Commercial Cleaning & FM recruiters serving Dayton.
About 5,040 janitors and cleaners work in the Dayton metro, at a $35,910 median. BLS counts 203 business locations of janitorial and commercial cleaning companies across the metro. Below: local pay for every role we staff and the nearby markets competing for the same people.
Positions we recruit for in Dayton.
BLS counts about 5,440 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Dayton metro, the largest group being janitors and cleaners (about 5,040). Relative to the size of the local economy, janitors and cleaners are less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.95). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Cleaning & FM hub.
Cleaning Team Member / Janitor
Dayton: 5,040 employed · $35,910 median, 57th-highest of 112 metros
Cleaning Team Lead / Supervisor
Dayton: 400 employed · $46,610 median, 77th-highest of 111 metros
Site Manager / Account Manager
Dayton: 420 employed · $97,860 median, 92nd-highest of 110 metros
Regional Operations Manager
Dayton: 10,180 employed · $98,030 median, 79th-highest of 112 metros
Facilities Manager
Dayton: 330 employed · $97,270 median, 90th-highest of 112 metros
Facilities Coordinator
Dayton: 3,640 employed · $46,310 median, 64th-highest of 111 metros
Building Engineer
Dayton: 1,220 employed · $80,220 median, 50th-highest of 112 metros
Healthcare Cleaning Specialist
Data Center / Cleanroom Cleaner
VP of Operations
Dayton: 200 employed · $210,670 median, 54th-highest of 98 metros
What Commercial Cleaning & FM roles earn in Dayton.
In the Dayton metro, the median wage for janitors and cleaners is $35,910 a year, in line with the $36,840 national median. Most earn between $28,440 and $49,120. Of the other roles listed, first-line supervisors of housekeeping and janitorial workers earn the most locally, at a $46,610 median.
| Role | Dayton median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleaning Team Member / Janitor · Healthcare Cleaning Specialist · Data Center / Cleanroom CleanerJanitors and Cleaners (37-2011) | $35,910 | $28,440–$49,120 | $36,840 | −3% | 5,040 |
| Cleaning Team Lead / SupervisorFirst-Line Supervisors of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers (37-1011) | $46,610 | $35,430–$62,140 | $49,100 | −5% | 400 |
| Site Manager / Account ManagerAdministrative Services Managers (11-3012) | $97,860 | $59,400–$176,750 | $114,130 | −14% | 420 |
| Regional Operations ManagerGeneral and Operations Managers (11-1021) | $98,030 | $45,980–$218,010 | $105,770 | −7% | 10,180 |
| Facilities ManagerFacilities Managers (11-3013) | $97,270 | $59,810–$159,000 | $106,660 | −9% | 330 |
| Facilities CoordinatorSecretaries and Administrative Assistants (43-6014) | $46,310 | $33,570–$62,620 | $47,540 | −3% | 3,640 |
| Building EngineerFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $80,220 | $59,690–$106,660 | $79,920 | 0% | 1,220 |
| VP of OperationsChief Executives (11-1011) | $210,670 | $100,010–$562,350 | $213,990 | −2% | 200 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Dayton metro. Range is 10th to 90th percentile; management and office roles are metro-wide.
How Dayton's commercial cleaning & FM market has changed since 2018.
The number of janitorial and commercial cleaning companies in Dayton rose from 161 in 2018 to 203 in 2023, up 26%, ahead of the 14% national rise. Headcount at those firms went down 3%, to about 2,762 people, so more firms are sharing fewer workers. Average annual pay there went from $21,676 to $28,331 (+31%), slower than the 36% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Janitorial and commercial cleaning companies: business locations | 161 | 203 | +26% |
| Janitorial and commercial cleaning companies: employment | 2,847 | 2,762 | −3% |
| Janitorial and commercial cleaning companies: average annual pay | $21,676 | $28,331 | +31% |
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, private employers, annual averages. A dash means BLS did not publish the figure.
Free Commercial Cleaning & FM hiring resources.
Definitive Guide to Commercial Cleaning & FM · 2026 Commercial Cleaning & FM Salary Guide · 3-Step Interview Guide for Commercial Cleaning & FM
Dayton runs 5% fewer commercial cleaning workers per job than the country as a whole — below the national concentration.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 , Janitors and Building Cleaners. Metro-wide figures for the base occupation; the wage table above is role-specific and commercial.
How Dayton's commercial cleaning market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Dayton ranks 71st for headcount, 52nd for median pay and 48th for concentration for janitors and building cleaners.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus | 14,130 | $37,310 | 0.90 | 478 |
| Cincinnati | 13,560 | $36,030 | 0.87 | 579 |
| Cleveland | 13,380 | $36,230 | 0.91 | 518 |
| Dayton | 5,040 | $35,910 | 0.95 | 203 |
| Akron | 4,140 | $35,580 | 0.91 | 183 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial cleaning employers in Dayton, the pool is about the national norm for its size, and local employers have trimmed headcount. That usually means experienced people are available but cautious, so the stability of the job matters as much as the rate.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Dayton metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Nearby markets competing for Dayton talent.
The closest metro we cover is Cincinnati, about 45 miles away, with roughly 13,560 janitors and cleaners (2.7 times Dayton's 5,040). Pay is close across the region: medians run from $35,000 in Louisville to $37,310 in Columbus, against $35,910 here. Indianapolis has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dayton | – | 5,040 | $35,910 |
| Cincinnati | 47 mi | 13,560 | $36,030 |
| Columbus | 65 mi | 14,130 | $37,310 |
| Indianapolis | 104 mi | 17,240 | $36,850 |
| Louisville | 134 mi | 9,220 | $35,000 |
| Akron | 168 mi | 4,140 | $35,580 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Dayton crews.
These are the largest capital projects on the books in Dayton, each shown with the status its own market page reports. None of them is commercial cleaning & FM work in itself. They matter because they draw skilled trades labour - including the crews commercial cleaning & FM contractors hire from - into this market in the same months you are trying to fill a seat.
- Convergence Research Center (Wright-Patterson AFB)$250MGroundbreaking underway; first building potentially complete 2027
A 43.5-acre research campus developed by Synergy under a federal enhanced use lease - a hub for academia, government, and industry collaboration on aerospace and defense research.
- Kettering Health Greene County investment$40M ($25M new medical center + $15M hospital renovation)Groundbreaking April 2026, complete late 2028
A new Xenia medical center plus renovations at Greene Memorial Hospital - healthcare-grade MEP work across two facilities.
- Citywide Dayton development wave$1.3B+ across two dozen+ projectsOngoing
Private and public partners investing in Dayton at a level not seen in many years - the broadest capital-project signal in this metro.
Showing 3 of 4 projects tracked in this metro. The Dayton market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for commercial cleaning & FM, and what kills offers in Dayton.
Most commercial cleaning & FM searches fail after the offer rather than before it, and they fail for reasons particular to this trade. These are the credentials that actually gate the work, and the things that most often end a Dayton hire between the handshake and the first morning. Every credential below links to the body that issues it.
The credentials that gate the job
- Water Damage Restoration Technician (WRT) and Applied Microbial Remediation Technician (AMRT)Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC)
WRT is the entry credential on the restoration side, covering water damage and structural drying. AMRT covers mould and sewage remediation and cannot be taken without WRT first, which is why firms hire WRT holders and stack AMRT on top.
- Certified Custodial Supervisor (CCS)ISSA, Cleaning Management Institute
The main portable supervisor credential in contract and in-house janitorial, covering supplies, chemicals and equipment, productivity, recruitment and quality assurance. CMI recommends completing the basic and advanced custodial technician courses first, and there is a final exam.
- Certified Facility Manager (CFM) and Facility Management Professional (FMP)International Facility Management Association (IFMA)
CFM is the senior competency certification that gates manager and director level facilities roles, requiring five years of experience or three with a relevant degree. FMP sits below it with no experience prerequisite, which makes it the credential a candidate can actually hold before they have the years for CFM.
- Bloodborne pathogens and hazard communication trainingEmployer duty under OSHA 29 CFR 1910.1030 and 29 CFR 1910.1200
Not a certification but a condition of putting someone to work. Any employer whose staff have occupational exposure to blood must run a written exposure control plan, offer hepatitis B vaccination and train. Hazard communication training is required at initial assignment, which for janitorial means before anyone touches the chemical cart.
What kills a commercial cleaning & FM offer
- Hepatitis B vaccination is a condition of starting, not of applying
Where the role carries occupational exposure, the employer must offer the vaccination series within ten days of assignment at no cost, and a candidate who refuses signs a formal declination. People accept, discover at onboarding that a three-dose series or a signed refusal is part of day one, and withdraw.
- Respirator clearance and the no-beard rule
Restoration and mould work needs tight-fitting respirators, which means a medical evaluation before fit testing, annual fit testing thereafter, and no facial hair interfering with the seal. This is discovered at the post-offer physical, and candidates either fail the questionnaire or decline to shave.
- The IICRC card is national; the mould licence is not
New York makes it unlawful to perform mould assessment without a state licence, and IICRC itself lists separate jurisdictional requirements for Florida, Virginia, Washington DC and the City of Portland. A fully certified technician can move metros and be unable to be put on a job.
- School and hospital accounts add a clearance step after the offer
Contractors doing continuing work with unsupervised student contact are covered by fingerprint-based national criminal history requirements in Texas, and most states have an analogue. Candidates clear a name-based check at offer and then stall weeks later at the fingerprint stage.
- The forklift card does not transfer
Powered industrial truck certification is issued by the employing organisation, not a national body, and prior training counts only if the new employer can demonstrate it applies to their site and equipment. Candidates arrive believing the card moves with them and are held out of that work until re-evaluated.
Researched from each issuing body and from federal and state agency sources. Licensing and certification rules change; the links above are the authority, not this page.
Frequently asked - Commercial Cleaning & FM hiring in Dayton.
What do janitors and cleaners earn in Dayton?
BLS puts the Dayton median for janitors and cleaners at $35,910 a year, about the same as the $36,840 national median. That ranks 57th of 112 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Most of the market sits between $28,440 and $49,120, a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. Within Ohio, Columbus pays more, at $37,310.
Is it hard to hire janitors and cleaners in Dayton?
It is about average. Janitors and cleaners are as common in Dayton as they are nationally (location quotient 0.95), with about 5,040 in the metro. The 203 janitorial and commercial cleaning companies here average about 14 employees per location. With 26% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial cleaning & FM roles pay the most in Dayton?
Of the roles we recruit for, VP of Operations pays the most in Dayton, a $210,670 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Cleaning Team Lead / Supervisor at $46,610, 78% below it. Cleaning Team Member / Janitor is the lowest-paid field role at $35,910. Site Manager / Account Manager trails national pay the most (14% below).
How many janitorial and commercial cleaning companies operate in Dayton?
BLS counted 203 janitorial and commercial cleaning companies in Dayton in 2023, employing about 2,762 people between them. Up from 161 in 2018, a 26% increase against 14% growth nationally. That averages 14 people per location. They pay an average of $28,331, 13% below the $32,388 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Dayton for janitors and cleaners?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Cincinnati (47 miles, about 13,560, $36,030 median), Columbus (65 miles, about 14,130, $37,310 median) and Indianapolis (104 miles, about 17,240, $36,850 median). Cincinnati has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move.
The seat is open. The pipeline should not be.
203 janitorial and commercial cleaning companies in Dayton are drawing on the same 5,040 janitors and cleaners. Let's get your next hire lined up first.
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