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, the state licensing rules that apply 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.
Janitors and cleaners in Winston-Salem earn a median $34,150, 7% under the $36,840 national figure, and 85th of 112 metros. Pay runs $25,780 at the tenth percentile to $38,710 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is first-line supervisors of housekeeping and janitorial workers, at $45,480 against $49,100 nationally.
| 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. A metro ranking counts only the metros where BLS publishes that occupation.
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. 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 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.
Commercial Cleaning & FM licensing in North Carolina.
North Carolina has no cleaning or janitorial contractor licence. The general contractor licence under G.S. 87-1 attaches only to constructing, superintending or managing a building, highway, utility, grading or other improvement where the cost of the undertaking is $40,000 or more, and cleaning and janitorial services appear nowhere in the definition or its exemptions. The trap is that figure: a facilities crew that takes on a renovation or improvement package at or above $40,000 needs the licence even though its day-to-day work does not. Separately, G.S. 143-452 requires an annual licence from the North Carolina Pesticide Board to engage in the business of pesticide applicator, so confirm your position with that board before selling disinfection or pest work as a line item. The same state rules apply in Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro and Durham-Chapel Hill, so candidates licensed there can work in Winston-Salem without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors. Confirm current rules with the agency.
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.
Not commercial cleaning & FM work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Winston-Salem in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- 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.
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 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 and only a 1.5x gap, 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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