Where does Opora's BLS wage data come from?

Directly from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program, May 2024 release (published April 2025). We use SOC code 37-2011 (Janitors and Cleaners, except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners) and SOC 37-2012 (Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners) for the wage benchmarks. Metro figures use OEWS metropolitan statistical area definitions; state figures use OEWS state files.

How current is the federal RFP data?

Federal procurement data is pulled from SAM.gov and FPDS-NG quarterly. The most recent refresh shows active solicitations and historical awards from the prior two fiscal years. For agency-specific forecasts, we cross-reference each agency's published acquisition forecast (GSA, VA, DHS, DoD) and their respective small business set-aside goals.

What's in the State of Commercial Cleaning 2026 report?

Roughly 18,000 words covering market size, labor dynamics post-ESSER, regulatory momentum (PFAS, VOC, disclosure rules), technology adoption (UV-C, robotics, IoT dispensers), and M&A activity in the building services sector. All figures carry citation footnotes to BLS, Census, CBRE, IFMA, ISSA, or Opora primary research.

How do I cite Opora research in my own bid or proposal?

Cite the specific page URL and the underlying primary source. For example: "Janitor median wage in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell MSA: $14.62/hour (BLS OEWS May 2024, via Opora Supply)." Opora is the intermediary; the primary source is what gives the figure credibility. If a procurement reviewer asks for source documentation, point them to the BLS or SAM.gov page we link to.

Why are some metros missing from the federal RFP coverage?

Federal cleaning procurement concentrates in metros with large federal footprints — DC, San Diego, Norfolk, Honolulu, San Antonio, Albuquerque, Huntsville. Metros with minimal federal presence (e.g., much of the Mountain West and Plains) have few or no active solicitations and are intentionally omitted rather than padded with stale data.

Updated Jun 6, 2026 Reviewed by Opora Editorial Team Editorial standards →

Opora Data and Research

Opora's data hub is where primary research lands — the annual State of Commercial Cleaning report, BLS wage benchmarks across 100 metros and 50 states, OSHA enforcement data, PFAS legislative tracking, and federal procurement intelligence. Everything here is anchored to a citable source.

The hub is organized by what operators actually ask: how much should we pay, what should we charge, what regulations are changing, and where is the federal opportunity. Each link below answers one of those questions with current data.

Annual Research

State of Commercial Cleaning 2026

Opora's flagship annual report covering market size, labor dynamics post-ESSER, regulatory momentum (PFAS, VOC, disclosure rules), technology adoption, and the M&A landscape. The report uses BLS, Census, CBRE, IFMA, ISSA, and proprietary Opora data, and runs roughly 18,000 words with full citation footnotes.

Wage and Labor Data

Page	Coverage	Source
Wages by Metro	100 metros	BLS OEWS May 2024
Wages by State	50 states	BLS OEWS May 2024
Cleaning Bid Benchmarks Tool	Pricing by facility type and metro	BLS + Opora benchmark database

Compliance and Regulation

Page	What It Covers
Compliance Library	25 deep-dive pages: OSHA general industry, EPA disinfectants, FDA Food Code, Joint Commission, NFPA 654
PFAS State Lookup	12 states with active PFAS chemistry restrictions affecting cleaning
VOC Compliance Tool	CARB and OTC VOC limits by product category and state

Federal Procurement

Federal janitorial procurement intelligence pulled from SAM.gov, FPDS-NG award histories, and agency forecasts. Pages cover the federal opportunity by metro, including base contract values, set-aside types (SDVOSB, 8(a), HUBZone, WOSB), and the agencies most active in each region.

Resource	Coverage
Federal RFPs by Metro	100 metros with active federal cleaning procurement
Bid Templates by Metro	100 metro-specific bid templates with localized labor rates

Operational Benchmarks

Tool	What It Calculates
Production Rate Calculator	Square-feet-per-hour by task using ISSA cleaning times
Account Profitability Auditor	Margin reality check on existing accounts using actual labor and supply costs
Bid Stress Test	Sensitivity analysis for wage inflation, frequency reduction, and supply price moves
Day Porter ROI	Build-vs-buy analysis for adding day-porter scope to nightly contracts
Per-Clean vs Hourly	Cost comparison between fixed-fee and time-and-materials pricing models

How Opora Builds This Data

Wage figures come directly from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2024 release. Federal procurement data comes from SAM.gov and FPDS-NG, refreshed quarterly. Compliance data comes from primary regulatory sources — CFR sections, Federal Register notices, state statutes, Joint Commission EPs, and OSHA Letters of Interpretation. Benchmark pricing combines ISSA production-rate guidance, BLS labor inputs, and an anonymized Opora benchmark database covering several thousand commercial cleaning accounts.

The data hub is updated on a rolling cadence: wages annually (April-May), federal procurement quarterly, compliance whenever regulators publish, and benchmarks twice per year. Each page carries a "Last updated" timestamp in the footer so you know how fresh the underlying numbers are.

By the Opora Editorial Team · Last updated: 2026