Janitorial Wages in Pennsylvania — BLS Data & Prevailing Wage (2026)

Pennsylvania janitorial wage benchmarks

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics for SOC 37-2011 — Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners shows Pennsylvania employs approximately 89,500 janitors statewide (May 2023 OEWS, the most recent confirmed PA-specific release; May 2025 state-level OEWS published May 15, 2026 on bls.gov for download). PA's location quotient of 1.05 places it slightly above the national concentration. Statewide pay benchmarks:

• Median hourly wage: $16.73/hr
• Mean hourly wage: $17.24/hr
• Mean annual wage: $35,860
• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 15.05

For context, national SOC 37-2011 percentile wages (May 2023, n=2,172,500): 10th percentile $12.39/hr · 25th $14.22/hr · 50th $16.84/hr · 75th $19.05/hr · 90th $23.18/hr. National mean: $17.43/hr or $36,250 annually.

Philadelphia metro division (highest in PA)

The Philadelphia Metropolitan Division commands the highest janitorial wages in the state. Per PA DLI Center for Workforce Information & Analysis (May 2024):

• Mean hourly wage: $18.86/hr
• Mean annual wage: $39,230
• Median annual wage: $37,140
• Entry-level annual: $29,540 | Experienced annual: $44,070

Within the broader Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington PA-NJ-DE-MD MSA, May 2023 BLS data shows 41,240 employed at a mean of $18.23/hr.

Pittsburgh metro

The Pittsburgh MSA (BLS May 2023) sits closer to the PA statewide average:

• Employment: 15,220
• Location quotient: 0.99
• Median hourly wage: $16.77/hr
• Mean hourly wage: $17.19/hr
• Mean annual wage: $35,740

Pennsylvania minimum wage status

PA's state minimum wage remains $7.25/hr — unchanged since 2009 when it last increased in step with the federal floor. The state has no premium above FLSA. Active 2025–2026 legislative attempts:

• HB 1549 (House-passed 2025): Tiered structure — $15/hr in Philadelphia by January 1, 2026; $12/hr in 19 large counties including Allegheny (Pittsburgh) by January 1, 2026 rising to $15 by January 1, 2028; $10/hr elsewhere starting January 1, 2026. Pending in the Senate as of mid-2026.
• SB 19 (introduced April 22, 2025; Sen. Tartaglione): Statewide $15/hr by 2026 with annual CPI adjustments; tipped wage at 70% of minimum; municipalities authorized to set higher local rates.
• Governor Shapiro FY2026-27 budget (announced February 2026): Calls for $15/hr effective January 1, 2027.

Tipped minimum is $2.83/hr; not commonly applicable to commercial janitorial. PA DLI minimum wage reference: pa.gov/dli/minimum-wage.

Pennsylvania Prevailing Wage Act — janitorial carve-out

The Pennsylvania Prevailing Wage Act (Act 442 of 1961, 43 P.S. §§ 165-1 et seq.) applies to public works contracts where total estimated project cost exceeds $25,000 — a threshold unchanged since 1963 (one of the oldest unmodified thresholds nationally). Locally funded highway/bridge projects under Act 89 of 2013 use a higher $100,000 threshold. Critically for janitorial operators:

• Routine janitorial and custodial services (ongoing cleaning, sweeping, vacuuming, trash removal) constitute "maintenance work" and are explicitly excluded from the Act's definition of "public work" under Section 2(5). Standard ongoing janitorial contracts are not subject to PA prevailing wage rates regardless of contract value.
• Exception: Construction, renovation, or alteration work (e.g., floor resurfacing as part of a renovation; restoration cleaning) is subject to prevailing wage if the project exceeds $25,000. The Act may not be divided into components to avoid the threshold.
• Penalties for intentional violation: three-year debarment from public works, payment of back wages, AG referral for liquidated damages, contract termination.

Administered by the PA DLI Bureau of Labor Law Compliance; (800) 932-0665.

Overtime and tipped employees

Pennsylvania follows the federal Fair Labor Standards Act for overtime: 1.5× regular rate for hours worked over 40 in a workweek. The PA Minimum Wage Act (43 P.S. § 333.101 et seq.) mirrors FLSA — no daily overtime, no double-time premium. Tipped minimum is $2.83/hr with make-up obligation if tips fail to bring total to $7.25/hr.

Practical implications for PA janitorial operators

• Plan for Philadelphia wage pressure — even without HB 1549 enactment, market wages in Philly are already 13% above the statewide mean, and union contracts (32BJ SEIU) push commercial-office janitorial well above OEWS averages.
• Do not assume routine cleaning triggers prevailing wage on state-funded buildings — Act 442's maintenance carve-out is well established. But verify any contract involving floor stripping/refinishing or construction-adjacent cleanup against PA DLI's project-by-project determination.
• Monitor HB 1549 and SB 19 status — a tiered increase taking effect in 2026 or 2027 would compress margins fastest in non-metro PA, where current pay sits near the federal floor.

Data sources: BLS OEWS Pennsylvania (May 2025 release, May 15, 2026) · BLS OEWS SOC 37-2011 May 2023 · PA DLI Philadelphia MSA Occupational Wages (May 2024) · PA Prevailing Wage Act (Act 442 of 1961) · PA DLI Minimum Wage. Last reviewed: June 2026. Author: Opora Editorial Team.