Is a Career as a Custodian Right for You?
When I worked in office buildings as a temp, I usually came to work and sat down to clean desks on vacuumed carpets. I took my breaks in clean kitchens and washed my hands in clean ladies’ rooms. Most people take it for granted that they will have the same when they go to work every day, too … and they shouldn’t because some people don’t. I once worked in a place where it was my responsibility to clean my own office space, and that included vacuuming the floor and cleaning the office windows once a month. When I temped in the call center of a property management company, I fielded many calls from people whose custodians weren’t cleaning the offices or restrooms and someone had to be sent in just to take care of the things that others have the luxury to take for granted.
For the most part, it doesn’t take a bachelor’s degree or years of specialized training for someone to be a custodian (more commonly called a janitor) but that doesn’t make his job any less important than someone in HR, Accounts Payable or IT. It’s the custodian who generally replaces light fixtures or gets desk drawers unstuck or fixes faulty coffee makers.
A custodian , must accomplish a wide variety of other tasks that are often overlooked and are presumed to be easy, such as carpet installation and plumbing repairs. Sometimes there is a mess to clean up, which would be unpleasant for anyone. But there are benefits to being a custodian, and some find the overall experience soothing. Imagine being able to work, while listening to music? This is one of the few career fields where it’s permitted. Custodians can spend much of their time working alone, away from the more hectic offices and common areas. It’s one of the few jobs that allows a person to clear his thoughts and work out personal problems while doing his job.
Custodians learn on-the-job, though some knowledge of basic math and repairing are helpful. New hires begin training with a more experienced co-worker or supervisor, then move on to work by themselves. There is enough of a variety of work to give a custodian unique experiences every day. Equipment is constantly changing. One day a person may work with a simple broom or mop, the next it may be a buffer or wet-dry vacuum. Hours may consist of day, evening, or night schedules.
The pay is humble, but competitive. Someone who earns a reputation as a skilled and reliable custodian, is often given pay raises and sometimes bonuses, too. According to PayScale.com, a custodian with 20 years of experience or more, could earn up to approximately $43,000 a year. Someone with an entry level job as a custodian could earn anywhere from, roughly, $15,000 to $28,000 per year.
Environment also plays a role. Some may find themselves lucky enough to work in luscious environments, such as you might find in executive offices or law firms. Others may clean for smaller businesses like bank branches or churches. Both are acceptable, it just depends on your own preference.
A custodian in all honesty, works hard, doing the things that most of us would hate having to do every day. So the next time you walk into a clean sparkling kitchen or ladies room or sit down at a desk that shows obvious signs of having been dusted, with a trash can that’s been emptied and lined with a fresh plastic trash bag, think about the “office fairy” who comes in every evening or early each morning to make it so.
Article co-written by a freelance writer
