Janitorial wages — Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY metropolitan area
Albany is New York’s state capital and the largest government-employment hub outside New York City. New York’s Article 9 prevailing wage requirements cover most public agency janitorial contracts in this metro at rates materially above the commercial median. A BSC pursuing state agency contracts without understanding Article 9 will either price incorrectly or face back-wage exposure on a contract that looked profitable at bid stage.
BLS Wage Data: What Janitors Earn in Albany-Schenectady-Troy
Per BLS OEWS Metropolitan Area tables (May 2024), the Albany MSA places janitorial mean hourly wages (SOC 37-2011) in the $17–$19/hr range, consistent with the Northeast premium and above the national mean of $17.43/hr. The metro employs approximately 8,000–11,000 janitors; government buildings, healthcare (Albany Medical Center, St. Peter’s Health Partners), and educational institutions (UAlbany, Rensselaer) account for the majority of full-time above-median employment.
| Percentile | Est. Hourly Wage | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $13.50–$15.00 | Part-time retail and light commercial |
| 25th | $15.00–$16.50 | Suburban office and Schenectady/Troy commercial |
| 50th (median) | $17.00–$18.50 | Full-time commercial and state agency-adjacent |
| 75th | $19.50–$22.00 | State government campus, hospital EVS, 32BJ accounts |
| 90th | $23.00–$26.00 | Article 9 prevailing wage and senior SCA contracts |
Wage Drivers: What Shapes Albany Labor Costs
BEA Regional Price Parities place Albany near 101–105 nationally, per BEA Regional Price Parities. State government (Empire State Plaza, multiple agency headquarters) generates the metro’s densest janitorial demand. GlobalFoundries semiconductor manufacturing in Malta adds industrial cleaning volume. New York unemployment tracked 4.0–4.8% through 2024 per BLS LAUS.
Loaded Labor Cost: What Employers Actually Pay
Burden breakdown at $18.00/hr: FICA 7.65% ($1.38) + NY SUTA ~3.5% ($0.63) + workers’ comp $3.00–$4.00/$100 per New York Workers’ Compensation Board + NY Disability/PFL ($0.20/hr) + GL ($0.40/hr) + health ($2.75–$4.50/hr) + PTO ($0.47/hr). $18.00 × 1.33 = $23.94 loaded; supervision adds $0.45–$0.65 = $24.39–$24.59 all-in. On Article 9 state contracts, wage floors can reach $22–$26/hr; loaded rates on those accounts can exceed $35/hr all-in. Use the cleaning bid benchmarks tool to verify your rate structure.
State Minimum Wage and Local Premiums
New York’s minimum wage for most of the state (outside NYC metro) reached $16.00/hr as of January 2024 with further indexing, per New York Department of Labor, Minimum Wage. No Albany or Schenectady ordinance exceeds the state floor. Tipped exemptions do not apply to cleaning personnel.
Union Landscape and Collective Bargaining
SEIU 32BJ holds agreements on commercial towers in downtown Albany and on some state-agency contracted cleaning. Published 32BJ scales for upstate New York run $19–$24/hr for experienced janitors plus fringe benefits. See SEIU 32BJ for current New York upstate CBA scales. CSEA and PEF represent direct-hire state custodial workers at government rates. BSCs must distinguish between direct-hire state worker rates and BSC contract rates – the compliance obligations are different.
Workers’ Compensation Rates for NAICS 561720
New York workers’ comp rates for NAICS 561720 run approximately $3.00–$4.00 per $100 payroll, among the highest in the nation. New York’s WCB administers a complex assigned-risk and voluntary market; new entrants should engage a knowledgeable broker before quoting large Albany accounts. Details at New York Workers’ Compensation Board.
Prevailing Wage and Service Contract Act Implications
New York’s Article 9 Building Service Law requires prevailing wages and supplemental benefits for service employees on public work contracts. Rates are published by the NY Department of Labor, Building Service Law. Federal facilities (federal courthouse, federal agencies) separately require Service Contract Act compliance via SAM.gov Wage Determinations. SCA rates for Albany typically run $18–$22/hr. See DOL Service Contract Act.
Total Compensation: Benefits, Turnover, and Hiring Cost
Per BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, benefits represent 29–34% of total compensation. New York’s Paid Family Leave, disability insurance, and sick leave mandates add costs above the federal baseline. Per ISSA benchmarks, janitorial turnover runs 75–200% annually. Replacing one experienced Albany janitor costs roughly $2,500–$4,500 per event at New York wage levels.
Article 9 Is Not the Same as SCA – Both Apply in Albany
Albany BSCs face a compliance layer most markets avoid: Article 9 applies to state agency janitorial contracts, while federal buildings on the same block require SCA compliance under a separate regulatory structure. A BSC who prices a state agency at SCA rates, or a federal building at Article 9 rates, is non-compliant on one and over-priced on the other. Both programs require certified payrolls, fringe benefit accounting, and annual rate updates. Operating without separate compliance tracks is how Albany government cleaning BSCs accumulate back-wage liability.
Primary Sources
- BLS OEWS Metropolitan Area Estimates (May 2024)
- New York DOL, Minimum Wage
- New York DOL, Building Service Law (Article 9)
- New York Workers’ Compensation Board
- SAM.gov, SCA Wage Determinations
- SEIU 32BJ, New York CBA Scales
- BEA Regional Price Parities
See the bid template guide for the Albany MSA for scope-of-work tables and pricing benchmarks. For government and education facility cleaning, see the education cleaning hub. Build your cost model with the Opora bid generator. Stress-test all-in rates with the bid stress test.
By the Opora Editorial Team · Last updated: 2026