Laundry Workers

ANZSCO ID 8115

Overview

Snapshot

Employed
14,400
Future Growth
0%
Weekly Earnings
$1,094
Full-Time Share
42%
Female Share
69%
Average age
49

Summary

Laundry Workers sort, clean, fold, iron and package linen, clothing and other items in laundries and drycleaning establishments, and private residences.

Tasks

  • sorting articles for cleaning according to the type, colour, fabric and cleaning treatment required

  • placing sorted articles into receptacles and onto conveyor belts for moving to repair and cleaning areas

  • checking and removing stains from garments, and replacing buttons and making minor repairs

  • loading and unloading washing machines, driers and extractors

  • adding cleaning agents and starches to articles

  • smoothing articles and guiding them through cleaning and pressing machines

  • stopping and starting machines to untangle, straighten and remove articles

  • ironing and pressing clean articles

  • placing articles on shelves and hanging articles for delivery and collection

  • packaging articles and preparing orders for despatch

Characteristics

Job Type
Labourers
Skill Level
Entry level
ANZSCO Occupation group
Unemployment Rate
Above average
Industries
Pathway(s)
  • Vocational Education and Training (VET)
  • Informal or on-the-job
Interests
  • Practical
Physical Demand
  • Light
  • Medium
  • Heavy

Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. The latest data are for the five years from November 2021 to November 2026. Over this period, the number of workers in this occupation is likely to remain stable.

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.

Notes: The number employed includes people who work in this occupation as their main job. People who work in more than one job are counted against the occupation they work the most hours in.

Employment projections figures are rounded to the nearest 100. Calculations based on these rounded figures may result in differences to the numbers that are displayed on this page. Employment projections data (including occupations) can be downloaded from the Employment Projections page.

Projected Change
0%
(or 0 jobs)
From
11,000
in 2021
To
11,000
in 2026

Number of Workers

Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2021 and Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.
Year Employment
2011 15,200
2012 14,000
2013 13,100
2014 14,900
2015 12,300
2016 18,600
2017 14,400
2018 12,500
2019 14,200
2020 11,000
2021 11,000
2026 11,000

Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2021 and Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.


Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 49% of people employed as Laundry Workers work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 17 percentage points below the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 42 hours per week in their main job. This is similar to the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    Median full-time earnings are $1,094 per week, this is much lower than the all jobs median ($1,593):

    • 3 in 4 workers earn more than $969
    • 1 in 4 earn more than $1,181

    Median hourly earnings are $28, this is lower than the all jobs median ($41 per hour).

    Sources: Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average. Full-time median earnings and median hourly earnings: ABS, Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021. Compared to all jobs median.

Weekly Earnings (Before Tax)

Source: Based on ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021, Customised Report. Median weekly total cash earnings for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate. Earnings are before tax and include amounts salary sacrificed. Earnings can vary greatly depending on the skills and experience of the worker and the demands of the role. These figures should be used as a guide only, not to determine a wage rate.
Earnings Laundry Workers All Jobs Average
Full-Time Earnings 1,094 1,593
Total Earnings 0 0

Source: Based on ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021, Customised Report. Median weekly total cash earnings for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate. Earnings are before tax and include amounts salary sacrificed. Earnings can vary greatly depending on the skills and experience of the worker and the demands of the role. These figures should be used as a guide only, not to determine a wage rate.


Industries

Main industries

1
Other Services
61.0%
2
Health Care and Social Assistance
27.6%
3
Manufacturing
3.8%
4
Administrative and Support Services
2.9%
5
Other industries
5.7%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

32.8% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

23.5% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

19.4% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

7.1% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

11.4% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

3.2% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

1.3% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

1.4% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Laundry Workers All Jobs Average
NSW 32.8 31.6
VIC 23.5 25.6
QLD 19.4 20.0
SA 7.1 7.0
WA 11.4 10.8
TAS 3.2 2.0
NT 1.3 1.0
ACT 1.4 1.9


  • Around 43% of Laundry Workers live outside of capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 38%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian states, territories and regions, in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
49
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
69%
All Jobs Average is 48%
  • The median age of Laundry Workers is 49 years. This is higher than the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 45 to 54 years.

    Females make up 69% of the workforce. This is 21 percentage points above the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Laundry Workers All Jobs Average
15-19 2.6 5.0
20-24 5.9 9.3
25-34 14.2 22.9
35-44 16.8 22.0
45-54 27.4 21.6
55-59 15.8 9.0
60-64 11.5 6.0
65 and Over 6.0 4.2
Median Age 49 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

Formal qualifications are not usually required to work as a Laundry Worker. Some workers have a certificate II or III in laundry or dry cleaning operations.

Visit

  • My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
  • AAPathways website to explore Property Services VET training pathways.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Laundry Workers All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 2.3 10.1
Bachelor degree 8.4 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 5.8 11.6
Certificate III/IV 12.5 21.1
Year 12 25.5 18.1
Year 11 7.1 4.8
Year 10 and below 38.4 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.


Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Laundry Workers who are reliable and hardworking.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 36%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 36%

    Operation monitoring

    Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

  • 34%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 34%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 34%

    Serving others

    Looking for ways to help people.

  • 32%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 32%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 32%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 32%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 32%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 30%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 30%

    Operation and control

    Controlling equipment or systems.

  • 30%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 30%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 30%

    Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • 30%

    Learning strategies

    Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.

  • 30%

    Negotiation

    Bringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.

  • 30%

    Persuasion

    Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.

  • 29%

    Management of personnel resources

    Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.

  • 29%

    Quality control analysis

    Doing tests and checking products, services, or processes to make sure they are working properly.


Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 41%

    Public safety and security

    Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.

  • 37%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 36%

    Production and processing

    Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.

  • 35%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 35%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 31%

    Chemistry

    Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.

  • 30%

    Computers and electronics

    Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • 29%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 28%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 23%

    Law and government

    How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.

  • 23%

    Sociology and anthropology

    Group behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.

  • 22%

    Clerical

    Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.

  • 21%

    Mechanical

    Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

  • 20%

    Transportation

    Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.

  • 19%

    Psychology

    Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.

  • 17%

    Communications and media

    Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.

  • 16%

    Engineering and technology

    Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.

  • 16%

    Foreign language

    Foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.

  • 14%

    Economics and accounting

    Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.

  • 14%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.


Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 45%

    Control precision

    Quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

  • 45%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 43%

    Finger dexterity

    Put together small parts with your fingers.

  • 43%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 43%

    Trunk strength

    Use your abdominal and lower back muscles a number of times without 'giving out' or fatiguing.

  • 41%

    Arm-hand steadiness

    Keep your hand or arm steady.

  • 41%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 39%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 37%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 37%

    Manual dexterity

    Quickly move your hand to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.

  • 37%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 36%

    Inductive reasoning

    Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.

  • 36%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 34%

    Selective attention

    Pay attention to something without being distracted.

  • 34%

    Sorting or ordering

    Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

  • 34%

    Extent flexibility

    Bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.

  • 32%

    Colour discrimination

    Notice differences between colours, including shades of colour and brightness.

  • 32%

    Multilimb coordination

    Use your arms and/or legs at the same time while sitting, standing, or lying down.

  • 32%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 32%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.


Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 59%

    Handling and moving objects

    Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, moving and manipulating objects.

  • 48%

    Controlling equipment or machines

    Operating machines or processes either directly or using controls (not including computers or vehicles).

  • 46%

    Planning and prioritising work

    Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

  • 46%

    Doing physically active work

    Use your arms, legs and whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling objects.

  • 43%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 41%

    Checking for errors or defects

    Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.

  • 40%

    Helping and caring for others

    Providing personal assistance, medical attention, or emotional support.

  • 40%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 39%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 38%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

    Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.

  • 36%

    Training and teaching others

    Understanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.

  • 36%

    Coordinating the work of a team

    Getting members of a group to work together to finish a task.

  • 35%

    Scheduling work and activities

    Working out the timing of events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.

  • 34%

    Leading and encouraging a team

    Encouraging and building trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.

  • 34%

    Guiding and directing staff

    Guiding and directing staff, including setting and monitoring performance standards.

  • 34%

    Managing payments and orders

    Monitoring and controlling resources and the spending of money.

  • 33%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

  • 32%

    Assessing and evaluating things

    Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.

  • 31%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 30%

    Checking compliance with standards

    Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.


Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 90%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

  • 48%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

  • 33%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • 19%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

  • 19%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.

  • 14%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.


Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
  • 52%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.

  • 48%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.

  • 38%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

  • 33%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

  • 29%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 29%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.


Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:
  • 92%

    Spend time standing

    Spend time standing at work.

  • 85%

    Health and safety of others

    Take responsibility for the health and safety of others.

  • 83%

    Making repetitive motions

    Spend time making repetitive motions.

  • 82%

    Pace of work set by equipment

    Pace of work depends on the speed of equipment or machinery.

  • 82%

    Wear common protective or safety equipment

    Wear equipment like safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets.

  • 80%

    Using your hands to handle, control, or feel

    Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.

  • 79%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 78%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 77%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 75%

    Responsible for outcomes

    Take responsibility for the results of other people's work.

  • 74%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 74%

    Walking and running

    Spend time walking and running.

  • 70%

    Indoors, heat controlled

    Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.

  • 70%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 69%

    Competition

    Compete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.

  • 68%

    Bending or twisting your body

    Spend time bending or twisting your body.

  • 65%

    Automation of tasks

    Do tasks that are mostly automated.

  • 65%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 64%

    Disease or infection

    Be exposed to disease or infections.

  • 64%

    Unstructured work

    Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 51-6011.00 - Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers.


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