Commercial Cleaning & FM recruiters serving Lakeland.
At a $32,510 median, janitors and cleaners in Lakeland earn 12% less than nationally; about 3,520 work in the metro. BLS counts 190 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 Lakeland.
BLS counts about 3,840 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Lakeland metro, the largest group being janitors and cleaners (about 3,520). Relative to the size of the local economy, janitors and cleaners are less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.93). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Cleaning & FM hub.
Cleaning Team Member / Janitor
Lakeland: 3,520 employed · $32,510 median, 93rd-highest of 112 metros
Cleaning Team Lead / Supervisor
Lakeland: 320 employed · $39,850 median, 102nd-highest of 111 metros
Site Manager / Account Manager
Lakeland: 270 employed · $91,220 median, 100th-highest of 110 metros
Regional Operations Manager
Lakeland: 5,150 employed · $96,220 median, 87th-highest of 112 metros
Facilities Manager
Lakeland: 190 employed · $93,670 median, 103rd-highest of 112 metros
Facilities Coordinator
Lakeland: 2,430 employed · $41,770 median, 103rd-highest of 111 metros
Building Engineer
Lakeland: 1,860 employed · $74,500 median, 92nd-highest of 112 metros
Healthcare Cleaning Specialist
Data Center / Cleanroom Cleaner
VP of Operations
Lakeland: 570 employed · $179,360 median, 78th-highest of 98 metros
What Commercial Cleaning & FM roles earn in Lakeland.
Janitors and cleaners in Lakeland earn a median $32,510, 12% under the $36,840 national figure, and 93rd of 112 metros. Pay runs $28,350 at the tenth percentile to $44,090 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is first-line supervisors of housekeeping and janitorial workers, at $39,850 against $49,100 nationally.
| Role | Lakeland median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleaning Team Member / Janitor · Healthcare Cleaning Specialist · Data Center / Cleanroom CleanerJanitors and Cleaners (37-2011) | $32,510 | $28,350–$44,090 | $36,840 | −12% | 3,520 |
| Cleaning Team Lead / SupervisorFirst-Line Supervisors of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers (37-1011) | $39,850 | $35,040–$60,220 | $49,100 | −19% | 320 |
| Site Manager / Account ManagerAdministrative Services Managers (11-3012) | $91,220 | $51,600–$188,510 | $114,130 | −20% | 270 |
| Regional Operations ManagerGeneral and Operations Managers (11-1021) | $96,220 | $47,830–$211,760 | $105,770 | −9% | 5,150 |
| Facilities ManagerFacilities Managers (11-3013) | $93,670 | $56,910–$154,870 | $106,660 | −12% | 190 |
| Facilities CoordinatorSecretaries and Administrative Assistants (43-6014) | $41,770 | $31,200–$59,060 | $47,540 | −12% | 2,430 |
| Building EngineerFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $74,500 | $48,840–$101,310 | $79,920 | −7% | 1,860 |
| VP of OperationsChief Executives (11-1011) | $179,360 | $60,880–$480,280 | $213,990 | −16% | 570 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Lakeland 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 Lakeland's commercial cleaning & FM market has changed since 2018.
The number of janitorial and commercial cleaning companies in Lakeland rose from 163 in 2018 to 190 in 2023, up 17%, close to the 14% national change. Headcount at those firms went up 24%, to about 1,713 people. Average annual pay there went from $17,963 to $28,597 (+59%), faster than the 36% national increase, a sign employers here have had to bid up.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Janitorial and commercial cleaning companies: business locations | 163 | 190 | +17% |
| Janitorial and commercial cleaning companies: employment | 1,387 | 1,713 | +24% |
| Janitorial and commercial cleaning companies: average annual pay | $17,963 | $28,597 | +59% |
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
Lakeland runs 7% fewer commercial cleaning workers per job than the country as a whole — below the national concentration. Fewer per job means the people you want are already working, and usually for someone who would rather keep 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 Lakeland's commercial cleaning market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Lakeland ranks 89th for headcount, 82nd for median pay and 55th for concentration for janitors and building cleaners.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami | 41,890 | $34,180 | 1.05 | 2,363 |
| Orlando | 21,620 | $34,590 | 1.08 | 1,087 |
| Tampa | 18,460 | $34,800 | 0.90 | 1,224 |
| Jacksonville | 8,450 | $35,450 | 0.78 | 526 |
| North Port-Sarasota | 3,940 | $35,530 | 0.82 | 442 |
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers | 3,890 | $35,390 | 0.90 | 394 |
| Lakeland | 3,520 | $32,510 | 0.93 | 190 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne | 3,100 | $32,810 | 0.89 | 219 |
| Deltona-Daytona | 2,710 | $34,580 | 0.87 | 296 |
| Pensacola | 2,490 | $32,010 | 0.92 | 141 |
| Port St. Lucie | 1,770 | $34,550 | 0.73 | 166 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial cleaning employers in Lakeland, the pool is about the national norm for its size and local employers are adding people, so expect competing offers on experienced candidates and keep the process short.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Lakeland metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Commercial Cleaning & FM licensing in Florida.
Florida does not license commercial cleaning, but it does license mould work, and that licence reaches the water-damage cleanup cleaning crews are often asked to do. Florida Statutes 468.8411(5) defines mold remediation as removal, cleaning, sanitizing, demolition or other treatment of mould or mould-contaminated matter in areas greater than 10 square feet that was not purposely grown there, and 468.8411(3) sets the same threshold for mold assessment. The Department licenses individuals rather than companies, so a firm offering both needs a licensed individual for each role, and 468.8419 bars a remediator from assessing, or an assessor from remediating, a structure its company handled in the other capacity within the preceding 12 months - a criminal offence, not merely a licence matter. Ordinary indoor mould is not a 'pest' under chapter 482, so applying chemicals during remediation does not by itself trigger a pest control business licence. The same state rules apply in Miami, Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville, North Port-Sarasota, Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Deltona-Daytona, Palm Bay-Melbourne, Port St. Lucie and Pensacola, so candidates licensed there can work in Lakeland without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Lakeland talent.
The closest metro we cover is Tampa, about 30 miles away, with roughly 18,460 janitors and cleaners (5.2 times Lakeland's 3,520). North Port-Sarasota pays the most nearby, a $35,530 median, 9% above Lakeland. That is the number any Lakeland offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Orlando has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeland | – | 3,520 | $32,510 |
| Tampa | 32 mi | 18,460 | $34,800 |
| Orlando | 49 mi | 21,620 | $34,590 |
| North Port-Sarasota | 71 mi | 3,940 | $35,530 |
| Deltona-Daytona | 73 mi | 2,710 | $34,580 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne | 83 mi | 3,100 | $32,810 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Lakeland crews.
Not commercial cleaning & FM work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Lakeland in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- AdventHealth Winter Haven hospitalUndisclosedPlanned
A four-story, 192-bed hospital with a dedicated emergency department, medical offices, and ancillary facilities.
- AdventHealth medical complex (Polk Parkway/Harden Blvd)Undisclosed (up to 720,000 sq ft)Free-standing ER as early as 2026; full 400-bed hospital 2028-2029
A separate 400-bed hospital campus with medical offices, an apartment complex, and retail space - the third concurrent hospital-scale project in this metro. The full hospital opens later than the initial ER; a 2027 date understates the timeline for the full campus.
- Watson Clinic Lakeland Highlands HospitalUndisclosedOpened July 8, 2026
Lakeland's first new hospital in a century - a 7-story, 306-bed facility with inpatient care, ICU/progressive care, an emergency department, and 13 ORs now receiving patients; labor/delivery and NICU beds expected to open in the coming months, plus two new Watson Clinic locations on the same site.
Showing 3 of 4 projects tracked in this metro. The Lakeland market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for commercial cleaning & FM, and what kills offers in Lakeland.
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 Lakeland.
What do janitors and cleaners earn in Lakeland?
BLS puts the Lakeland median for janitors and cleaners at $32,510 a year, 12% below the $36,840 national median. That ranks 93rd of 112 metros with published figures, in the bottom quarter. Pay is bunched together here, $28,350 to $44,090 across the 10th to 90th percentile and only a 1.6x gap, so small differences in an offer are noticed. Within Florida, North Port-Sarasota pays more, at $35,530.
Is it hard to hire janitors and cleaners in Lakeland?
It is about average. Janitors and cleaners are as common in Lakeland as they are nationally (location quotient 0.93), with about 3,520 in the metro. The 190 janitorial and commercial cleaning companies here average about 9.0 employees per location. With 17% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial cleaning & FM roles pay the most in Lakeland?
Of the roles we recruit for, VP of Operations pays the most in Lakeland, a $179,360 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Cleaning Team Lead / Supervisor at $39,850, 78% below it. Cleaning Team Member / Janitor is the lowest-paid field role at $32,510. Site Manager / Account Manager trails national pay the most (20% below).
How many janitorial and commercial cleaning companies operate in Lakeland?
BLS counted 190 janitorial and commercial cleaning companies in Lakeland in 2023, employing about 1,713 people between them. Up from 163 in 2018, a 17% increase against 14% growth nationally. That averages 9.0 people per location. They pay an average of $28,597, 12% below the $32,388 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Lakeland for janitors and cleaners?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Tampa (32 miles, about 18,460, $34,800 median), Orlando (49 miles, about 21,620, $34,590 median) and North Port-Sarasota (71 miles, about 3,940, $35,530 median). Tampa has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Tampa pays 7% more, which is where Lakeland employers tend to lose people.
The seat is open. The pipeline should not be.
190 janitorial and commercial cleaning companies in Lakeland are drawing on the same 3,520 janitors and cleaners. Let's get your next hire lined up first.
Schedule a Discovery Call →