How to become a 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.

Steps to get there

Most employers expect usually requires a high school diploma or ged, though some occupations may not..Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.

What cleaners of vehicles and equipment do

• Scrub, scrape, or spray machine parts, equipment, or vehicles, using scrapers, brushes, clothes, cleaners, disinfectants, insecticides, acid, abrasives, vacuums, or hoses.
• Mix cleaning solutions, abrasive compositions, or other compounds, according to formulas.
• Pre-soak or rinse machine parts, equipment, or vehicles by immersing objects in cleaning solutions or water, manually or using hoists.
• Sweep, shovel, or vacuum loose debris or salvageable scrap into containers and remove containers from work areas.
• Clean and polish vehicle windows.
• Drive vehicles to or from workshops or customers' workplaces or homes.

Skills that matter most

• Monitoring
• Speaking
• Active Listening
• Reading Comprehension
• Critical Thinking
• Active Learning
• Writing
• Learning Strategies

Is cleaners of vehicles and equipment a good career?

On the numbers, this job is close to the average across occupations. Median pay is 30% below the all-occupation median. Whether it fits you depends on the work itself, the schooling you are willing to do and where you want to live.

Where it pays most

• District of Columbia $42,710
• Alaska $40,210
• Washington $40,070
• Colorado $39,610
• Vermont $39,530

Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment salary by state and city

Sources: O*NET® 31.0 (CC BY 4.0, USDOL/ETA) and BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025.