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Building caretaker

Also called caretaker, site caretaker, building manager

Building caretakers maintain and monitor the condition and security of buildings. They clean, assist with minor repairs and ensure that amenities such as heating and hot water are available to the residents. Building caretakers are responsible for the quality of buildings and also serve as a contact person for residents.

Will there be jobs?Average prospects26 jobs to fill by 2035 for every 100 people doing this work today.Personal service workersWhat does it pay?Below averageFrom about €900 (Bulgaria) to €3,900 (Denmark) a month, depending on the country.Estimate · Personal service workersWhat do I need to study?Upper secondary or vocational6 in 10 finished upper secondary or vocational training.Personal service workersWill AI change it?LittleLevel 2 of 6. AI could take on part of some tasks, but none fully.Building caretakers · ILO

What you'd do

Building caretakers · ILO
  • Supervising the work of cleaning, housekeeping and building maintenance staff and contractors
  • Participating in cleaning, simple repairs and maintenance of building interiors
  • Tending furnaces and boilers to ensure provision of heat and hot water
  • Regulating conduct of tenants and visitors in such matters as noise abatement or misuse of property
  • Providing small services to absent tenants such as accepting deliveries on their behalf or providing requested information to callers
  • Notifying management and owners of buildings of the need for major repairs
  • Patrolling buildings to ensure security is maintained
  • Filling out registration forms and providing tenants with copies of rules
Manage cleaning activitiesRegister information on arrivals and departuresExecute inspection walkwayManage ground maintenanceHandle customer complaints+ 4 more essential skills
What the work is like
  • Indoors
  • A mix of sitting and standing
  • Constant contact with people, including the public
  • Good freedom to decide
  • Often more than 40 hours a week
  • Deadlines most weeks
  • Some repetitive tasks
US data: based on the O*NET profile of the US job "Facilities Managers"

Will there be jobs?

Average prospects

A typical number of jobs will need filling by 2035.

People working as personal service workers in the EU
10.21m10.63m10.46m 201520232035

Solid: measured. Dashed: forecast.

Jobs to fill, 2026–2035
3,074,000 replacing leavers 244,000 jobs disappear
Jobs to fill per 100 people working now
Personal service workers26
All jobs29
Right now
4 of 27 countries report a shortage of building caretakers, 8 a surplus.
Building caretakers · EURES

What does it pay?

Below average

Pay depends a lot on the country: from about €900 a month (Bulgaria) to €3,900 (Denmark), before tax.

Pick a country at the top of the page to see typical pay there, for people under 30, and compared with all jobs.

Among service and sales workers in the EU, women earn 3% less per hour than men. Service and sales workers · Eurostat

What do I need to study?

Upper secondary or vocational

Upper secondary or vocational training is the usual route.

Highest qualification of personal service workers (EU, 2025)
Degree 15%Vocational 46%General secondary 16%Basic schooling 23%

Pick a country at the top of the page to see where to study and the official course finders.

Will AI change it?

Little

AI could take on part of some tasks, but none fully.

How exposed is this job? ILO scale
Very low
Low
Some tasks
Moderate
Significant
High

Average task score 0.27 on a scale from 0 (AI can't do it) to 1 (AI could do it fully).

See the score for each of the 8 tasks
Filling out registration forms and providing tenants with copies of rules0.57
Providing small services to absent tenants such as accepting deliveries on their behalf or providing requested information to callers0.41
Notifying management and owners of buildings of the need for major repairs0.29
Supervising the work of cleaning, housekeeping and building maintenance staff and contractors0.22
Tending furnaces and boilers to ensure provision of heat and hot water0.20
Regulating conduct of tenants and visitors in such matters as noise abatement or misuse of property0.20
Patrolling buildings to ensure security is maintained0.15
Participating in cleaning, simple repairs and maintenance of building interiors0.09

Based on what AI could technically do when assessed in 2025. It is not a forecast for a future year, and not a forecast of job losses. Scores for building caretakers. Source: ILO (2025), adapted (credits).