Production Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 51-6011

Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers

Median pay sits 53% below the mid peer in Production Occupations (neighbors include Nuclear Power Reactor Operators, Plant and System Operators, All Other, Gas Plant Operators, Model Makers, Metal and Plastic).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers: Nuclear Power Reactor Operators ($123K) , Plant and System Operators, All Other ($62K) , Gas Plant Operators ($88K) , Model Makers, Metal and Plastic ($63K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 51-6011 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Load articles into washers or dry-cleaning machines, or direct other workers to perform loading
  2. 2. Start washers, dry cleaners, driers, or extractors, and turn valves or levers to regulate machine processes and the volume of soap, deter…
  3. 3. Apply bleaching powders to spots and spray them with steam to remove stains from fabrics that do not respond to other cleaning solvents
  4. 4. Operate extractors and driers, or direct their operation
  5. 5. Remove items from washers or dry-cleaning machines, or direct other workers to do so
  6. 6. Sort and count articles removed from dryers, and fold, wrap, or hang them
  7. 7. Clean machine filters, and lubricate equipment
  8. 8. Examine and sort into lots articles to be cleaned, according to color, fabric, dirt content, and cleaning technique required
  9. 9. Determine spotting procedures and proper solvents, based on fabric and stain types
  10. 10. Spray steam, water, or air over spots to flush out chemicals, dry material, raise naps, or brighten colors
  11. 11. Receive and mark articles for laundry or dry cleaning with identifying code numbers or names, using hand or machine markers
  12. 12. Pre-soak, sterilize, scrub, spot-clean, and dry contaminated or stained articles, using neutralizer solutions and portable machines

Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers: O*NET ranks Active Listening first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 51-6011 - lead skill Active Listening at 3.0 ; lead knowledge Customer and Personal Service. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Active Listening 3.0
  2. 2. Monitoring 3.0
  3. 3. Speaking 2.9
  4. 4. Social Perceptiveness 2.9
  5. 5. Operations Monitoring 2.9
  6. 6. Time Management 2.9
  7. 7. Reading Comprehension 2.8
  8. 8. Critical Thinking 2.8

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Customer and Personal Service 3.2
  2. 2. Production and Processing 3.1
  3. 3. English Language 3.0
  4. 4. Public Safety and Security 2.9
  5. 5. Mathematics 2.8
  6. 6. Administration and Management 2.7
Pay vs Production Occupations peers
-53%
vs mid peer median $74,450
This role $34,890/yr
$35K
National median
↑ +5%
Growth 2024-2034
31,900
Annual openings
198,040
Estimated US jobs
Nuclear Power Reactor Operators
Highest-pay peer · $123K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education No formal educational credential

Top Paying States for Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers

1. California $37,790
2. North Dakota $37,470
3. Vermont $37,300
4. Colorado $37,680
5. Maine $37,380
6. Massachusetts $37,490
7. Minnesota $37,580
8. Oregon $37,800
9. District of Columbia $37,790
10. Washington $39,590

Other Production Occupations titles

  1. 1. Plant and System Operators, All Other $62,470
  2. 2. Gas Plant Operators $87,820
  3. 3. Nuclear Power Reactor Operators $122,890
  4. 4. Model Makers, Metal and Plastic $63,340
  5. 5. Power Plant Operators $102,040
  6. 6. Power Distributors and Dispatchers $106,730

Among Production Occupations peers on this card, Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers sits 53% below the mid peer median ($74,450). Its own median is $34,890.

Employment Projections expect +5% change between 2024 and 2034 (faster than average vs baseline 3.1%). About 31,900 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns No formal educational credential as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: California at $37,790. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Nuclear Power Reactor Operators at $122,890. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers pay-rank #105 in Production Occupations

On the Production Occupations median table (105 detailed occupations with OEWS medians), Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers lands at #105, in the lower third. That rank is a table position, not a statement about individual workers.

Other lower-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers pays 53% below its major-group peer median. See the state map and the peers closest to (and furthest from) this line.

Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 51-6011

California · top state for Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers

$38K published median

North Dakota · #2 state pay

$37K · behind California

Nuclear Power Reactor Operators

Highest-pay peer vs Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers · $123K

Plant and System Operators, All Other

Lower-pay peer beside Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers · $62K

Compare Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers with another occupation →

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers

Against another occupation

Nuclear Power Reactor Operators card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers land on the Production Occupations median table? ▼
Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers is pay-rank #105 of 105 in this major group, lower third of the median table. Closest lower-third titles: Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials ($35K), Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders ($36K), Sewers, Hand ($36K), Sewing Machine Operators ($37K). That position is a table rank, not a worker percentile.
What do laundry and dry-cleaning workers do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers. Leading ones include: Load articles into washers or dry-cleaning machines, or direct other workers to perform loading; Start washers, dry cleaners, driers, or extractors, and turn valves or levers to regulate machine processes and the volume of soap, deter…; Apply bleaching powders to spots and spray them with steam to remove stains from fabrics that do not respond to other cleaning solvents; Operate extractors and driers, or direct their operation. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for laundry and dry-cleaning workers? ▼
For SOC 51-6011, O*NET importance scores lead with Active Listening (3.0), Monitoring (3.0), Speaking (2.9), Social Perceptiveness (2.9). Knowledge areas emphasize Customer and Personal Service, Production and Processing, English Language. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $34,890 as the national median for Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers. The published 10th-90th range is $27,440 to $43,190. Beside Nuclear Power Reactor Operators ($122,890), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers is +5%. Projected annual openings: about 31,900. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: faster than average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers? ▼
BLS assigns No formal educational credential as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers? ▼
California ($37,790), North Dakota ($37,470), Vermont ($37,300) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 51-6011. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics