Commercial Cleaning & FM recruiters serving Grand Rapids.
Grand Rapids has 35% more janitors and cleaners per job than the country as a whole, about 11,490 in the metro. BLS counts 236 business locations of janitorial and commercial cleaning companies across the metro. Below: local pay for every role we staff, the state licensing rules that apply and the nearby markets competing for the same people.
Positions we recruit for in Grand Rapids.
BLS counts about 12,200 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Grand Rapids metro, the largest group being janitors and cleaners (about 11,490). Relative to the size of the local economy, janitors and cleaners are far more concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 1.35). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Cleaning & FM hub.
Cleaning Team Member / Janitor
Grand Rapids: 11,490 employed · $35,890 median, 58th-highest of 112 metros
Cleaning Team Lead / Supervisor
Grand Rapids: 710 employed · $45,520 median, 86th-highest of 111 metros
Site Manager / Account Manager
Grand Rapids: 730 employed · $102,920 median, 78th-highest of 110 metros
Regional Operations Manager
Grand Rapids: 10,880 employed · $101,720 median, 65th-highest of 112 metros
Facilities Manager
Grand Rapids: 600 employed · $100,160 median, 76th-highest of 112 metros
Facilities Coordinator
Grand Rapids: 4,710 employed · $45,440 median, 84th-highest of 111 metros
Building Engineer
Grand Rapids: 2,490 employed · $75,350 median, 85th-highest of 112 metros
Healthcare Cleaning Specialist
Data Center / Cleanroom Cleaner
VP of Operations
Grand Rapids: 540 employed · $248,660 median, 30th-highest of 98 metros
What Commercial Cleaning & FM roles earn in Grand Rapids.
Janitors and cleaners in Grand Rapids earn a median $35,890, level with the $36,840 national figure, and 58th of 112 metros. Pay runs $29,440 at the tenth percentile to $46,000 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is first-line supervisors of housekeeping and janitorial workers, at $45,520 against $49,100 nationally.
| Role | Grand Rapids median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleaning Team Member / Janitor · Healthcare Cleaning Specialist · Data Center / Cleanroom CleanerJanitors and Cleaners (37-2011) | $35,890 | $29,440–$46,000 | $36,840 | −3% | 11,490 |
| Cleaning Team Lead / SupervisorFirst-Line Supervisors of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers (37-1011) | $45,520 | $37,820–$60,990 | $49,100 | −7% | 710 |
| Site Manager / Account ManagerAdministrative Services Managers (11-3012) | $102,920 | $60,500–$171,370 | $114,130 | −10% | 730 |
| Regional Operations ManagerGeneral and Operations Managers (11-1021) | $101,720 | $51,640–$219,060 | $105,770 | −4% | 10,880 |
| Facilities ManagerFacilities Managers (11-3013) | $100,160 | $60,400–$159,160 | $106,660 | −6% | 600 |
| Facilities CoordinatorSecretaries and Administrative Assistants (43-6014) | $45,440 | $34,650–$62,180 | $47,540 | −4% | 4,710 |
| Building EngineerFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $75,350 | $52,470–$113,990 | $79,920 | −6% | 2,490 |
| VP of OperationsChief Executives (11-1011) | $248,660 | $113,910–$518,790 | $213,990 | +16% | 540 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Grand Rapids metro. Range is 10th to 90th percentile; management and office roles are metro-wide. A metro ranking counts only the metros where BLS publishes that occupation.
How Grand Rapids's commercial cleaning & FM market has changed since 2018.
The number of janitorial and commercial cleaning companies in Grand Rapids rose from 165 in 2018 to 236 in 2023, up 43%, ahead of the 14% national rise.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Janitorial and commercial cleaning companies: business locations | 165 | 236 | +43% |
| Janitorial and commercial cleaning companies: employment | – | 6,516 | – |
| Janitorial and commercial cleaning companies: average annual pay | – | $25,800 | – |
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
Grand Rapids runs 35% more commercial cleaning workers per job than the country as a whole — well above the national concentration. More per job means more people to reach, and more employers reaching them.
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 Grand Rapids's commercial cleaning market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Grand Rapids ranks 38th for headcount, 53rd for median pay and 5th for concentration for janitors and building cleaners. That puts it among the deepest commercial cleaning labor markets in the country.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit | 26,810 | $36,680 | 0.99 | 722 |
| Grand Rapids | 11,490 | $35,890 | 1.35 | 236 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial cleaning employers in Grand Rapids, the local pool is deeper than most, so a well-run search can usually fill field roles from inside the metro.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Grand Rapids metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Commercial Cleaning & FM licensing in Michigan.
Michigan gives cleaning employers a clear published answer, and it is mostly favourable. The Department's pesticide guidance on sanitizers and disinfectants states that a Pesticide Application Business Licence is not required when applying general-use sanitizers and disinfectants indoors, and that indoor disinfectant draining to a sanitary sewer or septic system is not movement that can affect surface or groundwater, so no licence or certified applicator is triggered. A licence is required for restricted-use pesticides anywhere, and for outdoor sanitation work performed for hire, where the certification for non-government employees is category 5B, Microbial Pest Management. The trap is the move outdoors: the same crew that needs nothing inside the building needs a licensed business and certified applicators the moment the work is exterior and for hire. Products making no pesticidal claim, including bleach used without such a claim, are not pesticides at all. The same state rules apply in Detroit, so candidates licensed there can work in Grand Rapids without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Grand Rapids talent.
The closest metro we cover is Milwaukee, about 115 miles away, with roughly 14,380 janitors and cleaners (1.3 times Grand Rapids's 11,490). Madison pays the most nearby, a $39,680 median, 11% above Grand Rapids. That is the number any Grand Rapids offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Chicago has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Rapids | – | 11,490 | $35,890 |
| Milwaukee | 113 mi | 14,380 | $36,620 |
| Chicago | 127 mi | 70,000 | $38,470 |
| Detroit | 140 mi | 26,810 | $36,680 |
| Madison | 189 mi | 6,780 | $39,680 |
| Indianapolis | 222 mi | 17,240 | $36,850 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Grand Rapids crews.
Not commercial cleaning & FM work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Grand Rapids in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Corewell Health Butterworth Hospital addition$1.34BConstruction starting summer 2027, complete 2030
780,000 sq ft and 180 rooms added to Butterworth Hospital. Hospital-grade mechanical, medical gas plumbing, and ICRA-compliant construction at the anchor of Grand Rapids' "Medical Mile."
- Joan Secchia Children's Rehabilitation Hospital$60MOpening fall 2026
A pediatric rehabilitation hospital built across the street from Mary Free Bed, connected by a pedestrian walkway - adds another hospital-grade construction project to the Medical Mile corridor.
- JR Automation headquarters (Zeeland)UndisclosedBroke ground September 2025
A single-campus manufacturing and production headquarters for the lakeshore automation manufacturer, with plans to more than double manufacturing space if market conditions allow - industrial construction outside the Medical Mile corridor.
Showing 3 of 4 projects tracked in this metro. The Grand Rapids market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for commercial cleaning & FM, and what kills offers in Grand Rapids.
The 4 credentials that gate the work and the 5 things that most often end a commercial cleaning & FM offer are the same in every market, kept in one place: Commercial Cleaning & FM credentials and offer risks, each linked to the body that issues it. What is local is the licensing rule above and the pay further up this page.
Frequently asked - Commercial Cleaning & FM hiring in Grand Rapids.
What do janitors and cleaners earn in Grand Rapids?
BLS puts the Grand Rapids median for janitors and cleaners at $35,890 a year, about the same as the $36,840 national median. That ranks 58th of 112 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Pay is bunched together here, $29,440 to $46,000 across the 10th to 90th percentile and only a 1.6x gap, so small differences in an offer are noticed. No other Michigan metro we cover pays more for this work (Detroit: $36,680).
Is it hard to hire janitors and cleaners in Grand Rapids?
Not by national standards. Janitors and cleaners make up 35% more of the Grand Rapids workforce than they do nationally, about 11,490 people. The 236 janitorial and commercial cleaning companies here average about 28 employees per location. With 43% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial cleaning & FM roles pay the most in Grand Rapids?
Of the roles we recruit for, VP of Operations pays the most in Grand Rapids, a $248,660 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Cleaning Team Lead / Supervisor at $45,520, 82% below it. Cleaning Team Member / Janitor is the lowest-paid field role at $35,890. Relative to national pay, VP of Operations is the strongest-paying role here (16% above). Site Manager / Account Manager trails national pay the most (10% below).
How many janitorial and commercial cleaning companies operate in Grand Rapids?
BLS counted 236 janitorial and commercial cleaning companies in Grand Rapids in 2023, employing about 6,516 people between them. Up from 165 in 2018, a 43% increase against 14% growth nationally. That averages 28 people per location. They pay an average of $25,800, 20% below the $32,388 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Grand Rapids for janitors and cleaners?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Milwaukee (113 miles, about 14,380, $36,620 median), Chicago (127 miles, about 70,000, $38,470 median) and Detroit (140 miles, about 26,810, $36,680 median). Chicago has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Chicago pays 7% more, which is where Grand Rapids employers tend to lose people.
Plenty of people. Few of them looking.
Grand Rapids has one of the deeper pools of janitors and cleaners we cover, but the best of them are already working. Let's find the ones ready to move.
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