Occupation Profile

Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers

(SOC Code : 51-6011)

in California

Operate or tend washing or dry-cleaning machines to wash or dry-clean industrial or household articles, such as cloth garments, suede, leather, furs, blankets, draperies, fine linens, rugs, and carpets. Include spotters and dyers of these articles.

Employers usually expect an employee in this occupation to be able to do the job after Moderate-term on-the-job training (1-12 months) .

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Occupational Wages

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Area	Year	Period	Hourly Mean	Hourly by Percentile
				25th	Median	75th
California	2012	1st Qtr	$10.68	$9.15	$10.17	$11.53

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Occupational Projections of Employment (also called "Outlook" or "Demand")

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Area	Estimated Year-Projected Year	Employment		Employment Change		Annual Avg Openings
		Estimated	Projected	Number	Percent
California	2010 - 2020	20,800	23,900	3,100	14.9	700

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Job Openings from JobCentral National Labor Exchange

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Within miles of Zip Code.

Industries Employing This Occupation (click on Industry Title to View Employers List)

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Industry Title

Number of Employers in State of California

Percent of Total
Employment for Occupation in State of California

Drycleaning and Laundry Services

8,395

51.3%

Accommodation

11,143

15.5%

Nursing Care Facilities

2,386

10.8%

General Medical and Surgical Hospitals

1,393

2.7%

Community Care Facility for the Elderly

5,152

2.0%

Consumer Goods Rental

3,440

1.0%

About Staffing Patterns

Data for Training Programs not available.

About Training & Apprenticeships

About This Occupation (from O*NET - The Occupation Information Network)

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Top Tasks (Specific duties and responsibilities of this job.)

Receive and mark articles for laundry or dry cleaning with identifying code numbers or names, using hand or machine markers.

Start washers, dry cleaners, driers, or extractors, and turn valves or levers to regulate machine processes and the volume of soap, detergent, water, bleach, starch, and other additives.

Sort and count articles removed from dryers, and fold, wrap, or hang them.

Examine and sort into lots articles to be cleaned, according to color, fabric, dirt content, and cleaning technique required.

Load articles into washers or dry-cleaning machines, or direct other workers to perform loading.

Mix and add detergents, dyes, bleaches, starches, and other solutions and chemicals to clean, color, dry, or stiffen articles.

Remove items from washers or dry-cleaning machines, or direct other workers to do so.

Clean machine filters, and lubricate equipment.

Operate extractors and driers, or direct their operation.

Inspect soiled articles to determine sources of stains, to locate color imperfections, and to identify items requiring special treatment.

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Top Skills used in this Job

Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Operation and Control - Controlling operations of equipment or systems.

Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

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

Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others` reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Time Management - Managing one`s own time and the time of others.

Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

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Data for Tasks not available.

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Top Work Values (Aspects of this job that create satisfaction.)

Relationships - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment.

Support - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees.

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Top Interests (The types of activities someone in this job would like.)

Realistic - Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Conventional - Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

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