Raleigh–Cary, NC

Janitorial Wages in Raleigh–Cary, NC (2026)

Last updated Q2 2026 · Authored by the Opora Editorial Team · Source: BLS OEWS May 2024 + North Carolina Wage and Hour Act (NCGS §95-25.1 et seq.); federal FLSA $7.25 floor governs

The Raleigh–Cary MSA is one of the fastest-growing metros in the United States, driven by the Research Triangle Park's technology, life sciences, and pharmaceutical ecosystem. O*NET 2024 local wages show a median hourly wage of $16.05 for SOC 37-2011 janitors—above North Carolina's $7.25/hr federal-floor minimum but below the national median, reflecting the state's right-to-work, low-union environment. The Research Triangle Park (RTP)—a 7,000-acre research campus spanning Durham and Wake counties—houses GSK, Biogen, Cisco, IBM, and EPA Research Triangle Park, among 300+ tenants. Pharmaceutical and biotech cleaning at RTP commands the highest rates in the MSA, driven by cleanroom protocols and specialized training requirements that apply nowhere else in the Carolina janitorial market. Wake County's 20%+ population growth since 2020 has pushed non-union wages upward faster than any legislative mandate.

BLS OEWS May 2024 Wage Distribution

Percentile	Hourly	Annual	Benchmark
10th	$11.60	$24,130	NC minimum ($7.25 floor; market forces set effective floor higher); outer Wake County entry (Fuquay-Varina, Apex)
25th	$13.59	$28,270	Standard entry; Cary, Morrisville, RTP suburban office parks
50th (Median)	$16.05	$33,380	Experienced commercial; downtown Raleigh Class B office, university-adjacent commercial
75th	$17.86	$37,150	RTP pharmaceutical facility cleaners; hospital EVS (UNC Rex, WakeMed); technology campus leads
90th	$21.26	$44,220	Cleanroom-certified pharmaceutical cleaning (GSK, Biogen); NC State custodians; EPA RTP federal facility leads

Source: O*NET Local Wages NC 2024, SOC 37-2011. NC minimum wage: $7.25/hr (federal floor). Annual at 2,080 hours.

Research Triangle Park: Biotech and Pharma Cleaning Premium

RTP is the largest research park in the United States at 7,000 acres with 300+ companies employing 60,000+ workers—the Work in the Triangle profile identifies it as the fifth-largest life sciences hub nationally. GSK (GlaxoSmithKline): one of its largest NA research campuses, multiple buildings with ISO 14644 cleanroom cleaning, gowning room protocols, and HVAC-integrated documentation. Biogen: clinical research and administrative campus with controlled environment requirements. Cisco RTP: server room and network operations center cleaning with ESD (electrostatic discharge) protocol awareness. IBM Research Triangle: successor tenants maintaining technical facility requirements. Pharmaceutical and biotech cleaning at RTP commands $18–$25/hr for certified cleaners—the highest sustained wage tier in the Raleigh MSA outside of government facilities.

University Cleaning and the Academic Triangle

NC State University (Raleigh, 34,000+ students, 600+ acres): campus cleaning blends in-house state classified custodians (NC OSHR pay grades $15–$22/hr) with contracted services for peripheral buildings and research labs. Duke University (Durham, adjacent to RTP): large campus and medical center; Duke EVS wages $17–$23/hr. UNC–Chapel Hill: similar mix of in-house and contracted services. Combined Triangle university cleaning represents 15–20% of regional janitorial employment. University cleaning contracts provide multi-year stability with procurement through state purchasing rules (NC ITS, UNC System contracts) that favor demonstrated experience and insurance adequacy over price alone.

Technology Sector Growth and New Account Creation

Raleigh's tech sector growth since 2019 has been exceptional: Apple's announced $1B campus in RTP, Google's Raleigh presence, Red Hat/IBM headquarters, and clusters of software and cloud services firms in Glenwood South and North Hills. Technology campus accounts require security-aware cleaning (badge-access building protocols), AV/equipment-sensitive practices, and green building certifications for LEED O+M. Wages for major tech tenant accounts run $16–$21/hr, above the median but below pharmaceutical levels. The pace of new construction in Raleigh—downtown high-rises, North Hills mixed-use, midtown offices—has outpaced local BSC labor supply, pushing wages upward from 2021 to 2024 without any legislative mandate.

EPA Research Triangle and SCA Federal Accounts

The US EPA's Research Triangle Park campus (approximately 2,000 federal employees across multiple building complexes) and the adjacent National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) are SCA-covered federal accounts. The DOL WD for Wake County NC sets the SCA janitor rate at approximately $14.50–$16.50/hr base plus $5.55/hr H&W fringe. Federal accounts at RTP provide long-term contract stability with SCA WD escalators. Additional federal presence: Social Security Administration regional offices and the US Attorney/federal court complex in downtown Raleigh. SCA compliance adds 5–8% in certified payroll reporting overhead but provides payment reliability and CPI-linked escalation that commercial accounts don't match.

Right-to-Work Market, Housing Pressure, and Loaded Labor

North Carolina right-to-work (approximately 3% statewide union density) means no SEIU contractual presence in Raleigh commercial cleaning. Major BSCs: ABM Industries, Aramark, Servicon (West Coast BSC expanding into RTP pharmaceutical accounts), and regional operators including Mint Condition Franchising (Cary-based franchise). Effective starting wages: $12.50–$14.50/hr commercial entry; $16–$18/hr RTP pharmaceutical entry. HUD FY 2024 FMR for a one-bedroom in Wake County: approximately $1,388/month. A janitor at $16.05/hr earns ~$2,680/month net; housing at 30% allows only $804/month—58% below FMR—creating recruitment challenges requiring workers to commute from Johnston, Harnett, or eastern Wake County suburbs. Loaded labor at $16.05/hr: FICA + NC WC (NCCI Class 9014 ~$2.20/$100) + SUI + liability = $20–$25/hr all-in. Standard commercial bill rates: $24–$34/hr; pharmaceutical/cleanroom: $32–$48/hr.

Primary sources

Review notice

This wage data is maintained by the Opora editorial team and last reviewed in Q2 2026. BLS OEWS data is released annually each spring; state and local minimum wages change at least yearly. Verify current rates with BLS, the relevant state labor department, and any applicable SCA wage determination before relying on a specific bid number. Opora does not provide legal or tax advice.