Delaware's janitorial workers earn a statewide mean hourly wage of $16.85 and a median of $16.61/hr (BLS OEWS May 2024, SOC 37-2011), heavily influenced by the state's primary labor market — the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington MSA. Delaware's $15.00/hr minimum wage (effective January 1, 2025) provides a meaningful floor that is $1.61/hr below the state median, with no additional increase scheduled for 2026.
What employers should plan for
- Floor: $15.00/hr (Del. Code Ann. tit. 19, §902; effective Jan 1, 2025). Delaware adopts the federal rate by reference if it exceeds the state rate, but the state $15.00/hr currently governs. Tipped employees: minimum cash wage of $2.23/hr with total earnings required to meet state minimum.
- Local floors: Wilmington city has discussed but has not enacted a municipal minimum wage above the state level as of Q2 2026.
- Loaded labor rate: Commercial cleaning bids in Delaware run approximately $26–$33/hr total loaded cost, reflecting the Philadelphia metro market influence and moderate WC costs.
- Workers' comp class 9014 — Delaware participates in the Assigned Risk Plan; approximate base rate $2.00–$2.50/$100 payroll for commercial janitorial contractors.
High-wage metros vs. low-wage metros
Delaware is essentially a single-metro state. The Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington MSA dominates with a median $17.52/hr and mean $18.23/hr, consistent with Philadelphia metro labor market rates. The Dover MSA (Kent County) comes in significantly lower at median $16.05/hr, reflecting its more rural government-employer character. The Sussex Delaware nonmetropolitan area matches the Wilmington metro at $17.52/hr median — likely reflecting resort/hospitality-adjacent cleaning employers in the Rehoboth Beach and ocean resort corridor.
Wage percentile distribution (BLS OEWS 2024)
- 10th percentile: $13.44/hr
- 25th percentile: $14.09/hr
- Median (50th): $16.61/hr
- 75th percentile: $18.81/hr
- 90th percentile: $22.29/hr
The 10th percentile at $13.44/hr is below Delaware's $15.00/hr minimum wage — reflecting pre-2025 survey data or part-time/seasonal workers. All 2026 full-time cleaning workers must earn at least $15.00/hr. The $8.85/hr spread from 10th to 90th is moderate, with union and non-union sectors both present.
Union presence
SEIU 32BJ's mid-Atlantic region explicitly covers Delaware as part of its PA-NJ-DE-MD operating territory. Union presence is concentrated in Wilmington's office market, particularly in buildings owned or managed by larger institutional landlords with master service agreements. Outside Wilmington — in Dover and Sussex — commercial cleaning is predominantly non-union. Estimated 8–15% union penetration in the Wilmington commercial real estate market.
What this means for bid math
Delaware cleaning contracts should use $15.00/hr as the absolute floor and plan for $16.50–$18.00/hr as the competitive market rate for Wilmington-area commercial cleaning. Total loaded labor costs run approximately $26–$33/hr (1.75–2.0× base). Contracts in Philadelphia-adjacent Wilmington markets should verify SEIU 32BJ coverage — union contracts typically set wages $1–$3/hr above the BLS median. The Dover market offers slightly lower labor costs (~$16/hr base) but also thinner competitive supply.
Primary sources
- BLS OEWS May 2024 — Delaware
- O*NET Local Wages — Delaware (BLS 2024 data)
- Delaware Division of Industrial Affairs — Wage & Hour
- SEIU 32BJ — About Us (Delaware coverage)
- Commercial Cleaning Licensing in Delaware →
- OSHA Compliance for Janitorial in Delaware →
- Workers' Comp Class 9014 in Delaware →