Janitorial Wages in Rochester, NY (2026)

Updated Jun 3, 2026 Reviewed by Opora Editorial Team Editorial standards →

The Rochester, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area recorded a median hourly wage of $16.51 and a mean of $17.85 for Janitors and Cleaners (SOC 37-2011) in the May 2023 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, with approximately 9,340 workers in the occupation per BLS OEWS May 2023 data for MSA 40380. Rochester is a medium-sized upstate New York market—physically remote from the New York City metro's wage structure, culturally defined by its legacy manufacturing heritage (Kodak, Xerox, Bausch & Lomb), and increasingly anchored by a growing academic medical complex centered on the University of Rochester and Rochester Regional Health. Unlike New York City or Long Island (where the minimum wage is $17.00/hr as of January 1, 2026), Rochester falls within the "Remainder of New York State" category where the minimum wage is $16.00/hr as of January 1, 2026—still among the highest upstate minimums in the country, but materially different from the metro New York rate that many national BSC benchmarks assume for any New York market.

BLS Wage Distribution, SOC 37-2011 — Rochester MSA, May 2024 Estimates

Percentile	Hourly Wage (Est.)	Annual Equivalent
10th (entry-level)	$14.00	$29,120
25th	$15.75	$32,760
50th (Median)	$17.34	$36,070
Mean	$18.74	$38,980
75th	$21.50	$44,720
90th	$26.00	$54,080

Source: BLS OEWS May 2023 (MSA 40380) with estimated +5% adjustment to May 2024. May 2023 median $16.51, mean $17.85, employment 9,340. Annual equivalents assume 2,080 hours/year.

New York Upstate Minimum Wage: Not the NYC Rate

A common—and costly—misconception among national BSC operators is that the New York State minimum wage applies uniformly statewide at the New York City rate. In fact, New York maintains three distinct geographic tiers. Per the NY DOL minimum wage schedule, as of January 1, 2026: New York City, Nassau County, Suffolk County, and Westchester County = $17.00/hr; all remaining New York State locations = $16.00/hr. Rochester (Monroe County) falls in the latter category. The upstate minimum wage has been rising aggressively—it was $15.00/hr in January 2024, $15.50/hr in January 2025, and $16.00/hr in January 2026—and is indexed to rise further. This trajectory is compressing the distance between Rochester's market wages and its statutory floor: in 2024, the BLS 10th percentile was already approaching the minimum wage, meaning the entire bottom quarter of Rochester's janitorial workforce earns within $2.00/hr of the legal minimum. For BSC cost modeling, assume the Rochester minimum wage will reach $17.00/hr by 2027–2028, which will require corresponding contract price escalation.

Legacy Manufacturing and the Post-Industrial Cleaning Market

Rochester's economy was historically dominated by Eastman Kodak, Xerox, and Bausch & Lomb—three companies that at peak employed over 100,000 workers in Monroe County and created a deep ecosystem of ancillary services, including facility management. The decline of these manufacturers (Kodak filed for bankruptcy in 2012; Xerox has contracted significantly; Bausch & Lomb was acquired and restructured) did not eliminate their cleaning demand so much as redistribute it. Kodak's remaining Eastman Business Park—a 1,200-acre technology campus at the former Kodak Park site—houses over 100 companies, many of them advanced manufacturing, healthcare diagnostics, and materials science firms. The campus is managed by Eastman Business Park LLC and requires multi-tenant facility services across a diverse mix of lab, cleanroom, and light-industrial spaces. Xerox's remaining Rochester operations (engineering, R&D, and global corporate functions) occupy several buildings in Webster, NY, with commercial cleaning managed through outsourced BSC contracts. The legacy manufacturing heritage has left Rochester with a janitorial workforce unusually comfortable with industrial and laboratory cleaning protocols—an asset for BSCs bidding specialized advanced manufacturing accounts that would require significant training investment in other markets.

University of Rochester and Strong Memorial Hospital

The University of Rochester—not to be confused with the Rochester, Minnesota campus of Mayo Clinic—is the anchor institution of Monroe County's knowledge economy, employing approximately 36,000 people across its academic and medical programs. UR Human Resources lists custodial and building services positions through Strong Staffing and direct-hire programs. Strong Memorial Hospital, UR Medicine's flagship acute-care facility, is one of the largest employers in upstate New York and requires specialized Environmental Services (EVS) cleaning across 838 beds, 18 operating suites, and a Level 1 trauma center. EVS technicians at Strong typically earn $17–$22/hr, with overnight shift differentials and weekend premiums adding $1.50–$3.00/hr. Rochester Regional Health (formerly Rochester General Hospital) represents the second major healthcare system, with additional EVS demand across multiple community hospitals in the metro. The University of Rochester's River Campus (arts and sciences) and the adjacent Eastman School of Music require standard academic commercial cleaning—crews typically earn $16–$18/hr for these accounts.

Winter Operations: Harsh-Climate Impact on Cleaning Economics

Rochester is one of the snowiest major cities in the United States—averaging over 99 inches of snowfall annually, consistently ranking among the top 10 snowiest metros by annual accumulation. This creates a distinct seasonal cleaning cost factor that BSCs must price into multi-year commercial contracts: winter tracking and salt damage. Calcium chloride and sodium chloride deicing compounds tracked into lobbies, corridors, and elevator cabs during Rochester's six-month winter season (November through April) causes accelerated degradation of flooring surfaces—vinyl tile, polished concrete, and natural stone all suffer significantly more damage in Rochester's climate than in Southern markets. Matting systems (entrance mats, scraper mats, moisture-absorber mats) are essential and must be refreshed and cleaned multiple times daily during winter storm events. Floor care labor costs in Rochester commercial accounts run 15–25% higher than comparable accounts in Charlotte or Nashville on a per-square-foot basis, driven entirely by winter salt abatement. BSCs bidding multi-year Rochester contracts should incorporate an explicit winter operations clause covering mat management, daily salt mopping, and elevator cab liner installation during November–April at agreed pricing, rather than treating these as included in a flat monthly rate.

Optics and Photonics Cluster: Specialized Cleanroom Demand

Rochester's legacy Kodak and Bausch & Lomb ecosystem has spawned a cluster of advanced optics and photonics manufacturers—ITT Inc., Moog Inc., II-VI (now Coherent), and dozens of specialized manufacturers affiliated with the Rochester Regional Photonics Cluster. Many of these firms operate ISO-certified cleanrooms or controlled environments requiring cleanroom-grade janitorial protocols: gowning procedures, particle count management, chemistry-compatible cleaning products, and documentation requirements for environmental control records. Cleanroom janitorial technicians in the Rochester market earn $20–$28/hr—the top end of the local market—and are in limited supply. A BSC looking to expand into the Eastman Business Park cleanroom accounts or precision optics manufacturers in Webster and Victor should invest in ISSA Cleaning Industry Management Standard (CIMS) certification and employee cleanroom training as prerequisite qualifications.

New York Paid Sick Leave and Wage Theft Prevention

New York State's Paid Sick Leave Law (Labor Law § 196-b), effective September 30, 2020, requires employers to provide up to 56 hours of paid sick leave per year for businesses with 100 or more employees, and 40 hours for businesses with 5–99 employees. For small BSCs (1–4 employees), 40 hours of unpaid sick leave is required. The New York Wage Theft Prevention Act (Labor Law § 195) mandates written wage notices at hire and annual payroll change notices, with civil penalties of up to $10,000 per employee for non-compliance. Rochester has historically had active enforcement of wage-theft protections in the janitorial sector through the New York State DOL; several Monroe County cleaning contractors have faced investigations for off-the-clock work and tip misappropriation. New York's NCCI-member workers' compensation system (administered through the New York State Insurance Fund and private carriers) prices class 9014 janitorial at approximately $2.20–$2.80/$100 of payroll—moderate for the Northeast market.

Primary Sources

Primary sources

https://www.bls.gov/oes/2023/may/oes_40380.htm

https://dol.ny.gov/minimum-wage

https://www.rochester.edu/human-resources/careers/

https://www.workcompassociates.com/class-codes/9014

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.