Career
Dishwashers
Keep dishes and kitchens clean.
$34,810
Median pay
-1.0%
Job growth, 2025–35
68,900
Openings a year
No formal educational credential
Typical education
None required
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- Wash dishes, glassware, flatware, pots, or pans, using dishwashers or by hand.
- Maintain kitchen work areas, equipment, or utensils in clean and orderly condition.
- Place clean dishes, utensils, or cooking equipment in storage areas.
- Sweep or scrub floors.
- Stock supplies, such as food or utensils, in serving stations, cupboards, refrigerators, or salad bars.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on objects & tools, then information & systems?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Wash dishes, glassware, flatware, pots, or pans, using dishwashers or by hand.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Operation and Control, Coordination, Active Listening, Time Management.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
No degree beyond high school, though short-term on-the-job training is typical, for a median of $34,810 a year and 68,900 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- NO MATCHCIP 99.9999
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment$35,830 · +3.9%
- Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers$34,890 · +4.3%
- Food Preparation Workers$35,320 · -3.0%
- Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers$33,980 · +5.3%
- Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners$35,510 · +0.6%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.