High-Rise window washers who sit on a scaffold outside of the facility washing windows may start out at a very low wage of approximately $12 per hour. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average starting wage is just slightly above $13 per hour, although our Irvine window cleaning experts often do much better than that.
Those who are in the top ten percent may make as much as $20.71 an hour. The wages are based on how much experience the employee has, the geographic area, and how many stories the building has. A self-employed window washer may be paid by how many clients they are servicing as well as how long they’ve been in business and their skill level.
Another huge consideration is whether or not the window washer is working for a major corporation or a smaller corporation. Those who work for larger facilities tend to earn more than those who don’t. State agencies, as well as Local Government agencies, will pay slightly higher than smaller facilities. A Janitorial service that provides window washers may also pay more than someone who is simply paid by the facility to wash the windows of the facility.
Each state will pay a slightly different wage. The Federal minimum wage sets a precedence, and each state has their own personal state minimum wage. The hourly wage will vary accordingly taking this into considerations. Depending on the state, a high-rise window washer may earn as little as $24,000 annually upward to $75,000. The more experienced high-rise window washers will make more money.
Considering that it’s a dangerous profession standing on a scaffolding that is sometimes as many as 70 or more stories off the ground, many are hesitant to learn such a trade. Some facilities use rappelling in lieu of the scaffolding and the employees who are washing the windows will rappel from the top of the facility and work their way from the top down washing windows in this fashion.
It’s an ideal job position for a mountain climber who wishes to finely hone their mountain climbing and rappelling skills and earn a living at the same time. Those wishing to get into the profession will want to ask around at janitorial services and building maintenance services companies. There are many skill levels for this position and it’s typically understood that a person will be getting on the job training for such a job position.
For some companies, the only thing the employee is going to be doing is window washing, for others, they will also be expected to maintain the facility maintenance requirements and other maintenance requirements of the facility.
If a person is wanting to break into the business, they should anticipate starting at the lower end of the wage scale and work their way up to the higher end annual salary. This may take several years to a decade to achieve. Typically, due to the physical requirements, this is a job that is for younger generations although there are some who are still doing this type of job in their 40s and 50s.
