2.1 times the minimum. Over 2,080 hours the minimum comes to $15,080 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 North Carolina, $15.05 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the cleaning calculator cost $120.40 in wages. With its $20.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $177.61; 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.