How Much Do Self-Employed Cleaners Make?

Self-employed cleaners or office cleaners in Australia earn between $45,000 and $90,000 per year in gross revenue, depending on hours worked, service type, client mix, and location. On a net income basis — after deducting business expenses — most full-time self-employed cleaners take home between $35,000 and $65,000 per year.

Hourly rates range from $35 to $60 per hour for residential cleaning and $40 to $70 per hour for commercial cleaning. Specialist services including carpet steam cleaning, end-of-lease cleaning, and post-construction clean-up command rates at the higher end of those ranges due to equipment costs and technical labour.

Earnings by Business Model: Quick Reference

Business Model	Hourly Rate	Gross Revenue (pa)	Est. Net Income (pa)	Key Consideration
Residential (part-time, 15 hrs/wk)	$35 – $45/hr	$25,000 – $35,000	$18,000 – $26,000	Low overhead; flexible but limited scale
Residential (full-time, 30 hrs/wk)	$35 – $50/hr	$50,000 – $72,000	$35,000 – $52,000	Core residential market; moderate stability
Commercial (30 hrs/wk)	$40 – $70/hr	$57,000 – $100,000	$40,000 – $72,000	Contract-based; higher predictability
Mixed res. + commercial (30 hrs/wk)	$40 – $60/hr	$57,000 – $86,000	$40,000 – $62,000	Best balance of rate and flexibility
Specialist (carpet, end-of-lease)	$55 – $90/hr	$79,000 – $129,000	$55,000 – $92,000	Higher rates; requires equipment investment
Established operator (subcontracting)	N/A (margin)	$100,000 – $200,000+	$60,000 – $130,000	Revenue scales beyond personal hours worked

Gross revenue is what a self-employed cleaner invoices. Net income is what remains after business expenses. For most self-employed cleaners, business expenses consume 20 to 35 percent of gross revenue — meaning a cleaner billing $70,000 per year may take home $45,000 to $56,000 before tax.

How Is Self-Employed Cleaner Income Calculated?

Income for a self-employed cleaner is a function of three variables: the hourly or per-job rate charged, the number of billable hours worked per week, and the number of weeks worked per year. Non-billable time — travel between jobs, quoting, invoicing, purchasing supplies, and managing client communications — reduces effective hourly earnings relative to the advertised rate.

A self-employed cleaner working 30 billable hours per week at $45 per hour generates $1,350 in weekly gross revenue. Over 48 working weeks — allowing for annual leave, public holidays, and seasonal quiet periods — gross annual revenue is $64,800. This represents a reasonable full-time residential cleaning income in most Australian markets.

In practice, self-employed cleaners rarely achieve 100 percent billable utilisation. New operators typically bill 20 to 25 hours per week while building their client base. Established operators with a full roster of recurring clients may sustain 28 to 35 billable hours per week consistently.

Full-Time Residential Cleaner: Worked Income Example

Income / Deduction Item	Amount (AUD)	Notes
30 hrs/wk at $45/hr × 48 weeks	$64,800	Residential; standard full-time volume
Less expenses (25% of gross)	–$16,200	Products, vehicle, insurance, accounting
Net income before tax	$48,600	Taxable income as sole trader
Less income tax (approx.)	–$7,797	ATO 2024–25 resident individual rates
Less Medicare levy (2%)	–$972	Applies to all residents above threshold
Take-home income (after tax)	$39,831	~$766/week take-home
Less personal super (11.5% of net)	–$5,589	Self-funded; no employer contribution
Effective take-home (after super)	$34,242	~$658/week after super contribution

Self-employed cleaners bear their own superannuation costs. Unlike employees whose superannuation is an additional 11.5% paid by the employer on top of wages, sole traders must fund super from their own net income. This is the single most commonly overlooked financial obligation among new self-employed cleaners in Australia.

Business Expenses for Self-Employed Cleaners

Understanding and accurately tracking business expenses is essential for self-employed cleaners. All legitimate business expenses are deductible against taxable income under the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997, reducing the amount of tax payable. The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) requires that expense claims be supported by receipts or records and that the expense has a genuine business purpose.

The largest recurring expense for most self-employed cleaners is vehicle costs, which covers fuel, registration, insurance, and depreciation. The ATO allows two methods for claiming vehicle expenses: the cents-per-kilometre method (currently 88 cents per km for 2024–25) or the logbook method, which allows a percentage of actual vehicle costs based on documented business use. The logbook method typically yields a higher deduction for cleaners driving significant weekly distances between client sites.

Estimated Annual Business Expenses

Expense Category	Monthly Estimate	Annual Estimate	Notes
Cleaning products & consumables	$50 – $150/month	$600 – $1,800	Varies with client volume and product quality
Equipment (vacuum, mop, buckets)	$0 – $100/month	$500 – $1,200	Depreciation on professional-grade equipment
Specialist equipment (carpet etc.)	$100 – $300/month	$1,200 – $3,600	Hire or repayment cost; adds revenue capacity
Vehicle (fuel + registration)	$300 – $600/month	$3,600 – $7,200	ATO cents-per-km or logbook method applies
Vehicle insurance	$80 – $150/month	$960 – $1,800	Business-use component; claimable deduction
Public liability insurance	$60 – $120/month	$720 – $1,440	$5M–$10M coverage; often required by clients
Income protection insurance	$50 – $150/month	$600 – $1,800	Covers injury/illness; no employer sick leave
Accounting / bookkeeping	$50 – $200/month	$600 – $2,400	BAS preparation, tax return, ATO compliance
Mobile phone (business portion)	$20 – $60/month	$240 – $720	Proportional business-use deduction via ATO
Marketing (Google, flyers, etc.)	$50 – $200/month	$600 – $2,400	Google Ads, print, platform listing fees
TOTAL ESTIMATED EXPENSES	$810 – $2,030/month	$9,720 – $24,360	20–35% of gross revenue for most operators

Public liability insurance is a non-negotiable expense for self-employed cleaners. Most residential clients expect their cleaner to hold coverage, and commercial clients almost universally require it as a condition of engagement — typically specifying a minimum of $5 million to $10 million in public liability coverage. Annual premiums for a sole trader cleaner typically range from $720 to $1,440 depending on the insurer, coverage amount, and declared annual revenue.

Income protection insurance is strongly recommended for self-employed cleaners because, unlike employees, they have no access to paid sick leave or workers’ compensation if they are unable to work due to injury or illness. Cleaning is a physically demanding occupation with elevated risks of muscular injury, and a period of inability to work can have a severe impact on income without insurance cover.

Residential vs Commercial: Which Pays More?

Residential cleaning offers lower hourly rates but lower overhead, simpler scheduling, and greater flexibility. Most residential jobs are one to four hours in a private home, and client relationships are direct and personal. The primary risks are client cancellations and the difficulty of replacing lost clients quickly.

Commercial cleaning offers higher hourly rates and more predictable income through fixed-term contracts, but typically requires more formal compliance obligations — including public liability insurance documentation, Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS) for certain tasks, and in some cases, compliance with the Cleaning Services Award 2020 if the operator eventually employs staff.

Self-employed cleaners who secure two or three anchor commercial contracts — for example, a small office building, a retail store, and a medical clinic — achieve significantly more stable income than those dependent entirely on residential bookings, where individual clients cancel with short notice or pause services during holidays.

A single commercial cleaning contract worth $1,200 per month provides the equivalent income of four residential clients at $300 per month each — but with lower scheduling complexity, one invoice, and one site relationship to manage. Commercial anchors significantly reduce the administrative burden of self-employment.

ABN and Tax Obligations for Self-Employed Cleaners

Self-employed cleaners in Australia must register for an Australian Business Number (ABN) with the Australian Business Register (ABR). The ABN is used on all invoices, identifies the business to other entities, and is required to claim business deductions through the ATO. Operating without an ABN and receiving payments without withholding the no-ABN rate of 47 percent creates tax liability for both the cleaner and the client.

Tax is paid through the PAYG instalment system, administered by the ATO. Once a self-employed cleaner has lodged their first tax return showing business income, the ATO typically enrolls them in quarterly PAYG instalments — prepayments of expected tax liability based on prior year income. These are paid through the ATO’s online services or via the Business Activity Statement (BAS) if GST-registered.

Individual Income Tax Rates 2024–25: Self-Employed Sole Traders

Taxable Income (AUD)	Tax Rate	Notes for Self-Employed Cleaners
$0 – $18,200	0%	Tax-free threshold; no tax payable
$18,201 – $45,000	19%	19c for each $1 over $18,200
$45,001 – $120,000	32.5%	Most full-time self-employed cleaners land here
$120,001 – $180,000	37%	Experienced operators with subcontractors
$180,001+	45%	Top marginal rate; applies to highest earners

GST registration becomes mandatory once annual turnover exceeds $75,000. Once registered, the cleaner adds 10 percent GST to all invoices and lodges a BAS quarterly, remitting the net GST collected to the ATO after crediting GST paid on business purchases (input tax credits). For a self-employed cleaner approaching the threshold, voluntary early registration can simplify accounting and signal professionalism to commercial clients who require a tax invoice.

Superannuation is entirely the self-employed cleaner’s responsibility. There is no employer to make Superannuation Guarantee contributions. The ATO strongly encourages sole traders to contribute to a complying superannuation fund — such as Australian Super, CBUS, or Hostplus — and contributions made from after-tax income may be claimed as a personal superannuation deduction under section 290-150 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997.

How Do Self-Employed Cleaners Find Clients?

Client acquisition is the primary growth constraint for self-employed cleaners. Unlike cleaning employees who are assigned work, self-employed operators must generate their own pipeline. The most effective channels combine low-cost high-trust methods (referrals and Google reviews) with paid lead generation platforms for volume.

Client Acquisition Channels: Effectiveness and Cost

Channel	Effectiveness	Cost	Notes
Google Business Profile	Very High	Free	Local ‘cleaner near me’ searches; review-driven
Referrals from clients	Very High	Free	Highest conversion rate; zero acquisition cost
hipages	High	$30 – $80/lead	Pay-per-lead; strong for residential cleaning
Airtasker	Medium	15% commission	One-off and recurring; competitive bidding
ServiceSeeking	Medium	$20 – $60/lead	Quote-based platform; residential and commercial
Facebook Marketplace	Medium	Free	Local community; good for residential clients
Instagram / Facebook Page	Medium	Free–$200/month	Before/after content; builds brand trust
Letterbox drops	Low–Medium	$100 – $400	Effective in new service areas; targeted suburb
Direct cold outreach	Low	Time only	Effective for commercial; target facilities managers
Word of mouth	Very High	Free	Compound growth; strongest long-term channel

Google Business Profile is the highest-leverage free tool available to a self-employed cleaner. When a potential client searches ‘cleaner near me’ or ‘house cleaner [suburb]’ on Google, businesses with a verified Google Business Profile appear in the local map pack — the three highlighted results that appear above organic search results. A profile with five or more positive reviews significantly outperforms one with no reviews, even against competitors with larger marketing budgets.

Review generation should be a systematic part of every self-employed cleaner’s client management process. Sending a follow-up message after the first clean asking satisfied clients to leave a Google review — with a direct link to the review page — is the lowest-cost and highest-impact marketing action available. A consistent stream of recent positive reviews creates compounding visibility in local search over time.

Most self-employed cleaners underinvest in client retention and overinvest in client acquisition. Retaining an existing weekly client is worth four to five times a new client in lifetime revenue. A simple follow-up call after the first clean, occasional check-ins, and reliable scheduling consistency are more valuable than any paid advertising channel.

Can a Self-Employed Cleaner Grow into a Business?

Many of Australia’s established commercial cleaning companies began as a single self-employed operator. The typical growth pathway moves from sole trader to subcontractor model, then to employer, and eventually to a multi-site or branded operation.

The most common initial expansion step is engaging subcontractors — other self-employed cleaners operating under their own ABN — to take on overflow work or additional client sites. This avoids the compliance obligations of employment while allowing revenue to grow beyond the hours the operator can personally work. The ATO and Fair Work Commission apply specific tests to subcontractor arrangements, and genuine subcontractors must operate independently, supply their own equipment, and be able to accept or decline work.

Franchise models such as Jim’s Cleaning, Jani-King, and Coverall provide a structured entry point into the commercial cleaning market. Jim’s Cleaning franchisees in Australia pay an upfront franchise fee and ongoing royalties in exchange for client referrals, brand recognition, training, and administrative support. This model reduces the client acquisition barrier for new entrants but limits revenue ceiling due to royalty obligations.

Self-Employed Cleaner Growth Pathway and Income Stages

Growth Stage	Team Size	Estimated Net Income / Revenue	Key Compliance Obligation
Stage 1: Sole Trader	1 (self)	$35,000 – $55,000 net	ABN, public liability, ATO registration
Stage 2: + Subcontractors	2 – 5	$55,000 – $90,000 net	Subcontractor agreements; margin on each job
Stage 3: Employer	3 – 10 staff	$70,000 – $130,000 net	Fair Work Act; Cleaning Award; workers’ comp
Stage 4: Franchise / Brand	10 – 30+ staff	$100,000 – $250,000+	Jim’s Cleaning / own brand; systemised ops
Stage 5: Multi-site operator	30 – 100+ staff	$250,000 – $1M+ revenue	Multiple contracts; management structure

The transition from subcontractor model to employer is the most compliance-intensive step. Once a self-employed cleaner employs staff, they become bound by the Cleaning Services Award 2020, which mandates minimum hourly rates by classification level, penalty rates for evening and weekend work, casual loadings, leave entitlements, and superannuation contributions at 11.5% for all eligible employees. Workers’ compensation insurance — administered by state-based schemes such as icare in NSW and WorkSafe in Victoria — becomes legally required.

Many cleaning operators remain in the subcontractor model for too long to avoid compliance obligations, then face ATO and Fair Work scrutiny when the arrangement is found to mirror employment. If workers are performing the same tasks at the same times, under direction, without operating their own independent business, the ATO may reclassify the relationship as employment — triggering back-pay, superannuation, and penalty obligations.

Earning Potential Over Time

Earning potential for a self-employed cleaner increases with experience, client base stability, service mix diversification, and operational efficiency. In the first year, most self-employed cleaners earn $35,000 to $50,000 in gross revenue while building their client roster and refining their scheduling and pricing.

By year three to five, an established operator with a full recurring client base, efficient scheduling software, and a mix of residential and commercial work typically earns $65,000 to $90,000 in gross revenue. Adding specialist services — carpet steam cleaning, end-of-lease cleaning, or commercial high-frequency cleaning — increases the average job value without proportionally increasing time on the tools.

Operators who transition into a subcontractor or employer model in years three to seven can achieve gross revenues of $150,000 to $500,000 or more, with net margins of 15 to 25 percent depending on labour cost management. At this stage, the business owner’s income is driven by margin on labour rather than personal hours worked — a fundamentally different and more scalable income model.

The ceiling on personal self-employed cleaning income — where the operator works alone — is approximately $100,000 to $130,000 in gross revenue per year, constrained by the number of hours physically workable per week. Exceeding this ceiling requires delegation, subcontracting, or employment of additional cleaners.