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Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors: Career Overview
Collect and dump refuse or recyclable materials from containers into truck. May drive truck.
What Tasks Do Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors Do?
The day-to-day responsibilities of refuse and recyclable material collectors cover:
- Inspect trucks prior to beginning routes to ensure safe operating condition.
- Drive trucks, following established routes, through residential streets or alleys or through business or industrial areas.
- Refuel trucks or add other fluids, such as oil or brake fluid.
- Dump refuse or recyclable materials at disposal sites.
- Fill out defective equipment reports.
- Operate automated or semi-automated hoisting devices that raise refuse bins and dump contents into openings in truck bodies.
- Dismount garbage trucks to collect garbage and remount trucks to ride to the next collection point.
- Operate equipment that compresses collected refuse.
Skills and Knowledge
Effective refuse and recyclable material collectors rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
The abilities most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Other Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors Job Titles
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Collector
- Disposal Man
- Disposal Worker
- Dumpman
- Front Load Trash Truck Driver
- Front Loader Residential Driver
- Garbage Collection Sanitation Engineer
- Garbage Collector
Job Outlook
There are about 620,047 refuse and recyclable material collectors working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to grow by +4.9% over the projection horizon.
Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $34,777 |
| Hourly median | $16.72 |
| 10th percentile | $20,000 |
| 25th percentile | $27,378 |
| 75th percentile | $42,175 |
| 90th percentile | $49,573 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Washington | $71,440 |
| Nevada | $65,440 |
| New York | $64,550 |
| Illinois | $61,880 |
| California | $61,650 |
| Minnesota | $61,630 |
| Oregon | $61,040 |
| Colorado | $60,610 |
| Wisconsin | $60,390 |
| Massachusetts | $59,540 |
| Michigan | $59,290 |
| Indiana | $59,260 |
| Hawaii | $55,330 |
| District of Columbia | $53,870 |
| Rhode Island | $51,450 |
| Montana | $51,230 |
| Utah | $50,720 |
| New Jersey | $50,700 |
| North Dakota | $50,440 |
| Vermont | $49,200 |
| Iowa | $48,830 |
| Ohio | $48,730 |
| Idaho | $48,200 |
| Wyoming | $47,970 |
| Nebraska | $47,490 |
| Delaware | $46,950 |
| Florida | $46,890 |
| New Mexico | $46,810 |
| Missouri | $46,760 |
| Virginia | $46,080 |
| Connecticut | $45,760 |
| Texas | $45,710 |
| Maine | $43,220 |
| Georgia | $43,000 |
| Pennsylvania | $42,690 |
| New Hampshire | $42,690 |
| Kansas | $42,540 |
| North Carolina | $40,500 |
| Maryland | $40,080 |
| Alabama | $39,850 |
| Arizona | $39,650 |
| Tennessee | $38,570 |
| South Carolina | $37,380 |
| Kentucky | $36,930 |
| Louisiana | $36,890 |
| Oklahoma | $36,850 |
| Alaska | $36,830 |
| Arkansas | $36,640 |
| West Virginia | $36,630 |
| Mississippi | $36,070 |
| South Dakota | $33,030 |
| Puerto Rico | $19,760 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Earnings for refuse and recyclable material collectors differ across the country. The following regions pay the most:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $62,905 | 14.8% | 0.93 |
| Great Lakes | $57,135 | 12.7% | 0.93 |
| Rocky Mountains | $56,268 | 4.0% | 1.13 |
| Middle Atlantic | $53,880 | 18.0% | 1.20 |
| New England | $50,208 | 2.7% | 0.68 |
| Plains States | $50,058 | 6.6% | 1.03 |
| Southwest | $43,901 | 11.3% | 0.95 |
| Southeast | $41,682 | 28.6% | 1.19 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $77,300 | 2,210 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $76,760 | 960 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | IA | $74,240 | 820 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $72,380 | 1,920 |
| Napa, CA | CA | $70,690 | 100 |
| Merced, CA | CA | $66,690 | |
| Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI | WI | $65,580 | 70 |
| Reno, NV | NV | $65,440 | 190 |
Which Industries Hire Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors
Most refuse and recyclable material collectors are concentrated in the following sectors:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 91,490 | $49,390 |
| Wholesale Trade | 1,240 | $52,610 |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 690 | $54,640 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 520 | $35,260 |
| Educational Services | 320 | $39,070 |
| Manufacturing | 140 | $45,130 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 60 | $79,570 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Software Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors Use
- Analytical or scientific software: AMCS Platform
- Facilities management software: Computerized maintenance management system CMMS
- Data base user interface and query software: Dossier software
- Materials requirements planning logistics and supply chain software: Fleet management software
- Mobile location based services software: Global positioning system GPS software
- Data base user interface and query software: Mileage logging software
- Time accounting software: Payroll software
- Map creation software: Routeware software
- Cloud-based data access and sharing software: Squeegee
- Compliance software: WAM software
The Day-to-Day Environment
The on-the-job environment of refuse and recyclable material collectors is shaped by the following characteristics:
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
- Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions
- In an Enclosed Vehicle or Operate Enclosed Equipment
- Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions
- Exposed to Contaminants
Getting Started in This Career
Most refuse and recyclable material collectors positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Pile Driver Operators (Supplemental)
- Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators (Primary-Long)
- Hazardous Materials Removal Workers (Primary-Short)
- Highway Maintenance Workers (Supplemental)
- Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners (Primary-Long)
- Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining (Supplemental)
- Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining (Supplemental)
- Helpers–Extraction Workers (Supplemental)
References
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 53-7081.00 (Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors).
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