51
Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers is a notable career in the 51 category. This page provides verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0 (2024), helping you compare Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers against similar careers and make data-driven decisions.
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11
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11
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13
Business Operations Specialists, All Other
13
| soc | 51-6011 |
| title | Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers |
| onet code | 51-6011.00 |
| description | 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. |
| job zone | 1 |
| major group | 51 |
| tot emp | 195,360 |
| a mean | 33,990 |
| a median | 33,800 |
| a pct10 | 26,270 |
| a pct25 | 29,530 |
| a pct75 | 36,760 |
| a pct90 | 42,370 |
| h mean | 16 |
| h median | 16 |
The day-to-day work of a laundry and dry-cleaning workers typically centers on load articles into washers or dry-cleaning machines, or direct other workers to perform loading. Every task listed below is classified as Core in O*NET — they collectively define the role. Task descriptions below are quoted from the U.S. Department of Labor's O*NET 29.0 occupation profile.
Workers in this occupation rely most on Active Listening, Monitoring. Across the top 2 skills, the average O*NET importance score is 3.00 out of 5 — moderately weighted for this role. Importance reflects how essential each skill is for adequate job performance.
Among working laundry and dry-cleaning workers, the most common entry qualification is a Less than a High School Diploma (65.2%). Bachelor's-degree-or-higher credentials are reported by 0% of incumbents. Most workers enter without a four-year degree, making this a relatively accessible career path.
Median annual pay is highest in Washington at $39,220 and lowest in Mississippi at $24,120 — a 1.6× spread. The top five states (Washington, North Dakota, Oregon, District of Columbia, Vermont) average $37,644. Figures reflect BLS OEWS May 2024 state-level wage estimates; percentiles shown are for full-time wage-earners in each state.
| State | Median | Mean | 10th % | 90th % | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $39,220 | $40,580 | $35,110 | $46,180 | 3,680 |
| North Dakota | $37,710 | $38,140 | $31,210 | $44,460 | 840 |
| Oregon | $37,190 | $38,690 | $32,950 | $45,600 | 2,050 |
| District of Columbia | $37,070 | $42,210 | $35,360 | $56,160 | 260 |
| Vermont | $37,030 | $37,100 | $30,850 | $42,210 | 260 |
| Maine | $36,840 | $37,330 | $31,780 | $43,590 | 720 |
| California | $36,740 | $38,810 | $34,360 | $45,720 | 22,630 |
| Montana | $36,640 | $36,500 | $28,980 | $44,420 | 1,110 |
| Minnesota | $36,560 | $37,040 | $30,160 | $44,290 | 3,450 |
| Massachusetts | $36,310 | $37,300 | $34,030 | $42,120 | 3,680 |
| Connecticut | $36,180 | $37,280 | $32,640 | $45,290 | 1,570 |
| Colorado | $36,140 | $40,630 | $30,910 | $44,250 | 3,610 |
| New Hampshire | $35,760 | $36,730 | $28,990 | $45,180 | 740 |
| Rhode Island | $35,550 | $35,910 | $29,810 | $41,550 | 530 |
| Alaska | $35,500 | $36,740 | $26,520 | $48,320 | 540 |
| Idaho | $35,490 | $36,080 | $27,960 | $44,920 | 1,420 |
| Illinois | $35,140 | $35,210 | $29,760 | $42,650 | 7,830 |
| Arizona | $35,120 | $35,180 | $31,200 | $37,510 | 3,900 |
| Michigan | $34,900 | $34,210 | $27,650 | $40,980 | 5,700 |
| Hawaii | $34,890 | $38,140 | $29,570 | $52,650 | 1,560 |
| Wisconsin | $34,760 | $33,830 | $28,140 | $40,370 | 3,360 |
| New Jersey | $34,330 | $35,480 | $31,470 | $42,230 | 5,490 |
| Nebraska | $33,950 | $34,210 | $28,420 | $41,170 | 1,420 |
| New York | $33,880 | $37,130 | $31,200 | $45,910 | 13,270 |
| Nevada | $33,690 | $34,630 | $28,860 | $48,400 | 4,180 |
| Utah | $33,690 | $33,020 | $23,430 | $38,840 | 1,470 |
| Pennsylvania | $33,460 | $33,470 | $27,410 | $39,910 | 6,000 |
| Maryland | $32,790 | $35,120 | $31,200 | $39,510 | 3,890 |
| Tennessee | $32,320 | $32,280 | $27,140 | $36,700 | 5,650 |
| Delaware | $32,250 | $32,660 | $27,680 | $37,440 | 540 |
| Iowa | $32,250 | $32,610 | $27,080 | $38,410 | 2,120 |
| South Dakota | $31,820 | $32,670 | $27,760 | $39,350 | 640 |
| Virginia | $30,920 | $32,260 | $25,310 | $38,050 | 4,900 |
| Missouri | $30,500 | $32,450 | $26,950 | $37,770 | 4,030 |
| Wyoming | $30,470 | $31,780 | $21,650 | $41,070 | 420 |
| Florida | $30,320 | $31,730 | $26,950 | $37,240 | 13,940 |
| Ohio | $30,150 | $31,880 | $25,900 | $37,480 | 6,670 |
| North Carolina | $30,120 | $30,730 | $23,830 | $36,700 | 5,530 |
| New Mexico | $29,990 | $30,790 | $26,320 | $35,800 | 1,270 |
| Indiana | $29,960 | $31,380 | $24,330 | $38,010 | 4,070 |
| Kansas | $29,540 | $30,000 | $23,240 | $35,970 | 1,660 |
| South Carolina | $29,350 | $30,020 | $21,860 | $37,420 | 2,750 |
| Texas | $29,060 | $30,530 | $22,370 | $37,340 | 16,250 |
| Kentucky | $28,670 | $29,150 | $22,210 | $35,480 | 2,470 |
| Georgia | $28,370 | $28,510 | $20,630 | $35,670 | 4,880 |
| West Virginia | $28,260 | $29,660 | $22,480 | $38,770 | 860 |
| Alabama | $28,230 | $28,730 | $22,580 | $36,540 | 2,170 |
| Arkansas | $27,980 | $28,850 | $23,800 | $35,480 | 2,060 |
| Louisiana | $27,270 | $27,640 | $21,000 | $35,970 | 3,050 |
| Oklahoma | $27,060 | $27,280 | $19,350 | $36,340 | 2,830 |
| Mississippi | $24,120 | $25,660 | $20,050 | $32,250 | 1,460 |
Recruiters and job boards use several alternate titles for laundry and dry-cleaning workers. Knowing these variants widens your job search — listings for Assorter or Bag Hanger frequently describe the same role. The list below is a sample of the most common industry variants.
This data helps you understand how Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers compares to others in the 51 category. Use it to make informed decisions based on verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0.
careers with the closest data values to Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers
The CertifyWize editorial team aggregates and verifies careers data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0. Every statistic on this site is cross-referenced against the official source before publication, with quarterly re-verification cycles.
Read our full methodology or contact us with corrections.
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