Cleaner salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a cleaner is $69,800 per annum, before tax, up $14,500 since 2018.
- Pay depends heavily on who employs you and when you work: award rates under the Cleaning Services Award 2020 include penalty rates for early mornings, evenings, weekends and public holidays, and a lot of cleaning hours fall in those windows.
- Cleaners employed directly by a building, school or hospital often earn more than those subcontracted through a cleaning company, and security clearance or site allowances lift rates on some government contracts.
The median salary rose by $14,500 between 2018 and 2024; the dashed line shows a projection to 2028 based on the real ABS Wage Price Index growth rate, not a role-specific forecast.
Roles that pay more than cleaner
The largest typical pay rise is $21,800 a year, moving into Aged Care Worker.
- Aged Care Worker+$21,800/yr
- Disability Support Worker+$21,800/yr
- Caretaker+$2,100/yr
How to negotiate a higher cleaner salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time cleaner salary is $69,800; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Cleaning and grounds maintenance tend to command a premium over general cleaner experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Aged Care Worker pays a typical $21,800 a year more and draws on similar skills, even mentioning you're weighing it up is a legitimate data point in a pay conversation.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
Cleaner salary questions
How much do cleaners earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a cleaner is $69,800 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is cleaner pay rising or falling?
The median cleaner salary is up $14,500 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than cleaner?
Aged Care Worker pays a typical $21,800 a year more and draws on similar skills to cleaner.
Related salaries
- Aged Care Worker salary
- Disability Support Worker salary
- Caretaker salary
- Restoration Technician salary
- Laundry Worker salary
- Car Detailer salary
Pay advice
- How to ask for a pay rise, and back it up with real numbersWhat national wage growth looks like right now, how to work out a figure for your own role, wording you can adapt for the conversation, and what to do if the answer is no.
- The average salary in Australia (2026)Full-time adults in Australia averaged $2,083.70 a week in May 2026. Several measures get called the average salary, and this explains which one fits your situation.
- Overtime pay, time in lieu and what your award saysOvertime rates come from your award or agreement, not one national rule. How rates work, what happens on a salary, and how time off in lieu works.