Janitorial Wages in Nebraska (2026)

Nebraska's janitorial workforce earns a statewide mean and median hourly wage of $17.22 (BLS OEWS May 2024, SOC 37-2011), placing it solidly at the national median and well ahead of most Great Plains states. The state's minimum wage rose to $15.00/hr on January 1, 2026 under Initiative 433 — a voter-approved schedule that moved Nebraska from $9.00/hr in 2022 to $15.00 in four years — with CPI-indexed increases thereafter.

What employers should plan for

• Floor: $15.00/hr effective January 1, 2026 (Neb. Rev. Stat. §48-1203; applies to employers with 4+ employees). Increased from $13.50 in 2025. Annual CPI adjustments apply starting 2027.
• Local floors: No Nebraska city has enacted a local minimum wage ordinance above the state rate. Omaha and Lincoln have not passed independent wage ordinances.
• Loaded labor rate: Commercial cleaning bids in Nebraska typically run $26–$33/hr total loaded cost (base wage + payroll taxes ~8% + workers' comp ~$2.45/$100 + general liability + overhead and margin).
• Workers' comp class 9014 base rate approximately $2.45/$100 payroll (Nebraska NCCI jurisdiction; per Oregon DCBS Premium Rate Ranking 2024 comparison data).

High-wage metros vs. low-wage metros

Sioux City IA-NE-SD MSA leads the state at median $18.91/hr (25th: $15.23, 75th: $20.99, 90th: $21.88), reflecting tri-state labor market competition and industrial facility demand. Northeast Nebraska nonmetropolitan area follows surprisingly strong at median $18.10/hr (75th: $20.49), driven by food processing plants and healthcare facility contracts. On the lower end, Omaha NE-IA — the state's dominant commercial market — posts a median $17.01/hr (10th: $12.72, 75th: $19.40, 90th: $22.62), and Lincoln NE comes in at median $16.37/hr (10th: $13.00, 75th: $18.63, 90th: $21.02), reflecting a university-heavy employer mix that tempers wage growth.

Wage percentile distribution (BLS OEWS 2024)

• 10th percentile: $13.34/hr
• 25th percentile: $14.79/hr
• Median (50th): $17.22/hr
• 75th percentile: $20.49/hr
• 90th percentile: $22.15/hr

The $8.81/hr spread from 10th to 90th is moderate and reflects a well-distributed labor market. The 10th percentile at $13.34/hr remains below the 2026 minimum wage of $15.00/hr — an artifact of pre-2026 survey data — meaning the minimum wage step-up will directly compress the bottom of the distribution. Multi-year contracts executed in 2026 must account for further CPI escalation on the $15.00 floor in 2027 and beyond.

Union presence

Nebraska is a right-to-work state with statewide private-sector union density of approximately 6.8% (BLS 2024 data). SEIU 32BJ does not maintain a commercial cleaning presence in Nebraska; the union's Midwest footprint is concentrated in Illinois and Minnesota. AFSCME locals represent some custodial workers at the University of Nebraska system. The Omaha commercial cleaning market is entirely non-union. Wages are market-driven with the new $15.00/hr minimum wage floor as the primary regulatory constraint.

What this means for bid math

Nebraska's $17.22/hr median wage and moderate workers' comp rate (~$2.45/$100) produce total loaded labor costs of approximately $26–$31/hr (1.55–1.80× base) for standard commercial cleaning contracts. The January 2026 minimum wage increase to $15.00/hr is likely to directly lift wages for lower-tier workers — expect the 10th percentile to rise from $13.34 to at least $15.00 in 2027 BLS survey data. Omaha-area contracts should budget $17.00–$17.50/hr as competitive base rates; Lincoln contracts run slightly lower at $16.50–$17.00/hr. CPI-linked minimum wage escalation will require annual repricing provisions in contracts extending past 2027.

Primary sources

• O*NET Local Wages — Nebraska (BLS OEWS May 2024 data)
• Neb. Rev. Stat. §48-1203 — Nebraska Minimum Wage (Initiative 433)
• Ballotpedia — Nebraska Initiative 433 (2022)
• DOL WHD State Minimum Wage Laws
• Oregon DCBS Workers' Compensation Premium Rate Ranking 2024