What does a Lead Janitor do?
Lead janitor responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real lead janitor resumes:
- Clean restrooms, clean mirrors and sinks, wash toilets and urinals.
- Complete payroll hours for fellow employees.
- Used numerous cleaning supplies and machines, including floor scrubbers
- Maintain cleanliness and sanitation in to ensure the safety of staff and students.
- Record and submit payroll, bookkeeping and financial audits of payroll and invoices.
- Maintain floors, stripping, waxing and buffing with automatic scrubbers at various locations.
- Wash walls, ceilings, woodwork, windows, mirrors, and fixtures using both step and extension ladders.
- Lead, assign and oversee work relate duties and responsibilities necessary to maintain overall cleanliness.
- Create automated daily stats report that reduce inaccuracies and provide management with an important decision-making tool.
Lead janitor skills and personality traits
We calculated that 24% of Lead Janitors are proficient in Commercial Cleaning, Cleanliness, and Routine Maintenance. They’re also known for soft skills such as Interpersonal skills, Mechanical skills, and Physical strength.
We break down the percentage of Lead Janitors that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Commercial Cleaning, 24%
Operated floor machines such as zamboni /buffers and other commercial cleaning equipment familiar with chemical MSDS sheets for cleaning compounds.
- Cleanliness, 9%
Lead, assigned and oversaw work related duties and responsibilities necessary to maintain overall cleanliness.
- Routine Maintenance, 9%
Performed routine maintenance activities and informed management of any needed repairs.
- Glass Partitions, 7%
Repaired and calibrated equipment* Followed routine and preventative maintenance checklist* Cleaned Windows, glass partitions and mirrors.
- Ladders, 7%
Used hand and power tools such as dollies, hammers, ladders, vacuum cleaners, mops.
- OSHA, 7%
Mixed water and detergents or acids in proper containers by MSDS and OSHA guidelines.
Most lead janitors use their skills in "commercial cleaning," "cleanliness," and "routine maintenance" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential lead janitor responsibilities here:
Interpersonal skills. The most essential soft skill for a lead janitor to carry out their responsibilities is interpersonal skills. This skill is important for the role because "janitors and building cleaners must interact well other cleaners and the people who live or work in the buildings they service." Additionally, a lead janitor resume shows how their duties depend on interpersonal skills: "assisted underground welding safety procedures.technical skills:interpersonal skills, organizational skills, time management skills, and basic industrial laborerskills. "
Mechanical skills. Many lead janitor duties rely on mechanical skills. "janitors and building cleaners need to understand general building operations and should be able to make routine repairs, such as to leaky faucets.," so a lead janitor will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways lead janitor responsibilities rely on mechanical skills: "monitored and logged on some mechanical, hvac, plumbing, and electrical systems. "
Physical strength. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of lead janitors is physical strength. This skill is critical to many everyday lead janitor duties, as "janitors and building cleaners often must lift and move heavy cleaning materials and equipment." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "handle the general maintenance of all physical aspects of the clinic facility. "
Time-management skills. For certain lead janitor responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "time-management skills." The day-to-day duties of a lead janitor rely on this skill, as "janitors and building cleaners must plan and complete tasks in a timely manner." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what lead janitors do: "utilized equipment to sweep and polish floors collected and disposed of litter properly continuously met all deadlines. "
The three companies that hire the most lead janitors are:
- IISS A/S14 lead janitors jobs
- CCrossroads Diversified Services8 lead janitors jobs
- CCompass Group USA5 lead janitors jobs
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Lead janitor vs. Floor care specialist
A floor care specialist is in charge of the maintenance of floors in public or private establishments. They typically ensure the cleanliness of floors by sweeping, dry and wet mopping, disinfecting areas, extracting or sanitizing carpets, vacuuming, and scrubbing bathroom floors. They may also participate in installing or refinishing floor tiles, preparing facilities, and re-arranging furniture. Moreover, a floor care specialist must maintain the cleanliness of floors while maintaining an active communication line with co-workers and managers for a smooth and efficient workflow.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a lead janitor are more likely to require skills like "routine maintenance," "glass partitions," "ladders," and "osha." On the other hand, a job as a floor care specialist requires skills like "patients," "home health," "rehabilitation," and "patient care." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Floor care specialists tend to make the most money working in the manufacturing industry, where they earn an average salary of $34,345. In contrast, lead janitors make the biggest average salary, $30,665, in the technology industry.On average, floor care specialists reach higher levels of education than lead janitors. Floor care specialists are 6.3% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.5% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Lead janitor vs. Floor staff
The duties of floor staff depend on their line of work or industry of employment. In restaurants and similar establishments, floor staff is in charge of performing support tasks for the wait staff. They typically serve food to patrons, clean and set tables, help in processing payments, monitor the supplies, and maintain the cleanliness of different areas. They may also assist customers by escorting them to their tables, answering inquiries, and delivering their bills. Furthermore, should there be any problems, the floor staff must report to the manager right away.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real lead janitor resumes. While lead janitor responsibilities can utilize skills like "commercial cleaning," "routine maintenance," "glass partitions," and "ladders," floor staff use skills like "pos," "phone calls," "math," and "emergency situations."
In general, floor staff achieve similar levels of education than lead janitors. They're 1.4% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.5% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Lead janitor vs. Floor technician
A floor technician's role is to maintain the cleanliness and sanitation of various areas within an establishment. Their responsibilities include operating cleaning equipment, conducting minimal repairs and inventory checks, arranging furniture and fixtures, organizing supplies, and keeping floors free from obstructions. There are also instances where they must replenish soap or tissue dispensers, use strong chemicals, and even dispose of hazardous waste. Furthermore, a floor technician follows directives from managers or supervisors, reporting to them should there be any issues.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, lead janitors are more likely to have skills like "routine maintenance," "ladders," "building security," and "building maintenance." But a floor technician is more likely to have skills like "extraction," "patients," "safety guidelines," and "safety precautions."
Floor technicians earn the best pay in the health care industry, where they command an average salary of $31,091. Lead janitors earn the highest pay from the technology industry, with an average salary of $30,665.When it comes to education, floor technicians tend to earn similar degree levels compared to lead janitors. In fact, they're 0.4% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.1% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Lead janitor vs. Porter
A porter is responsible for managing the building's cleanliness and orderliness, together with the cleaning maintenance team. Duties of a porter include ensuring the premises' safety, operating cleaning tools and equipment, and performing basic troubleshooting for defective machines. Other tasks include assisting visitors with their inquiries, leading clients to the appropriate departments, adhering to the highest safety standards and procedures, and answering maintenance calls. A porter must have excellent time-management and multi-tasking skills to ensure daily smooth operations.
Types of lead janitor
Updated January 8, 2025