← All careers

Skilled Trades

Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers

Operate or tend washing or dry-cleaning machines to wash or dry-clean industrial or household articles, such as cloth garments, suede, leather, furs, blankets, draperies, linens, rugs, and carpets. Includes spotters and dyers of these articles.

Median salary (BLS)

$34,890

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$27k – $43k

Job outlook

+5% (faster than average)

AI exposure

Plan a path to Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers

Qualification costsStack incomeBest cities/statesSchool ROIJob-posting fitTailored resume

Education

Typical entry: No degree required

Plan my path to this →

How to qualify

EstimateLicense required

Cost to qualify

$100–$2,600

Time to qualify

3.1 yr

Renewal

$50/yr

  1. 1

    Registered apprenticeship (paid)

    Experience

    Earn-while-you-learn training — apprentices are paid during the program; fees are tools/books, not tuition.

    $0–$2,000 · 36 months · varies by state source

  2. 2

    Journeyman exam & state/local license

    License

    Most states and municipalities test and license journeyman-level trades workers.

    $100–$600 · 1 months · varies by state · renews every 2 yr source

Estimated typical U.S. route for "Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.

Typical progression

  1. Junior Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers

    Entry / Junior

    $27,440

    ~2 yrs to advance

  2. Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers

    Established

    $34,890

    ~3 yrs to advance

  3. Senior Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers

    Senior

    $39,040

Key skills

A typical day

  • •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, detergent, water, bleach, starch, and other additives.
  • •Operate extractors and driers, or direct their operation.
  • •Remove items from washers or dry-cleaning machines, or direct other workers to do so.
  • •Sort and count articles removed from dryers, and fold, wrap, or hang them.

Fields of study

Any field

Top colleges for Skilled Trades

Explore all

Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.