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Janitor: what the job actually is

Keeping a building clean and working: the floors, the washrooms, the supplies, and the small repairs nobody else will do.

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Janitor: quick facts

Janitor salary in Ontario: the median pay is $22.00 an hour, according to Job Bank (reference period 2023-2024). Its three-year outlook in Ontario is moderate. The job usually needs a short demonstration, no formal education.

Median pay in Ontario
$22.00 an hour
Pay range (low to high)
$17.95 to $28.00 an hour
Job outlook, 2025-2027
Moderate
People working in it in Ontario
39,600
Usually needs
A short demonstration, no formal education

Source: Job Bank wages (updated 19 November 2025) and job prospects (updated 10 December 2025), NOC 65312. Pay varies by region and experience.

The work

What this job actually is

  • Cleaning and caring for buildings: schools, offices, apartment buildings, hospitals, factories and stores. You mop, vacuum, wipe, empty bins, restock and report what is broken.
  • Job Bank's group is "Janitors, caretakers and heavy-duty cleaners". It includes caretakers in apartment buildings and heavy-duty cleaning work, not just office cleaning.
  • It is often done when others are not around, such as early morning or evening, so people notice it only when it is not done.
  • Job Bank says completion of secondary school may be required and previous cleaning experience may be required. It lists the occupation as not regulated in Canada, so no licence or certificate is needed.
  • You work with cleaning chemicals. Ontario says employers must make sure workers are trained on hazardous products before they use them, under WHMIS.

A Tuesday

What a normal day looks like

Not a good day or a bad one. The ordinary version, which is what you would actually be living.

  1. 5:30 — In, before the building opens. You check the list from yesterday and the notes someone left.
  2. 5:45 — Washrooms first: clean, disinfect, restock soap and paper. You do them in the same order every time.
  3. 7:00 — Floors. Sweep, mop or run the machine through the main halls before people arrive.
  4. 8:30 — Open up. People arrive and you stay out of their way, or they ask you about a spill.
  5. 10:00 — Break. You eat something and sit down, which you have not done yet.
  6. 10:30 — Spill in the cafeteria. You wet-mop, put out a sign and tell your supervisor it is dealt with.
  7. 12:00 — Lunch, then check the rooms used at lunch. Wipe, bin, restock.
  8. 13:30 — Light maintenance: a bulb, a loose handle, a blocked sink. You report what you cannot fix.
  9. 15:00 — Stock check. You write down what you are low on so the order goes in.
  10. 16:00 — Clock out. A building you cleaned looks as though nobody did anything, which means you did it right.

Honestly

Who loves this, and who should not do it

The second list is the useful one. Nearly every careers page leaves it out, which is why nearly every careers page reads like an advert.

You may like this if
  • You like clear tasks, a list, and the satisfaction of seeing a space go from messy to clean.
  • You are happy working alone or with little supervision once you know the job.
  • You do not mind physical work, standing, bending and lifting.
  • You like early or late shifts, or you want hours that fit around other commitments.
  • You want a job with no credential required to start, and you take pride in doing it properly.
You may hate this if
  • You find cleaning other people's mess, including washrooms, unpleasant, and it comes with the job.
  • You do not like being invisible. Most people notice the work only when it is missing.
  • You are bothered by cleaning chemicals, dust or strong smells. You are around them regularly.
  • Your back, knees or shoulders give you trouble. The work is repetitive and physical.
  • You want to be surrounded by colleagues all day. Many shifts are quiet and alone.
  • You want a fast career climb. Job Bank rates the Ontario outlook as Moderate, and says employment decline will lead to the loss of some positions.

The route in

How you actually get there in Ontario

  1. No credential is required

    Job Bank says completion of secondary school may be required, previous cleaning experience may be required, and that the occupation is not regulated in Canada. Employers like reliability and attention to detail.

  2. Check the age rule

    Ontario's minimum-age page lists 14 as the minimum for offices and stores and 15 for factories, warehouses and restaurant kitchens. Under 16, you cannot work during school hours.

  3. Do the workplace safety training

    Ontario says employers must make sure every worker completes basic health and safety awareness training as soon as practicable, and must make sure workers are trained on hazardous products before they use them. Ask what products you will use and what the training covers.

  4. Move up if you want to

    Experience can lead to supervising a team, specialised cleaning or building maintenance. The building-superintendent page covers a related path. Ask people who do the job how they moved up.

Where this comes from: Job Bank — Janitors, caretakers and heavy-duty cleaners requirements (Ontario) · Ontario — Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) · Ontario — Worker health and safety awareness training · Ontario — Minimum age for work

The money

Janitor salary in Ontario

Job Bank's own figures, quoted rather than summarised, with the period they describe — so you can tell how old they are and go and check them.

$17.95
Low (hourly)
$22.00
Median (hourly)
$28.00
High (hourly)

Ontario, NOC 65312. Reference period 2023-2024, last updated by Job Bank on 19 November 2025. Wages vary a lot by region inside Ontario and by how long you have been doing it — the low figure is roughly where you start, not what the job is worth.

Source: Job Bank — Janitor wages in Ontario

Where it is heading

The outlook for the next three years

Job Bank publishes a three-year outlook for every job in every province. It is the closest thing to an honest forecast, and it moves, so read it as a weather report rather than a verdict.

Ontario, 2025-2027

Moderate3 out of 5 stars

  • Employment decline will lead to the loss of some positions.
  • Several positions will become available due to retirements.
  • There are a moderate number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.

What that rating means: how many openings Job Bank expects in Ontario for this kind of work against how many people are likely to be looking — not whether it is a good job. A “limited” rating means more competition for each opening; it does not close the door, and it can change before you are ready to walk through it.

39,600
people work in this job in Ontario
38%
are women (48% across all jobs)
10%
are self-employed (15% across all jobs)

Source: Job Bank — Janitors, caretakers and heavy-duty cleaners job prospects in Ontario (NOC 65312). Outlook updated by Job Bank on 10 December 2025; read by us on 5 October 2026.

Before you leave school

Things you can do now

  • Volunteer for a school clean-up or a community event, and notice what you do and do not mind.
  • Do a household job to a standard. Clean a washroom properly, top to bottom, and time how long it takes.
  • Ask your guidance office about co-op. A school or community facility may offer a custodial placement.
  • Look at the WHMIS pictures on the Ontario page, so you know what the labels on cleaning products mean.

Test it

Do this before you decide anything

Reading about a job tells you almost nothing. This is designed to be done alone, this week, for free.

Clean one room as though it would be inspected

About 75 minutes
  1. Pick one room at home: a washroom or kitchen is best. Make a list in order, top to bottom, then do it.
  2. Read the labels on the products you use. Note the warnings and never mix products.
  3. Time how long each part takes. Look at the room from the doorway when you finish, as an inspector would.
  4. Write down whether the quiet, repeatable work felt calming or dull, and whether the result felt like an achievement.

What it tells you. If you found it satisfying to see the room change, and did not mind doing it with nobody watching, custodial work could be a steady first job or a long-term one. If it felt like a chore you wanted to get away from, think about jobs with more conversation or variety.

Better than any article

Questions for somebody who does this job

Most people say yes to a teenager who asks good questions. These are the ones that get real answers rather than encouragement.

  1. “What is the part of the job people never think about?”
  2. “What training did you get on chemicals and equipment?”
  3. “What hours do you work, and how do they fit with the rest of your life?”
  4. “How did you get your first job in this?”
  5. “What does a good day look like, and a bad one?”
  6. “Where can this lead, if you want it to?”

Could you own one of these?

The part other career sites never mention

Yes, and it is a common one. Many people start a cleaning business with a vehicle, supplies and a few regular clients, or take contracts from offices and buildings. You need to find customers, price jobs, manage staff and handle insurance. The business-owner page covers the basics.

Business 101 is free and teaches that part

Quick answers

Questions people ask about this job

How much does a janitor make in Ontario?

The median pay for a janitor in Ontario is $22.00 an hour, according to Job Bank (reference period 2023-2024, updated 19 November 2025). The range Job Bank publishes runs from $17.95 to $28.00 an hour. Pay varies by region, employer and experience.

What is the job outlook for a janitor in Ontario?

Job Bank rates the employment outlook for this work in Ontario as moderate for 2025-2027 (updated 10 December 2025). Employment decline will lead to the loss of some positions. Several positions will become available due to retirements. There are a moderate number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation. A lower rating means more competition for each opening, not that no one is hiring.

What do you need to become a janitor in Ontario?

Job Bank says this work usually needs a short demonstration, no formal education. The usual route in Ontario, in order: No credential is required; Check the age rule; Do the workplace safety training.

How many people work as a janitor in Ontario, and how many are women?

Job Bank counts about 39,600 people working in this job in Ontario. 38% of them are women, compared with 48% across all jobs. That describes who does the work today, not who can.

Not sure this is the right list to be reading

Start from yourself, not from the job.

Future Finder is free, takes about ten minutes, needs no account and stores nothing. It will tell you which kinds of work you lean toward, and which of these pages are worth your time.

Try Future Finder — freeAll jobs

Parent of a teenager weighing this up? Career coaching for teens gets them talking to people who do the work, anywhere in Ontario.

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Wages and training requirements change. Every figure on this page is linked to the body that publishes it, and the review date above says when we last checked. If you find something out of date, tell us and we will fix it.