Commercial Cleaning & FM recruiters serving Winston-Salem.
Janitors and cleaners are scarcer in Winston-Salem than in most of the country, 22% fewer per job, so the roughly 3,010 who work here are rarely short of offers. BLS counts 170 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 Winston-Salem.
BLS counts about 3,330 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Winston-Salem metro, the largest group being janitors and cleaners (about 3,010). Relative to the size of the local economy, janitors and cleaners are less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.78). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Cleaning & FM hub.
Cleaning Team Member / Janitor
Winston-Salem: 3,010 employed · $34,150 median, 85th-highest of 112 metros
Cleaning Team Lead / Supervisor
Winston-Salem: 320 employed · $45,480 median, 87th-highest of 111 metros
Site Manager / Account Manager
Winston-Salem: 390 employed · $102,990 median, 77th-highest of 110 metros
Regional Operations Manager
Winston-Salem: 3,120 employed · $96,840 median, 86th-highest of 112 metros
Facilities Manager
Winston-Salem: 240 employed · $109,940 median, 35th-highest of 112 metros
Facilities Coordinator
Winston-Salem: 2,250 employed · $45,640 median, 80th-highest of 111 metros
Building Engineer
Winston-Salem: 1,500 employed · $74,360 median, 93rd-highest of 112 metros
Healthcare Cleaning Specialist
Data Center / Cleanroom Cleaner
VP of Operations
Winston-Salem: 80 employed · $273,710 median, 23rd-highest of 98 metros
What Commercial Cleaning & FM roles earn in Winston-Salem.
In the Winston-Salem metro, the median wage for janitors and cleaners is $34,150 a year, 7% below the $36,840 national median. Most earn between $25,780 and $38,710. Of the other roles listed, first-line supervisors of housekeeping and janitorial workers earn the most locally, at a $45,480 median.
| Role | Winston-Salem median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleaning Team Member / Janitor · Healthcare Cleaning Specialist · Data Center / Cleanroom CleanerJanitors and Cleaners (37-2011) | $34,150 | $25,780–$38,710 | $36,840 | −7% | 3,010 |
| Cleaning Team Lead / SupervisorFirst-Line Supervisors of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers (37-1011) | $45,480 | $34,280–$65,980 | $49,100 | −7% | 320 |
| Site Manager / Account ManagerAdministrative Services Managers (11-3012) | $102,990 | $68,480–$169,520 | $114,130 | −10% | 390 |
| Regional Operations ManagerGeneral and Operations Managers (11-1021) | $96,840 | $48,620–$221,370 | $105,770 | −8% | 3,120 |
| Facilities ManagerFacilities Managers (11-3013) | $109,940 | $63,660–$172,130 | $106,660 | +3% | 240 |
| Facilities CoordinatorSecretaries and Administrative Assistants (43-6014) | $45,640 | $32,130–$60,690 | $47,540 | −4% | 2,250 |
| Building EngineerFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $74,360 | $49,940–$104,740 | $79,920 | −7% | 1,500 |
| VP of OperationsChief Executives (11-1011) | $273,710 | $105,990–$601,360 | $213,990 | +28% | 80 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Winston-Salem metro. Range is 10th to 90th percentile; management and office roles are metro-wide.
How Winston-Salem's commercial cleaning & FM market has changed since 2018.
The number of janitorial and commercial cleaning companies in Winston-Salem rose from 126 in 2018 to 170 in 2023, up 35%, ahead of the 14% national rise. Headcount at those firms went down 40%, to about 1,634 people, so more firms are sharing fewer workers. Average annual pay there went from $18,280 to $24,742 (+35%), in step with the 36% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Janitorial and commercial cleaning companies: business locations | 126 | 170 | +35% |
| Janitorial and commercial cleaning companies: employment | 2,714 | 1,634 | −40% |
| Janitorial and commercial cleaning companies: average annual pay | $18,280 | $24,742 | +35% |
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
Winston-Salem runs 22% fewer commercial cleaning workers per job than the country as a whole — below the national concentration. A thinner local pool 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 Winston-Salem's commercial cleaning market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Winston-Salem ranks 94th for headcount, 76th for median pay and 91st for concentration for janitors and building cleaners. That makes it one of the thinnest commercial cleaning labor markets we recruit in.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte | 13,760 | $35,600 | 0.71 | 894 |
| Raleigh | 7,310 | $34,980 | 0.69 | 541 |
| Greensboro | 4,380 | $34,520 | 0.84 | 256 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill | 3,150 | $36,590 | 0.64 | 180 |
| Winston-Salem | 3,010 | $34,150 | 0.78 | 170 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial cleaning employers in Winston-Salem, the local pool is thin and local employers have been cutting headcount. Senior hires often come from outside the metro or from adjacent trades, so start searches earlier than you would elsewhere.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Winston-Salem metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Nearby markets competing for Winston-Salem talent.
The closest metro we cover is Greensboro, about 25 miles away, with roughly 4,380 janitors and cleaners (1.5 times Winston-Salem's 3,010). Durham-Chapel Hill pays the most nearby, a $36,590 median, 7% above Winston-Salem. That is the number any Winston-Salem offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Charlotte has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winston-Salem | – | 3,010 | $34,150 |
| Greensboro | 25 mi | 4,380 | $34,520 |
| Charlotte | 69 mi | 13,760 | $35,600 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill | 75 mi | 3,150 | $36,590 |
| Raleigh | 93 mi | 7,310 | $34,980 |
| Greenville | 149 mi | 6,250 | $31,180 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Winston-Salem crews.
These are the largest capital projects on the books in Winston-Salem, 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.
- Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Freischlag Tower~$426M campus expansion (the $619.1M bond issuance also covered refinancing of other system debt, not solely this tower)Opened July 2025
A new care tower on the main Ardmore campus - one of the largest healthcare capital projects in the region's history.
- Innovation Quarter Phase IIUndisclosed (28 acres, 2.5M+ sq ft planned)Multi-year buildout
Eight new buildings between downtown Winston-Salem and U.S. 52, combining retail, scientific/biotech, healthcare, and residential space.
- Downtown amphitheater~$25MGroundbreaking July 2026
A permanent, 5,000-capacity venue - grown from an initial ~$10M modular concept - anchoring downtown's entertainment district.
Showing 3 of 4 projects tracked in this metro. The Winston-Salem market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for commercial cleaning & FM, and what kills offers in Winston-Salem.
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 Winston-Salem 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 Winston-Salem.
What do janitors and cleaners earn in Winston-Salem?
BLS puts the Winston-Salem median for janitors and cleaners at $34,150 a year, 7% below the $36,840 national median. That ranks 85th of 112 metros with published figures, in the bottom quarter. Pay is bunched together here, $25,780 to $38,710 across the 10th to 90th percentile, so small differences in an offer are noticed. Within North Carolina, Durham-Chapel Hill pays more, at $36,590.
Is it hard to hire janitors and cleaners in Winston-Salem?
Yes. Winston-Salem has 22% fewer janitors and cleaners per job than the country as a whole, roughly 3,010 in the metro, so most of the people worth hiring are already employed. The 170 janitorial and commercial cleaning companies here average about 9.6 employees per location. With 35% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial cleaning & FM roles pay the most in Winston-Salem?
Of the roles we recruit for, VP of Operations pays the most in Winston-Salem, a $273,710 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Cleaning Team Lead / Supervisor at $45,480, 83% below it. Cleaning Team Member / Janitor is the lowest-paid field role at $34,150. Relative to national pay, VP of Operations is the strongest-paying role here (28% above). Site Manager / Account Manager trails national pay the most (10% below).
How many janitorial and commercial cleaning companies operate in Winston-Salem?
BLS counted 170 janitorial and commercial cleaning companies in Winston-Salem in 2023, employing about 1,634 people between them. Up from 126 in 2018, a 35% increase against 14% growth nationally. That averages 9.6 people per location. They pay an average of $24,742, 24% below the $32,388 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Winston-Salem for janitors and cleaners?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Greensboro (25 miles, about 4,380, $34,520 median), Charlotte (69 miles, about 13,760, $35,600 median) and Durham-Chapel Hill (75 miles, about 3,150, $36,590 median). Charlotte has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Durham-Chapel Hill pays 7% more, which is where Winston-Salem employers tend to lose people.
Thin market. Short list anyway.
With janitors and cleaners this scarce in Winston-Salem, an open seat rarely fills from a job posting. Let's line up the people before the next one opens.
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