Cleaning jobs in the US include hotel housekeeping, commercial janitorial work and hospital environmental services. Verified seasonal vacancies below advertise USD $18.72 to $30.00 an hour, while the national janitor median is $17.71. Some employers accept beginners; others require hospitality experience. Overseas applicants generally need employer-supported immigration authorization, commonly H-2B for temporary work. This guide links directly to official vacancies and explains how to check employer support, application costs and permanent residence possibilities.
Research date: 23 October 2026. Vacancy status can change. An active government job order does not guarantee an available position, an approved employer petition or a visa.
All figures are US dollars, before taxes and deductions.
Job or benchmark
Verified hourly pay
Typical qualification
Janitors and building cleaners, national benchmark
$17.71 median
Usually no formal educational credential
Giri Hotel Management housekeeper, New York
$18.72
No experience required
Bolton Valley Resort housekeeper, Vermont
$19.06
Three months of specified hospitality experience
Sugar Bowl Resort housekeeper, California
$20.00 to $30.00
Three months of specified hospitality experience
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the lowest-paid 10% of janitors earned below $13.77 an hour and the highest-paid 10% earned above $24.17 in May 2025. These are national wage-distribution figures, not minimum and maximum advertised salaries.
The employer rates come from the official job orders discussed below. Compare weekly hours, contract length, housing charges and transport costs before deciding which offer is financially suitable.
2. Which cleaning jobs match your experience?
Beginners: housekeeping and general cleaning
Typical duties include making beds, replenishing towels, vacuuming, cleaning bathrooms and maintaining public areas.
Some employers train beginners. For example, the Giri Hotel Management vacancy below states that previous experience is not required. This does not remove the need to satisfy immigration requirements.
Experienced cleaners: hotels, resorts and commercial buildings
Applicants with hotel, office, school or commercial-cleaning experience should describe:
Cleaning equipment and chemicals used.
Room preparation or inspection responsibilities.
Safe handling of waste and cleaning products.
Experience working independently or on rotating shifts.
Read experience requirements precisely. Bolton Valley and Sugar Bowl specify experience at a high-end hotel, resort or private club. General domestic cleaning may not satisfy that wording.
Hospital cleaners and specialist roles
Hospital cleaning can involve infection-control procedures and work around patients. Floor-care roles may require machine experience, while supervisors need evidence of training staff and checking standards.
There is no universal federal cleaner licence. Ordinary janitorial work usually involves on-the-job training, although individual employers may require a school qualification. Jobs involving regulated activities or technical maintenance need separate checks.
3. Where to find legitimate cleaning employers and vacancies
Verified H-2B recruitment activity
The following vacancies were marked active on SeasonalJobs.dol.gov, the US Department of Labor’s recruitment website.
Their federal H-2B job orders provide evidence of employer participation in foreign-worker recruitment. However, they do not confirm that a new overseas applicant can still join the employer’s petition.
Applicants must be able to lift and carry up to 30 pounds. The listing states that the employer pays for its pre-employment background check.
General vacancies where sponsorship is unconfirmed
Ordinary hotel, hospital and cleaning-company career pages may advertise genuine jobs without offering immigration support. Unless the employer confirms a suitable route, treat these as employment opportunities with sponsorship unconfirmed.
Ask: “Do you accept applicants outside the US who need employer-supported work authorization, and which immigration category applies?”
4. How employer-supported work authorization works
H-2B: temporary, non-agricultural employment
H-2B can cover eligible temporary cleaning work, including seasonal hotel housekeeping. The employer must demonstrate a qualifying temporary need and meet recruitment and wage requirements.
The usual sequence is:
The employer obtains temporary labor certification from the Department of Labor.
The employer files Form I-129 with USCIS.
Following petition approval, an overseas worker generally applies for an H-2B visa.
The worker seeks admission to the US and works within the authorized employment conditions.
Current availability matters: USCIS announced that the regular H-2B cap for the first half of fiscal year 2027 had been reached. Therefore, a winter vacancy remaining online does not establish that a fresh cap-subject petition can be filed for you. Ask whether the employer already holds an applicable approval or has another lawful basis to recruit you.
Job offer, certification, visa and work authorization
A job offer describes proposed employment. Labor certification addresses the employer’s recruitment and labor-market obligations. A visa allows travel to request admission; it does not guarantee entry.
H-2B employment authorization normally follows the approved petition and authorized status. It is not a general permission to work for any company.
The US does not use Canada’s LMIA system.
5. Eligibility, documents and likely costs
Applicants must meet the vacancy’s requirements, qualify for the relevant immigration category and satisfy admissibility rules.
For a typical overseas H-2B application, prepare:
Passport, normally valid for at least six months beyond the intended stay unless an exemption applies.
DS-160 confirmation page.
Required photograph and fee receipt.
Employer petition details.
References or other evidence of required experience.
Additional documents requested by the embassy or consulate.
The standard petition-based nonimmigrant visa application fee is $205. Other nationality-specific charges may apply.
Under H-2B rules:
Employers must pay or reimburse required visa and related fees during the first workweek.
Workers must not bear prohibited recruitment or employer petition costs.
Inbound transportation and subsistence reimbursement generally becomes due after completing 50% of the job-order period, although minimum-wage rules can require earlier reimbursement.
Return transportation obligations generally arise when the worker completes the contract or is dismissed early, subject to the applicable rules.
Personal passport costs are generally the worker’s responsibility.
Check nationality-specific restrictions before spending money. The State Department currently lists full or partial visa suspensions affecting certain nationalities. For example, Nigeria’s listed partial suspension covers immigrant visas and specified visitor, student and exchange categories; H-2B is not among those specified categories. Individual eligibility still requires assessment.
6. Can cleaning jobs lead to US permanent residence?
Potentially, through EB-3 Other Workers, where a genuine permanent position requires less than two years of training or experience.
This generally requires employer sponsorship, permanent labor certification and an immigrant petition. It is separate from seasonal H-2B recruitment. DOL explains the employer’s obligations through its PERM program guidance.
An H-2B contract does not automatically convert into a green card. EB-3 also depends on visa availability, admissibility and current country-specific restrictions. Check the Visa Bulletin, and reject promises of guaranteed approval or fixed completion dates.
For Nigerian applicants affected by the current immigrant-visa suspension, an EB-3 employer petition alone does not overcome that restriction.
Match the requirements. Check experience, physical duties, dates and weekly hours.
Tailor your CV. Describe relevant cleaning tasks and equipment honestly.
Confirm overseas eligibility. Ask whether recruitment remains open to applicants needing a visa.
Check the immigration stage. Establish whether certification and petition approval are pending or completed.
Review the written terms. Confirm wages, deductions, housing and transport arrangements.
Follow the official visa process. Use the embassy’s instructions and disclose previous immigration history accurately.
8. Common mistakes and job-offer verification
Before accepting an offer:
Match the employer, location and case number against the official job order.
Contact the employer using independently verified details.
Confirm that any recruiter is authorized by that employer.
Check whether the advertised wage includes overtime or conditional increases.
Obtain housing deductions and guaranteed hours in writing.
Reject requests to purchase a “guaranteed visa slot.”
Do not assume a genuine employer’s name makes every message genuine. Scammers can copy real vacancies and impersonate recruitment staff.
9. Frequently asked questions
Is IELTS required for US cleaning jobs?
H-2B has no general IELTS requirement. Employers can still require enough English to understand instructions, safety procedures and workplace communication.
Is accommodation automatically free?
No. Housing arrangements vary. Giri’s verified listing, for example, describes optional paid housing.
Can family members work if they accompany an H-2B worker?
H-4 dependent status does not itself provide employment authorization for the family of an H-2B worker. Assess family costs before accepting a seasonal contract.
Can I take extra cleaning work after my shift?
Do not assume your authorization covers a second employer. Additional employment requires an appropriate legal basis.
Does sponsorship mean I will be selected?
No. Employer recruitment, petition approval, visa issuance and admission are separate decisions.
Action checklist
Choose a vacancy matching your experience.
Verify wages, hours, housing and deductions.
Confirm overseas recruitment and petition availability.
Check nationality-specific visa restrictions.
Apply through official employer and government channels.
Keep copies of every offer, receipt and application.
