Also called: Head custodian, Building engineer
Keeps school buildings clean, safe, and working, from boilers to gym floors.
Custodians clean classrooms, fix minor problems, set up for events, clear snow, and respond to spills and emergencies. Head custodians and building engineers manage heating and cooling systems for more pay.
BLS janitors and cleaners; head custodians earn more.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 0 years after high school. High school diploma; on-the-job training; boiler licenses for engineers.
Ways in: On-the-job training, Certification. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: HVAC (trade school).
Growing about average. Steady.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. Robot floor scrubbers may take over some cleaning; repairs, setups, snow and emergencies stay hands-on human work.
Age 18+. One way to start: Apply for custodian openings on your district's job page; summer cleaning crews hire fast First: School fingerprint background check and district onboarding (a few weeks)
Classes: Construction or building trades CTE, Auto or small engines, Chemistry.
Official data: O*NET occupation 37-2011.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.