Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment
Wash or otherwise clean vehicles, machinery, and other equipment. Use such materials as water, cleaning agents, brushes, cloths, and hoses.
Also called: Aircraft Cleaner · Automotive Detailer (Auto Detailer) · Bus Cleaner · Car Detailer · Car Washer · Cleaner
Median pay (national)
$35,270
$26,740–$47,150 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
373,960
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
+3.9%
~56,200 openings/yr
Typical entry
No formal educational credential
What the numbers say
Refit analysis ·Pay for cleaners of vehicles and equipment shows a relatively narrow range: the top 10% earn $47,150 versus $26,740 at the bottom 10% — 1.8x. The median of $35,270 leaves roughly 34% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change +3.9% from 2024 to 2034 — about as fast as the 3% all-occupation average. Even so, BLS projects about 56,200 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 54 states with released data, District of Columbia pays the most for this role (median $45,510, +29% vs the national median), while Puerto Rico sits lowest at $20,750 — a 119% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Monitoring, Speaking, Active Listening as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list.
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Top skills employers ask for
Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.
- Monitoring
- Speaking
- Active Listening
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Active Learning
- Writing
- Learning Strategies
- Mathematics
- Science
What they actually do
Core O*NET tasks for this role.
- Scrub, scrape, or spray machine parts, equipment, or vehicles, using scrapers, brushes, clothes, cleaners, disinfectants, insecticides, acid, abrasives, vacuums, or hoses.
- Mix cleaning solutions, abrasive compositions, or other compounds, according to formulas.
- Pre-soak or rinse machine parts, equipment, or vehicles by immersing objects in cleaning solutions or water, manually or using hoists.
- Sweep, shovel, or vacuum loose debris or salvageable scrap into containers and remove containers from work areas.
- Clean and polish vehicle windows.
- Drive vehicles to or from workshops or customers' workplaces or homes.
- Inspect parts, equipment, or vehicles for cleanliness, damage, and compliance with standards or regulations.
- Maintain inventories of supplies.
- Turn valves or disconnect hoses to eliminate water, cleaning solutions, or vapors from machinery or tanks.
- Turn valves or handles on equipment to regulate pressure or flow of water, air, steam, or abrasives from sprayer nozzles.
Tools & technology
- Microsoft Windows
- Bella FSM Auto Detailing Service Software
- BookFresh
- Green Cloud KleanTRAC
- Inventory tracking software
- Thoughtful Systems Scheduling Manager for Auto Detailing
Knowledge areas
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Transportation
- Administration and Management
- Public Safety and Security
- Production and Processing
- Mechanical
- Education and Training