How much should I pay a laundry and dry-cleaning workers in 2026?

A competitive 2026 offer for Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers is $34,902 to $37,565 (market median to the 75th percentile). BLS ECI shows manufacturing wages growing about 3.3% a year, so budget a similar annual increase to stay at market.

Is a salary competitive for a laundry and dry-cleaning workers?

Compare it to the BLS OEWS range: below $30,368 is below market, $34,902 to $37,565 is competitive, and above $37,565 is above market for Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers.

How is laundry and dry-cleaning workers pay changing in 2026?

Median pay for this role rose 3.3% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, roughly in line with the 3.3% wage growth of Manufacturing (BLS ECI). Manufacturing is running a 3.7% job-openings rate with quits at 1.5% (BLS JOLTS). The openings rate has drifted up from 3.4% to 3.7% over the past quarter.

Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks

SOC 51-6011 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data

Median Annual Salary

$34,902

$16.78/hr

Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026

Is this a competitive Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers salary in 2026?

Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS June 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.

Check a salary or offer:$Competitive · ~P50

P10$27K

P25$30K

P50$35K

P75$38K

P90$43K

Drag the dot or type an amount above.

→

Demand: STABLE. Demand is stable -- manufacturing openings are at 3.7% (JOLTS, June 2026). A standard market: pay near the median, no urgency premium needed.

📈

Merit budget: Wages in manufacturing are rising about 3.3% a year (BLS ECI, Q2 2026). Budget a 2.9-3.4% merit increase to hold this role at market.

Our read

For a competitive 2026 offer, target $34,902 to $37,565 (market median to the 75th percentile). Anchor on the median.

Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.

How Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers pay is moving in 2026

Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI

Pay trend

Median pay for this role rose 3.3% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, roughly in line with the 3.3% wage growth of Manufacturing (BLS ECI).

Hiring demand · STABLE

Manufacturing is running a 3.7% job-openings rate with quits at 1.5% (BLS JOLTS). The openings rate has drifted up from 3.4% to 3.7% over the past quarter.

Pay spread

Top earners (P90) make about 1.6 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is narrower than typical, so pay is fairly standardized; small differences move a candidate across the market.

What changed recently

Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: sector openings eased to 3.7%, with nondurable goods driving the pullback. Quits steady at 1.5%.
Jul 31, 2026ECI Q2 2026: sector wages growing 3.3% per year, holding steady.

Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS June 2026, ECI Q2 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.

Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026

Next refresh: May 2027

Get notified when this number updates

Personal or work email, both work. No account needed. Unsubscribe anytime.

The national median salary for Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers is $34,902 per year ($16.78/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $30,368 and $37,565 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $43,202 per year. There are approximately 198,040 laundry and dry-cleaning workers employed in the United States.

About This Role

BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018

Operate or tend washing or dry-cleaning machines to wash or dry-clean industrial or household articles, such as cloth garments, suede, leather, furs, blankets, draperies, linens, rugs, and carpets. Includes spotters and dyers of these articles.

Career Outlook

BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034

10-year growth

+5.4%

Faster than average

Annual openings

32K

per year, on avg

Workforce today

203K

as of 2024

Why those openings exist

3% from new growth97% from people leaving the role

Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.

Typical entry requirements

Education

No formal educational credential

Experience

None

On-the-job training

Short-term on-the-job training

Industry Wage Breakdown

Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific

Industry	Workforce	Median Pay
Drycleaning and Laundry Services NAICS 812300	97K	$34,870
Traveler Accommodation NAICS 721100	40K	$34,640
Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) NAICS 623100	21K	$33,710
Employment Services NAICS 561300	8K	$35,150
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals NAICS 622100	6K	$38,360

Wage range across top 5 industries: $33,710 to $38,360 (14% spread)

Wage Percentiles

Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)

Percentile	Hourly Rate	Annual Salary
P10	$13.19	$27,435
P25	$14.60	$30,368
P50MEDIAN	$16.78	$34,902
P75	$18.06	$37,565
P90	$20.77	$43,202

Market Context Signal

JOLTS · manufacturing sector

Stable

Openings Rate

3.7%

Quits Rate

1.5%

Manufacturing openings eased to 481K (-36K) in June, rate 3.7%, with nondurable goods driving the pullback (-55K). Quits held at 1.5%. The sector remains stable.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average laundry and dry-cleaning workers salary?

The national median salary for Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers is $34,902 per year ($16.78/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $30,368 and $37,565 annually.

How much do top-earning laundry and dry-cleaning workers make?

The 90th percentile salary for Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers is $43,202 per year ($20.77/hr). The 75th percentile is $37,565 per year.

What is the entry-level salary for laundry and dry-cleaning workers?

Entry-level Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers (10th percentile) earn approximately $27,435 per year ($13.19/hr). The 25th percentile is $30,368 per year.

Related Salary Data

Compare with other occupations

Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators51-2090$45K/yr First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers51-1011$74K/yr Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers51-9061$49K/yr Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers51-4121$54K/yr Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders51-9111$43K/yr Browse all 770+ occupations →

Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers Salary by State

Top 5 states by employment

California21,940 workers Texas17,030 workers Florida14,150 workers New York13,020 workers Illinois8,550 workers

About This Data

Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.

P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.

Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.

Next OEWS release: May 2027Verify on BLS.gov →

About CompSignal

CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.

Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.

Open the full app →About Falcon Incentives →Privacy Policy

Explore more occupations on CompSignal →

Free BLS wage benchmarks, JOLTS talent signals, and AI analyst briefs

CompSignal by Falcon Incentives · BLS data, made usable · Verify on BLS.gov