Transportation and Material Moving · Holland code RC
Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment
Wash or otherwise clean vehicles, machinery, and other equipment. Use such materials as water, cleaning agents, brushes, cloths, and hoses.
Also called: Automotive Detailer (Auto Detailer), Car Washer, Detailer, Reconditioner, Aircraft Cleaner, Bus Cleaner, Car Detailer, Cleaner.
O*NET 53-7061.00
At a glance
- US median annual pay
- $35,830
- Middle half earn $30,420 to $41,040. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
- Most common education
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
- 54% of workers surveyed by O*NET report this level.
- Preparation needed
- Job Zone 2 of 5
- Some preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.
What the work involves
The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.
- Rinse objects and place them on drying racks or use cloth, squeegees, or air compressors to dry surfaces.
- Apply paints, dyes, polishes, reconditioners, waxes, or masking materials to vehicles to preserve, protect, or restore color or condition.
- Clean and polish vehicle windows.
- Drive vehicles to or from workshops or customers' workplaces or homes.
- Scrub, scrape, or spray machine parts, equipment, or vehicles, using scrapers, brushes, clothes, cleaners, disinfectants, insecticides, acid, abrasives, vacuums, or hoses.
- Clean the plastic work inside cars, using paintbrushes.
- Inspect parts, equipment, or vehicles for cleanliness, damage, and compliance with standards or regulations.
- Mix cleaning solutions, abrasive compositions, or other compounds, according to formulas.
Skills and knowledge it leans on
Skills
- Monitoring2.8 / 5
- Speaking2.6 / 5
- Active Listening2.5 / 5
- Reading Comprehension2.3 / 5
- Critical Thinking2.3 / 5
- Active Learning2.0 / 5
Knowledge areas
- Customer and Personal Service3.5 / 5
- English Language3.3 / 5
- Transportation3.1 / 5
- Administration and Management2.9 / 5
- Public Safety and Security2.9 / 5
- Production and Processing2.8 / 5
Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.
Who tends to enjoy it
How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.
- Realistic100
- Investigative2
- Artistic0
- Social1
- Enterprising0
- Conventional51
The same work abroad
Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.
European occupation titles (ESCO)
- transport equipment painter · DE Fahrzeuglackierer/Fahrzeuglackiererin · FR peintre pour les équipements de transport
- building exterior cleaner · DE Fassadenreiniger/Fassadenreinigerin · FR agent de nettoyage des extérieurs des bâtiments/agente de nettoyage des extérieurs des bâtiments
- vehicle maintenance attendant · DE Helfer im Bereich Fahrzeugbau und -instandhaltung/Helferin im Bereich Fahrzeugbau und -instandhaltung · FR mécanicien d’entretien en automobile/mécanicienne d’entretien en automobile
- aircraft groomer · DE Flugzeugkabinenreiniger/Flugzeugkabinenreinigerin · FR agent de nettoyage avion/agente de nettoyage avion
- toilet attendant · DE Toiletten-Reinigungskraft · FR gardien de toilettes/gardienne de toilettes
- train cleaner · DE Schienenfahrzeugreiniger/Schienenfahrzeugreinigerin · FR nettoyeur de trains/nettoyeuse de trains
Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)
- Hospital porters (9262)25,200 employed
- Window cleaners (9221)22,400 employed
- Elementary cleaning occupations n.e.c. (9229)14,000 employed
Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.
Pay across Europe, for the whole group
Median annual earnings of all employees in “Elementary occupations”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.
| Country | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Belgium | €29,579 |
| Sweden | €28,305 |
| Austria | €27,215 |
| Netherlands | €24,577 |
| Ireland | €24,331 |
| Germany | €22,430 |
| Italy | €22,101 |
| France | €21,664 |
| Spain | €17,502 |
| Portugal | €9,424 |
| Poland | €7,534 |
Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.
Exposure to AI
This occupation sits in the lower third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of -1.63. The scores are standardized across those occupations, so 0 is the average and a score of 1 is about one standard deviation above it.
Our note on reading it: the dataset links AI applications to the abilities that occupations require, so the score reflects overlap between the two. It is a comparison between occupations, not a forecast about jobs. It does not say whether exposure means tasks are replaced or workers get more done with the tools, and it says little about one employer or one role.
Source: Felten, E., Raj, M., & Seamans, R. (2021). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses. Strategic Management Journal, 42(12), 2195-2217. Matched to this page by 6-digit SOC code (53-7061).
Related careers
- Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers
- Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders
- Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners
- Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners
- Maintenance Workers, Machinery
- Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Is it a fit for you?
Interest is one input, alongside ability, pay and what is hiring near you. The career interests test takes about thirteen minutes and ranks occupations by how closely their profile matches yours.
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