Annual Salary
£16,500 to £22,000
Average UK salary in 2024 was £37,430
(source Office for National Statistics)
Swap to Online & distribution or Retail or go back to all job sectors
Swap to Online & distribution or Retail or go back to all job sectors
Laundry workers operate washing machines, steamers and dryers to clean items like clothes, bed linen, towels and uniforms.
Average UK salary in 2024 was £37,430
(source Office for National Statistics)
You could work: evenings / weekends / bank holidays; on shifts
There will be
1.4% fewer Laundry worker jobs in 2029.
As a laundry worker, you could:
You could work at a laundry, in a hotel, in an NHS or private hospital or at an adult care home.
Your working environment may be physically demanding, humid and hot.
You can get into this job through:
You could do a Commercial Laundry Operative Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship to get into this job.
This takes around 1 year to complete.
You'll usually need:
You can apply directly for jobs. Experience in dry-cleaning or commercial clothes pressing may give you an advantage, although many employers will train you on the job.
Customer care skills would also be useful, for example from working in retail or hospitality.
Further information
You can find out more about working in laundry and dry cleaning services from the Guild of Cleaners and Launderers.
With experience you could become a laundry service supervisor or manager.
In a dry cleaning shop, you could be promoted to store manager. If your shop is part of a chain, you could take on responsibility for several shops in an area or region.
You could also start your own laundry business.
You'll need: