How Much Should I Pay My Cleaner per Hour?

Cleaners Pay Guide

This Guide can help you determine the pay rate for commercial cleaners in Australia.

In Australia, you should pay a professional cleaner between $30 and $60 per hour, depending on the type of service, location, and whether the cleaner is employed through an agency or operates independently. The national minimum wage and the Cleaning Services Award 2020 set the legal baseline for all cleaning employment.

Understanding what drives cleaner pricing protects you from underpaying a worker — which carries legal risk — or overpaying for a service without understanding what is included.

Cleaner Hourly Rate Quick Reference

Cleaner Type	Hourly Rate (AUD)	Key Consideration
Agency / Company	$40 – $60	Includes insurance, compliance, equipment
Independent Contractor	$30 – $45	You may have employer obligations under FW Act
Residential (3-bed home)	$35 – $50	2–4 hours per visit; weekly arrangement preferred
Deep / End-of-Lease	$50 – $70+	Higher labour intensity; one-off pricing
Sydney / Melbourne	$45 – $55	Higher living costs drive increased rates
Regional Australia	$30 – $40	Lower cost of living, reduced market rates

What Does the Cleaning Services Award 2020 Require?

The Fair Work Commission administers the Cleaning Services Award 2020, which is the industry award that governs the majority of cleaners employed in Australia. It sets minimum pay rates, penalty rates, shift loadings, overtime entitlements, and leave provisions.

As of the 2024–25 financial year, the minimum hourly rate for a Level 1 cleaner performing general cleaning duties is approximately $24.10 per hour for ordinary time. Higher classification levels — covering specialised tasks, chemical handling, and supervisory roles — attract higher minimum rates.

Saturday attracts a 25% penalty rate. Sunday attracts 50%. Public holidays attract 225%. These apply to casual, part-time, and full-time employees alike under the Award.

These penalty rates are not optional. An employer who pays a flat rate regardless of shift day may be underpaying the employee under the Award, which the Fair Work Ombudsman actively audits. Non-compliance can result in back-pay orders and civil penalties of up to $93,900 per contravention for a body corporate.

Penalty Rates Under the Cleaning Services Award 2020

Day / Period	Penalty Rate	Applies To
Saturday	125% (25% loading)	All employee types
Sunday	150% (50% loading)	All employee types
Public Holiday	225% (125% loading)	All employee types
Evening (after 6pm)	117.5% (17.5% loading)	Shift workers (conditions apply)

Agency vs Independent Cleaner — What Is the Difference in Cost?

Hiring through a cleaning agency or commercial cleaning company typically costs $40 to $60 per hour. This higher rate reflects the agency’s costs beyond the cleaner’s wage — public liability insurance, workers’ compensation, tax administration, payroll processing, recruitment, and profit margin.

From a client perspective, using an agency transfers most compliance and HR risk. The agency is the employer and is responsible for ensuring the cleaner is correctly classified, paid in accordance with the Award, and insured.

Hiring an independent or private cleaner may cost $30 to $45 per hour and is often perceived as the cheaper option. However, if you engage the same individual regularly and direct how, when, and where they work, the ATO and Fair Work Commission may determine they are an employee rather than a contractor. In that case, you become responsible for PAYG withholding, superannuation at 11.5%, and compliance with the Cleaning Services Award 2020.

The ATO’s contractor vs employee decision tool is the correct starting point to determine your obligations before arranging a private cleaning arrangement.

What Factors Affect the Hourly Rate?

Location is the most significant variable in cleaner pricing across Australia. Sydney and Melbourne have the highest rates due to elevated living costs, commercial rents, and labour market competition. A cleaner in inner Sydney may charge $45 to $55 per hour for standard residential cleaning, while the same service in a regional area such as Dubbo or Bendigo may cost $30 to $40.

The type of cleaning also has a direct impact. Routine maintenance cleaning — vacuuming, mopping, bathroom cleaning — commands lower rates than deep cleaning, move-out or end-of-lease cleans, post-construction clean-up, or specialist services such as carpet steam extraction, pressure washing, or infection control cleaning.

Experience, insurance, and formal certifications — such as the Certificate III in Cleaning Operations (CPP30116) — justify higher rates. A cleaner with documented training in chemical handling, infection control, or specialised floor care is providing a technically distinct service from a general house cleaner. House cleaning is different to commercial cleaning.

What Should Be Included in the Hourly Rate?

When hiring through a commercial cleaning company, the hourly rate should cover the cleaner’s labour, standard cleaning products, and basic equipment including mops, vacuums, and surface cloths. Some companies also include consumables such as toilet paper, bin liners, and hand soap — particularly under commercial contracts — while others charge for these separately.

Specialist equipment — including carpet extraction machines, steam cleaners, ride-on scrubber dryers, and industrial pressure washers — is typically excluded from the base rate and quoted separately on a per-service or add-on basis.

For private arrangements with an independent cleaner, always clarify at the outset whether they supply their own products and equipment. If not, factor in $10 to $30 per visit for cleaning supplies, depending on the size and condition of the premises.

Is Paying Cash-in-Hand Legal?

Paying a cleaner cash-in-hand is not automatically illegal in Australia, but it creates significant risk if either party does not meet their tax obligations. Cleaners are required to declare all income to the Australian Taxation Office regardless of the payment method. Cash does not change this obligation.

If the cleaner is classified as your employee — which can occur even if you do not intend an employment relationship, based on how the ATO and Fair Work Commission assess the arrangement — PAYG withholding, superannuation contributions at 11.5%, and Award compliance obligations apply regardless of whether payment is made in cash or by bank transfer.

Misclassifying an employee as a contractor, or paying informally without meeting tax obligations, can result in substantial back-pay liability, ATO penalties, and Fair Work Ombudsman enforcement action.

The safest approach is to pay by bank transfer, request an ABN from the cleaner, and retain records of all payments. If the cleaner cannot provide an ABN, withhold 47% of the payment under the no-ABN withholding rules and remit it to the ATO.

What Is a Fair Rate for a Residential Cleaner?

For a standard maintenance clean of a 3-bedroom home — covering vacuuming, mopping, bathroom cleaning, kitchen surfaces, and bin replacement — a fair rate is $35 to $50 per hour. Most visits take 2 to 4 hours depending on the size and condition of the property.

A regular weekly cleaner at the lower end of that range is reasonable for a long-term arrangement in which the property is consistently maintained and the cleaner’s time is predictably scheduled. Higher rates are appropriate for one-off deep cleans, end-of-lease cleans, or properties that have not been regularly maintained.

First cleans of a new property or cleans following a period of vacancy always take longer. Most professional cleaners price these at a flat rate or quote based on an initial inspection rather than an hourly estimate.

Superannuation and Contractor Obligations

Superannuation is a frequently overlooked obligation in private cleaning arrangements. If you regularly engage the same individual cleaner, the ATO may consider them an employee for superannuation purposes even if you treat the arrangement as a contractor relationship.

Under the extended definition of employee used for the Superannuation Guarantee, contractors who are paid wholly or mainly for their personal labour — and who cannot subcontract or delegate the work — are likely to be entitled to superannuation contributions from the engaging party. This applies even without a formal employment contract.

As of 2024–25, superannuation contributions are 11.5% of ordinary time earnings. Failure to pay, or late payment, triggers the Superannuation Guarantee Charge, which includes the unpaid super, an interest component of 10% per annum, and an administration fee. The charge is not tax deductible, making compliance significantly cheaper than non-compliance.

How to Minimise Cost Without Underpaying

The most effective way to reduce cleaning costs while staying compliant is to optimise scheduling rather than reduce the rate. Combining fortnightly visits instead of weekly, or reducing the scope of service rather than the hourly rate, allows you to manage spend without creating underpayment risk.

Bundling additional services — such as an annual deep clean or seasonal carpet cleaning — into a regular arrangement can also provide leverage to negotiate a modest rate reduction or a fixed monthly fee that benefits both parties.

For commercial clients, signing a 12-month contract with a single provider typically results in a lower blended rate than engaging multiple cleaners on an ad-hoc basis, while also providing service consistency and a clear accountability structure for quality assurance.