What Is the Going Rate for an Office Cleaner?

Hourly rates, pricing models, cost determinants, and how to verify fair market value in Australian commercial cleaning

The Going Rate for Office Cleaners in Australia

Office cleaners in Australia charge $35 to $55 per hour as of 2026, with rates determined by geographic location, office floor area, cleaning frequency, service delivery time, equipment requirements, and provider compliance credentials. This client-facing rate includes cleaner wages under the Cleaning Services Award 2020, employer on-costs mandated by the Fair Work Act 2009, equipment depreciation, consumables, insurance premiums, and the service provider’s operational margin.

The rate does not represent the cleaner’s take-home wage. Under the Cleaning Services Award 2020, cleaners receive base wages ranging from $25.41 per hour (Classification Level 1) to $32.18 per hour (Classification Level 5) before penalty rates, with the differential between base wage and client charge covering employer superannuation contributions (currently 11.5 percent under the Superannuation Guarantee), workers compensation insurance premiums set by state WorkCover authorities, and payroll tax where the employer’s total Australian wages exceed the relevant state threshold.

Geographic location creates the largest rate variance. Sydney CBD offices pay $45 to $55 per hour due to higher commercial lease costs, parking fees that cleaning companies pass through, and security access protocols requiring building management coordination. Melbourne CBD rates sit slightly lower at $42 to $52 per hour. Brisbane and Perth range from $38 to $48 per hour. Regional centres outside capital city CBDs charge $35 to $45 per hour because lower property costs reduce overhead and regional labor markets support lower wage expectations.

Location	Hourly Rate	Key Cost Drivers	Typical Contract Terms
Sydney CBD	$45–$55	Property costs, security, parking	After-hours, monthly billing
Melbourne CBD	$42–$52	Competitive market, high standards	After-hours, monthly billing
Brisbane/Perth CBD	$38–$48	Lower overhead than Sydney	Mixed hours, monthly billing
Regional centres	$35–$45	Lower wages, lower property costs	Flexible hours, monthly billing
Small offices <200m²	$40–$50	Higher per-hour, less scale	Weekly or fortnightly
Large offices >1000m²	$35–$45	Equipment efficiency, route density	Daily, monthly billing

Why Rates Vary by Office Size

Office floor area drives economies of scale in cleaning productivity. A 1,000-square-metre open-plan office requires approximately 100 minutes of cleaning time using commercial equipment at industry-standard productivity rates (10 square metres per minute for vacuuming, 8 square metres per minute for mopping). This translates to $58 to $92 in labor cost at base cleaning wages plus on-costs, allowing competitive hourly rates of $35 to $45 when the cleaning company achieves sufficient margin.

In contrast, five separate 200-square-metre offices require the same total cleaning time but incur travel time between sites, duplicate equipment setup at each location, and administrative overhead managing five separate client relationships instead of one. These inefficiencies force higher per-hour rates of $40 to $50 to maintain equivalent margin. Complex office layouts with multiple enclosed rooms, partitioned workstations, and narrow corridors slow productivity further because cleaners navigate obstacles and repeatedly enter and exit small spaces.

How Service Delivery Time Affects Rates

After-hours cleaning attracts penalty rates under the Cleaning Services Award 2020. Monday to Friday evening work between 6:00 PM and midnight requires a 15 percent loading on the base hourly rate. Saturday work requires a 50 percent loading. Sunday work requires a 75 percent loading. Public holidays require 150 percent loading (the base rate plus an additional 150 percent). These loadings are mandatory under the Award and enforced by the Fair Work Ombudsman.

Cleaning companies pass these penalty rates through to clients because failure to pay them constitutes wage theft and attracts severe penalties under the Fair Work Act 2009. For example, if a cleaner’s base wage is $26 per hour and the employer on-costs add $7 per hour for superannuation, workers compensation, and administration, the total labor cost is $33 per hour before penalty rates. Saturday work at 150 percent of base wage increases the labor cost to $46 per hour ($26 × 1.5 + $7 on-costs). After adding margin, the client rate reaches $55 to $65 per hour for Saturday cleaning.

Most office cleaning occurs after business hours because during-hours cleaning disrupts workflow, creates trip hazards when floors are wet, and reduces cleaner productivity when employees occupy workstations. The operational benefit of after-hours access justifies the 15 percent evening penalty rate for most clients. Weekend cleaning is typically reserved for urgent situations or buildings operating seven-day schedules.

Alternative Pricing Models for Predictability

Hourly rate billing suits small offices and variable-scope arrangements where cleaning time fluctuates. Larger facilities and long-term contracts use flat monthly fees or per-square-metre pricing because these models provide budget certainty and administrative efficiency.

Flat Monthly Contracts

A fixed monthly fee covers all scheduled cleaning services regardless of minor time variations. The cleaning company calculates the fee by estimating total monthly cleaning hours at applicable hourly rates, then quoting a single monthly amount. For example, a 400-square-metre office requiring three-weekly cleaning sessions of 1.5 hours each (18 hours per month) at $45 per hour would be quoted $810 per month.

This model transfers time risk to the cleaning company. If cleaning takes longer than estimated due to unexpected contamination, the company absorbs the extra labor cost. If cleaning takes less time because the office maintains tidiness, the company retains the difference. Clients benefit from predictable monthly expenses that simplify budget forecasting and invoice processing. Flat contracts typically range from $500 per month for small offices to $5,000+ per month for large multi-floor facilities.

Per-Square-Metre Pricing

Commercial property managers and facility operators with large building portfolios use per-square-metre pricing to achieve consistency across sites. Rates range from $0.40 to $2.50 per square metre per clean depending on service intensity. Light cleaning (waste removal, vacuuming, surface wiping) costs $0.40 to $0.80 per square metre. Standard cleaning (the above plus bathroom sanitation, kitchen cleaning, mopping) costs $0.80 to $1.50 per square metre. Intensive cleaning (the above plus high-touch disinfection, detailed surface work, glass cleaning) costs $1.50 to $2.50 per square metre.

This pricing structure allows facility managers to compare buildings of different sizes on an equivalent basis and to calculate cleaning budgets for new buildings by multiplying floor area by the applicable rate. The Building Service Contractors Association of Australia (BSCAA) publishes guidance rates for per-square-metre pricing based on premises type and service level, providing industry benchmarks for contract negotiation.

What Determines the Rate: Seven Key Cost Drivers

1. Cleaning Frequency and Route Density

Daily cleaning contracts achieve lower per-visit rates than weekly contracts because the cleaning company optimizes vehicle routes, shares equipment across nearby daily sites, and maintains consistent staffing without scheduling gaps. A cleaner servicing five daily sites within a 10-kilometer radius uses equipment more efficiently than the same cleaner servicing five weekly sites scattered across 50 kilometers because travel time as a percentage of productive cleaning time decreases.

Route density also affects vehicle costs. A cleaning company operating in a CBD with 20 daily contracts within 2 kilometers can use bicycles or hand-pushed equipment carts instead of vans, reducing fuel, parking, and vehicle maintenance costs. These savings translate to lower client rates. Regional operations with widely dispersed sites incur proportionally higher transport costs that must be recovered through rates.

2. Equipment Requirements and Depreciation

Standard office cleaning uses commercial upright vacuums ($800 to $1,500 each), microfibre cloths and mop systems ($200 to $400 for a complete color-coded set), and basic cleaning chemicals ($300 to $600 per month for a typical cleaning route). This equipment depreciates over three to five years under commercial use conditions, creating a per-hour equipment cost of approximately $2 to $4 per cleaning hour.

Offices requiring HEPA-filter commercial vacuums (mandatory in medical centers and aged care facilities to capture 99.97 percent of particles at 0.3 microns) increase equipment costs to $2,000 to $3,500 per unit. Walk-behind floor scrubbers for large office lobbies or open-plan areas cost $4,000 to $8,000 each. High-level access equipment (telescopic poles, small scaffolds) for cleaning ceiling vents and light fixtures in buildings with 4-meter ceilings adds another $500 to $1,500. These specialized equipment requirements increase the hourly rate by $3 to $8 per hour to cover depreciation and maintenance.

3. Chemical Products and Consumables

Commercial cleaning chemicals include pH-neutral all-purpose cleaners, TGA-listed hospital-grade disinfectants, bathroom-specific disinfectants with mold inhibitors, glass cleaners, degreasers for kitchen surfaces, and floor care products matched to surface type (timber, vinyl, tile, polished concrete). A typical cleaning company spends $15 to $30 per cleaning hour on chemical products when used at correct dilution rates.

Consumables — toilet paper, paper towels, hand soap, bin liners — are typically supplied by the client or charged separately because usage rates vary unpredictably with office occupancy and cannot be accurately estimated in a fixed hourly rate. Some contracts include consumables at an additional monthly fee ranging from $50 for small offices to $500+ for large facilities with high occupancy. Clarifying consumables responsibility before signing contracts prevents billing disputes.

4. Insurance and Compliance Costs

Professional cleaning companies carry public liability insurance covering property damage and third-party injury, with coverage ranging from $10 million to $20 million in Australia. Annual premiums for $20 million public liability coverage typically cost $3,000 to $8,000 depending on company size, claims history, and risk profile. This cost is distributed across all cleaning hours, adding approximately $1.50 to $3.00 per hour to the client rate.

Workers compensation insurance premiums are set by state WorkCover authorities and vary by jurisdiction. In New South Wales, WorkCover premiums for cleaning services sit at approximately 4.5 to 6.5 percent of wages. In Victoria, WorkSafe premiums range from 3.8 to 5.2 percent of wages. These premiums protect cleaners who suffer workplace injuries and are mandatory under state WHS legislation. Companies with ISO 9001 Quality Management certification or BSCAA membership pay annual certification fees ($2,000 to $10,000 depending on company size) that add $0.50 to $2.00 per hour to rates.

5. Staff Qualifications, Training, and Vetting

Cleaners working in standard commercial offices receive WHS induction training, chemical handling training using Safety Data Sheets, and equipment operation training. This baseline training costs cleaning companies $200 to $400 per cleaner in training hours and materials. Cleaners working in medical centers, childcare facilities, food service environments, or financial institutions require additional specialized training in infection control, food safety sanitization, or document security protocols. Specialized training costs $400 to $800 per cleaner.

National Police History Checks (commonly called police checks) cost $42 to $75 per check and must be renewed every three years for cleaners working in childcare centers under the Working with Children Check requirements, in aged care under the Aged Care Quality Standards, and in financial services under client security policies. Cleaning companies employing bilingual staff to service multicultural workplaces pay wage premiums of 5 to 15 percent to attract and retain staff with language skills. All these costs flow through to client rates.

6. Superannuation and Payroll Tax

The Superannuation Guarantee rate is 11.5 percent as of July 2024 and will increase to 12 percent in July 2025 under the Superannuation Guarantee (Administration) Act 1992. Employers must pay superannuation on top of wages, meaning a cleaner paid $26 per hour costs the employer $29.00 per hour once superannuation is added ($26 + $2.99). This cost is embedded in client hourly rates.

Payroll tax applies to employers whose total Australian wages exceed the threshold set by each state and territory. In New South Wales, payroll tax applies at 5.45 percent on wages exceeding $1.2 million annually. In Victoria, payroll tax applies at 4.85 percent on wages exceeding $700,000 annually. Large cleaning companies employing dozens of staff pay payroll tax on most wages, adding 4 to 6 percent to labor costs. Small cleaning operators below the threshold avoid payroll tax, creating a cost advantage that allows them to quote marginally lower rates.

7. Profit Margin and Business Risk

Cleaning companies operate on net profit margins of 5 to 15 percent after all costs. Margins at the lower end reflect highly competitive markets with multiple providers bidding for contracts. Margins at the higher end reflect specialized services, long-term client relationships with negotiated rates, or contracts in sectors with higher compliance requirements (healthcare, food service) where fewer providers compete due to certification and insurance barriers.

The margin must cover business risks including client non-payment, contract termination requiring staff redeployment, unexpected cost increases (fuel, insurance premiums, Award wage increases), and capital investment in new equipment. Thin margins below 5 percent indicate unsustainable operations where the provider cannot absorb unexpected costs and may reduce service quality or fail to meet obligations.

How to Verify Fair Market Value

Rate verification requires comparing itemized quotes from at least three providers, each specifying the hourly rate or monthly fee, the included services documented in a detailed cleaning checklist, consumables inclusion or exclusion, equipment and chemicals provided by the contractor, current insurance certificates (request copies of public liability and workers compensation), contract term and termination conditions, quality assurance procedures (inspection frequency, ATP testing where applicable), and any additional fees for after-hours access, security compliance, or specialist tasks.

Comparing quotes on rate alone creates false economies. A provider quoting $35 per hour with no insurance, untrained staff, and no documented procedures represents higher risk and potential liability than a provider quoting $50 per hour with $20 million public liability coverage, ISO 9001 certification, police-checked staff, and structured quality verification. The higher-cost provider delivers measurably lower business risk.

Verification should also include reference checks from clients operating similar office types. Ask references how long they have used the provider, whether quality is consistent across multiple services, how quickly issues are resolved, whether the provider communicates proactively about scheduling changes or staff absences, and whether they have experienced any insurance claims or WHS incidents involving the cleaning contractor. Providers unwilling to supply references should not be shortlisted.

What the Rate Should Include

A professional office cleaning hourly rate covers all direct labor including cleaner base wages under the relevant classification level in the Cleaning Services Award 2020, penalty rates for evening, weekend, or public holiday work, employer superannuation contributions at the Superannuation Guarantee rate, workers compensation insurance premiums, and payroll tax where applicable.

The rate also includes all equipment depreciation (vacuums, mops, floor scrubbers, extension poles), equipment maintenance and repairs, all cleaning chemicals and disinfectants at appropriate concentrations, insurance premiums (public liability and workers compensation), transport and vehicle costs including fuel and parking, site travel time between jobs, and supervision and quality assurance including periodic inspections.

Rates typically exclude consumables (toilet paper, hand soap, paper towels, bin liners) unless explicitly included in the contract. One-off deep cleaning tasks including carpet steam extraction, floor stripping and resealing, high-level dusting above standard reach, external window cleaning, and post-construction cleaning are typically quoted separately because they require different equipment, extended time, and specialist skills that cannot be efficiently priced into routine hourly rates.

Cost Versus Value: Why the Lowest Rate Is Not the Best Rate

Office cleaning delivers value beyond the immediate cleaning task. Effective cleaning reduces employee absenteeism by lowering workplace illness transmission through daily disinfection of high-touch surfaces. The Medibank Private Centre for Health Economics estimated the annual cost of absenteeism to the Australian economy at over $44 billion, with workplace-acquired illness representing a material component. A cleaning program that reduces illness transmission by even 10 percent delivers measurable value through reduced sick leave costs.

Cleaning also extends asset lifecycles. Carpets in high-traffic commercial areas accumulate abrasive particles that act as a grinding medium between foot traffic and carpet fibers, progressively damaging the pile. Regular professional vacuuming combined with quarterly deep extraction removes these particles before permanent damage occurs. The Carpet and Rug Institute states that carpets cleaned on a professional maintenance schedule achieve service lives 40 to 60 percent longer than those receiving only occasional cleaning. The capital cost deferral from extended carpet life exceeds the cost of the cleaning program.

Compliance with WHS obligations under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 requires businesses to maintain premises without risks to health and safety. A documented professional cleaning program with service logs, quality audits, and chemical Safety Data Sheets provides evidence of due diligence in meeting this obligation. WHS inspectors from SafeWork NSW, WorkSafe Victoria, or equivalent state authorities examine cleaning documentation during workplace inspections. A cleaning program costing 15 percent more but delivering documented compliance evidence protects against improvement notices, prohibition orders, and prosecutions that carry penalties exceeding $100,000 for serious breaches.

Client perception is also measurable. Businesses operating client-facing premises including professional services offices, medical practices, real estate agencies, and financial services offices depend on visual presentation to signal competence and attention to detail. A visibly clean reception area, well-maintained bathrooms, and spotless meeting rooms create positive first impressions that influence client conversion. Conversely, poor presentation drives clients to competitors. The revenue impact of presentation far exceeds the differential between a cheap and professional cleaning service.

Red Flags Indicating Problematic Providers

Rates significantly below $35 per hour in metropolitan areas indicate one of three problems: the provider operates without insurance (transferring liability risk to the client), the provider pays cash wages below Award rates (unlawful wage theft exposing clients to accessorial liability under the Fair Work Act 2009), or the provider uses untrained staff and inadequate equipment (poor quality outcomes). None of these scenarios represents acceptable risk for professional offices.

Quotes without itemized scope or attached cleaning checklists create ambiguity about exactly which tasks will be performed. This ambiguity is the primary source of disputes in cleaning relationships. Providers unable to supply current insurance certificates for public liability and workers compensation should not be engaged because any incident occurring on client premises creates uninsured liability for the client.

Verbal quotes without written contracts provide no enforceable terms if service quality deteriorates or if the provider fails to meet obligations. Pressure to sign immediately without time to review terms and compare alternatives indicates predatory sales tactics. Refusal to provide references from comparable office clients suggests poor performance history or high client turnover. All these red flags should disqualify providers from consideration regardless of quoted rate.

Summary: Rate Determinants and Value Assessment

Office cleaner rates in Australia range from $35 to $55 per hour depending on location, office size, cleaning frequency, service delivery time, equipment requirements, and provider qualifications. Sydney and Melbourne CBD rates sit at the upper end ($45 to $55 per hour) due to higher property costs and after-hours penalty rates under the Cleaning Services Award 2020. Regional rates sit at the lower end ($35 to $45 per hour) because overhead costs are lower.

Alternative pricing models include flat monthly fees ($500 to $5,000+ per month depending on office size) and per-square-metre rates ($0.40 to $2.50 per square metre per clean depending on service intensity). Rates should include all labor with Award-compliant wages and on-costs, equipment depreciation, chemicals, insurance (public liability and workers compensation), transport, and supervision. Rates typically exclude consumables unless explicitly included.

Value is determined by quality consistency, compliance documentation, insurance coverage, staff training and vetting, and the business outcomes delivered through reduced absenteeism, extended asset life, WHS compliance, and positive client presentation. The lowest hourly rate represents poor value if it delivers inconsistent quality, uninsured risk, or non-compliance with Award wages and WHS obligations. Verification requires comparing itemized quotes from multiple providers, checking references, and confirming insurance certificates.

This guide is provided for informational purposes. Rates vary by location, premises type, and service scope. Consult the Fair Work Ombudsman for Award interpretation and multiple cleaning providers for competitive quotes. Always verify insurance coverage before engagement.