vehicle cleaner
Vehicle cleaners clean and polish surfaces of external parts and interiors of vehicles.
vehicle cleaner vehicle cleaners clean and polish surfaces of external parts and interiors of vehicles. The role shows low AI exposure (0.30 on a 0-1 scale) — the role's core work resists automation. The most in-demand skills for the role include car cleaning procedures, car controls, types of vehicles, follow procedures to control substances hazardous to health, manage stocked company material.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £26,598 a year for Vehicle valeters and cleaners (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
Middle half of full-time jobs: £24,110 to £30,383 a year
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 9226). ONS rates this estimate precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Elementary occupations” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only vehicle cleaner, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 9. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Transportation
- Administration and Management
- Public Safety and Security
- Production and Processing
- Mechanical
- Education and Training
What you'd actually do
- Rinse objects and place them on drying racks or use cloth, squeegees, or air compressors to dry surfaces.
- Apply paints, dyes, polishes, reconditioners, waxes, or masking materials to vehicles to preserve, protect, or restore color or condition.
- Clean and polish vehicle windows.
- Drive vehicles to or from workshops or customers' workplaces or homes.
- Scrub, scrape, or spray machine parts, equipment, or vehicles, using scrapers, brushes, clothes, cleaners, disinfectants, insecticides, acid, abrasives, vacuums, or hoses.
- Inspect parts, equipment, or vehicles for cleanliness, damage, and compliance with standards or regulations.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does vehicle cleaner do?
Vehicle cleaners clean and polish surfaces of external parts and interiors of vehicles.
What skills does vehicle cleaner need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include car cleaning procedures, car controls, types of vehicles, follow procedures to control substances hazardous to health, manage stocked company material, handle chemical cleaning agents. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace vehicle cleaner?
Our AI-durability model gives vehicle cleaner a score of 0.30 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at low AI exposure — the role's core work resists current-generation automation. It's a comparatively AI-durable choice within its field.