Housekeeping jobs are available throughout the United States in hotels, hospitals, resorts, private residences, universities, retirement communities and commercial accommodation facilities. Most positions do not require a university degree, making housekeeping one of the more accessible occupations for people beginning a hospitality or cleaning career.

An annual salary of up to $42,000 is possible, but it is not the standard starting salary everywhere. Location, employer, experience, working hours, overtime and supervisory responsibilities all affect earnings.

Housekeeping salaries in the USA

The latest national wage summary from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the following for maids and housekeeping cleaners:

Wage measure	Amount
National median hourly wage	$17.07
National mean hourly wage	$17.83
Approximate median annual wage	$35,510
Approximate mean annual wage	$37,080
Hourly rate needed for $42,000	$20.19

The annual figures assume full-time work of approximately 2,080 hours. See the latest BLS occupational wage data.

To earn $42,000 annually without overtime, a worker would need approximately:

$42,000 ÷ 2,080 hours = $20.19 per hour

Here is how different hourly rates translate into annual income:

Hourly wage	Weekly pay at 40 hours	Approximate annual pay
$14	$560	$29,120
$16	$640	$33,280
$17.07	$682.80	$35,506
$18	$720	$37,440
$20.19	$807.60	$42,000
$22	$880	$45,760

These amounts are gross earnings before federal, state and local deductions.

Therefore, the claim “earn up to $42,000 annually” is realistic for higher-paying housekeeping positions, experienced workers and employees receiving overtime. It should not be presented as a guaranteed entry-level salary.

What does a housekeeper do?

A housekeeper maintains clean, sanitary, comfortable and properly arranged rooms or facilities. The precise duties depend on whether the worker is employed in a hotel, hospital, private residence or another environment.

Typical responsibilities include:

• Cleaning guest rooms and common areas
• Making beds and replacing linens
• Vacuuming carpets and cleaning floors
• Dusting furniture, fixtures and surfaces
• Cleaning bathrooms, toilets, showers and mirrors
• Replacing towels and toiletries
• Emptying waste bins
• Disinfecting high-touch surfaces
• Reporting maintenance problems
• Restocking cleaning carts and supply rooms
• Collecting and sorting laundry
• Recording completed rooms
• Following chemical-handling instructions
• Reporting lost property
• Respecting guest privacy
• Following workplace safety and hygiene procedures

Housekeepers may also respond to guest requests, deliver additional supplies and coordinate with reception or maintenance teams.

Types of housekeeping jobs

Hotel room attendant

Hotel room attendants clean and prepare guest rooms. Their performance may be measured by the number of rooms completed during a shift and the results of supervisor inspections.

Resort housekeeper

Resort housekeepers work in hotels, vacation properties, lodges, ski resorts and coastal destinations. Some resort positions are seasonal and may qualify for temporary foreign-worker recruitment.

Hospital housekeeper

Hospital housekeepers—sometimes called environmental-services technicians—clean patient rooms, treatment areas and public spaces. They must follow strict infection-control procedures.

Hospital housekeeping may pay more than basic hotel room cleaning because of its safety and sanitation requirements.

Private household housekeeper

Private household employees clean residential properties and may also handle laundry, organization, grocery shopping or light meal preparation. Duties and working arrangements vary considerably.

Cruise or marine housekeeper

Housekeepers working on cruise ships or other marine accommodation facilities clean cabins and passenger areas. These jobs involve long shifts and extended periods away from home.

Laundry attendant

Laundry attendants wash, dry, press, sort and distribute linens, towels and uniforms. Hotel employers sometimes combine laundry and housekeeping responsibilities.

Public-area attendant

Public-area attendants clean lobbies, hallways, elevators, meeting rooms, gyms and public restrooms.

Housekeeping supervisor

Supervisors inspect rooms, prepare schedules, train employees, assign duties, manage supplies and resolve quality problems. Supervisory experience can lead to higher income.

Executive housekeeper

An executive housekeeper manages an entire housekeeping department. Duties may include budgeting, recruitment, inventory, scheduling, quality control and coordination with hotel management.

Education and experience requirements

The occupation is generally accessible without advanced education. Bureau of Labor Statistics data indicate that in 2025:

• No minimum formal education was required for approximately 69% of jobs.
• A high-school diploma was required for about 31%.
• On-the-job training was required for almost 98%.
• Previous experience was required for fewer than 8% of positions.

This means many employers train new workers after hiring. Review the BLS occupational-requirements report.

Nevertheless, higher-paying employers may prefer applicants with:

• Previous hotel or hospital experience
• Basic English communication
• Knowledge of cleaning chemicals
• Infection-control training
• Customer-service experience
• Laundry experience
• Supervisory ability
• A valid driver’s licence for mobile cleaning jobs
• A clean and reliable employment history

Physical requirements

Housekeeping is physically demanding. According to BLS occupational data, workers spend approximately 95% of the working day standing. Low postures such as bending, kneeling or crouching are required in more than 95% of positions.

Workers may need to:

• Stand and walk for most of the shift
• Bend, kneel and stretch repeatedly
• Push heavy housekeeping carts
• Lift mattresses and linen bags
• Carry cleaning supplies
• Work quickly under time limits
• Climb stairs
• Wear gloves or other protective equipment
• Handle unpleasant materials safely
• Work in hot, humid or noisy environments

Applicants should understand these requirements before accepting a position.

Important housekeeping skills

Employers commonly look for:

• Attention to detail
• Reliability
• Time management
• Personal honesty
• Physical stamina
• Teamwork
• Customer service
• Respect for privacy
• Ability to follow instructions
• Safe chemical handling
• Basic workplace English
• Ability to work without close supervision

In hotels, workers must also understand room-status systems, “do not disturb” procedures and lost-property policies.

Working hours

Housekeeping schedules can include:

• Early-morning shifts
• Evening shifts
• Weekends
• Public holidays
• Split shifts
• Seasonal work
• Part-time schedules
• Overtime during busy periods

Hotels operate every day, so workers should not expect a traditional Monday-to-Friday schedule.

Full-time hours are not guaranteed in every housekeeping position. Annual salary advertisements should be checked against the number of guaranteed weekly hours.

For example:

• $20 per hour for 40 hours weekly produces approximately $41,600 annually.
• $20 per hour for 25 hours weekly produces only approximately $26,000 annually.

The hourly wage alone does not show the worker’s likely annual earnings.

Overtime

Under federal rules, many non-exempt employees are entitled to overtime pay when they work more than 40 hours in a workweek. State laws and exemptions may affect the precise calculation.

If a worker earns $18 per hour and receives time-and-a-half overtime, the overtime rate would be:

$18 × 1.5 = $27 per hour

A worker receiving several overtime hours could reach $42,000 even when the regular hourly rate is below $20.19. However, applicants should never assume overtime will always be available.

Possible employee benefits

Full-time housekeeping positions may offer:

• Health insurance
• Dental and vision insurance
• Paid vacation
• Paid sick leave
• Retirement plans
• Employee meals
• Uniforms
• Training
• Hotel discounts
• Employee travel rates
• Performance bonuses
• Transportation assistance
• Seasonal accommodation
• Overtime pay

Benefits depend on the employer, state and employment status. Part-time and seasonal workers may receive fewer benefits.

Accommodation is not automatically free. Some seasonal employers provide housing but deduct an agreed amount from wages. Any housing costs should be stated clearly in the job order or contract.

Can foreign workers obtain visa sponsorship?

Some U.S. employers recruit foreign housekeepers, particularly for temporary seasonal employment. However, most ordinary housekeeping vacancies do not include sponsorship.

A foreign national cannot legally accept a U.S. job on a visitor visa. The applicant must receive the appropriate immigration authorization before beginning work.

H-2B temporary work visa

The H-2B program is the most relevant temporary route for seasonal housekeeping jobs.

It permits qualifying U.S. employers to hire foreign nationals temporarily for non-agricultural work. The employer must demonstrate that its need is temporary, such as:

• Seasonal need
• Peak-load need
• Intermittent need
• One-time occurrence

Hotels, resorts, lodges and holiday destinations sometimes recruit seasonal housekeepers through this program. Read the USCIS H-2B requirements.

The process normally involves:

1. The employer requests a prevailing-wage determination.
2. The employer applies for temporary labour certification.
3. The employer recruits available U.S. workers.
4. The Department of Labor reviews the application.
5. The employer files an H-2B petition with USCIS.
6. After petition approval, the foreign worker applies for the visa.
7. The worker attends an interview if required.
8. The worker travels to the United States after approval.
9. Employment begins only within the authorized period.

The worker does not independently apply for an H-2B job visa without a participating employer.

H-2B limitations

H-2B employment is:

• Temporary
• Usually tied to a specific employer
• Limited to the approved job and location
• Subject to annual numerical limits
• Not an automatic route to permanent residence
• Dependent on the employer proving temporary need

A year-round hotel vacancy does not automatically qualify. The employer must show that its need for additional workers meets the program’s temporary conditions. See the Department of Labor’s H-2B overview.

H-2B wage protections

An H-2B employer must pay at least the required offered wage and meet applicable wage and recruitment rules. Wages must generally be paid at least every two weeks or according to the prevailing local practice if that is more frequent. Review the Department of Labor’s H-2B wage guidance.

The job order should disclose:

• Hourly wage
• Job location
• Employment dates
• Expected weekly hours
• Overtime information
• Housing arrangements
• Transportation provisions
• Applicable deductions
• Required equipment or uniforms

Workers should retain copies of their job order, visa, passport and pay records.

EB-3 “Other Workers” route

A permanent housekeeping position requiring less than two years of training or experience may, in limited circumstances, be sponsored under the EB-3 Other Workers category.

The position must be permanent and non-seasonal. The employer generally needs an approved permanent labour certification and must file an immigrant petition for the worker.

This is a substantially different process from H-2B sponsorship. It can involve lengthy waiting periods because the category is numerically limited. Review the official USCIS EB-3 requirements.

Applicants should not assume that every housekeeping employer is able or willing to complete EB-3 sponsorship.

Documents foreign applicants may need

Depending on the employer and visa route, applicants may need:

• Valid international passport
• Updated résumé
• Employment reference letters
• Police or background documents
• Educational records, if requested
• Proof of cleaning experience
• Medical examination results
• Passport photographs
• Approved petition information
• Visa application forms
• Signed job offer or job order

Reference letters should state employment dates, duties, hours and the type of property cleaned.

How to prepare a housekeeping résumé

A housekeeping résumé should be short and practical. Include:

• Hotel, hospital or residential cleaning experience
• Number of rooms cleaned per shift
• Laundry experience
• Cleaning machines used
• Knowledge of disinfectants and chemicals
• Infection-control experience
• Customer-service skills
• Supervisory responsibilities
• Languages spoken
• Safety training
• Reliable employment references

An effective achievement might say:

Cleaned and prepared an average of 14–16 hotel rooms per shift while consistently meeting inspection and guest-satisfaction standards.

Where to find legitimate jobs

Applicants can search:

• SeasonalJobs.dol.gov
• Official hotel and resort career pages
• Hospital career websites
• Major hospitality-company career portals
• State workforce websites
• USAJOBS for qualifying federal positions
• Reputable recruitment agencies
• Local cleaning-company websites

Useful search terms include:

• H-2B housekeeper
• Seasonal hotel housekeeper
• Room attendant
• Resort housekeeper
• Environmental services technician
• Hospital housekeeper
• Laundry attendant
• Public-area attendant
• Housekeeping supervisor

A job appearing online does not necessarily accept foreign applicants. Check whether sponsorship or international recruitment is specifically mentioned.

Interview preparation

Common questions include:

• How do you organize several rooms during one shift?
• What would you do if you found a guest’s valuable property?
• How do you handle a “do not disturb” sign?
• How do you clean a room safely after a guest checks out?
• What would you do if you discovered damage?
• How do you avoid mixing dangerous cleaning chemicals?
• How do you respond to an unhappy guest?
• Can you work weekends and public holidays?
• Are you physically able to push carts and lift supplies?

Employers may also conduct background checks, drug testing or physical-capability assessments where lawful and appropriate.

Recruitment scam warnings

Housekeeping applicants are frequently targeted with fake U.S. sponsorship offers. Warning signs include:

• A guaranteed visa without an employer interview
• Payment for an H-2B petition or “visa slot”
• A recruiter selling an LMIA—LMIA is a Canadian process, not an American one
• Payment through cryptocurrency, gift cards or personal accounts
• An offer from a free email address
• A job paying far above normal market wages
• A contract without a physical work location
• Requests to enter with a tourist visa and start working
• Claims that USCIS approval guarantees visa issuance
• Requests to surrender the passport permanently

Verify H-2B vacancies through the official seasonal-jobs portal or the employer’s official website. Contact the business independently instead of relying only on the recruiter’s telephone number.

Final assessment

A salary of up to $42,000 per year is achievable for a U.S. housekeeper earning approximately $20.19 per hour, or for a lower-paid worker receiving regular overtime. It is above the current national median but remains realistic in hospitals, luxury properties, high-cost locations, unionized workplaces and supervisory positions.

For foreign applicants, the principal temporary route is usually H-2B seasonal employment. Permanent EB-3 sponsorship exists but is much less common, employer-driven and subject to immigration limits.

Before accepting any offer, confirm:

• Regular hourly wage
• Guaranteed weekly hours
• Overtime rate
• Employment dates
• Work location
• Housing cost
• Transportation arrangements
• Payroll deductions
• Health benefits
• Visa category
• Identity of the sponsoring employer

The signed job order and official immigration documents—not a social-media advertisement—determine the actual employment terms.