All About Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors
Position Description Collect and dump refuse or recyclable materials from containers into truck. May drive truck.
Life As a Refuse & Recyclable Material Collector: What Do They Do?
- Clean trucks or compactor bodies after routes have been completed.
- Sort items set out for recycling and throw materials into designated truck compartments.
- Communicate with dispatchers concerning delays, unsafe sites, accidents, equipment breakdowns, or other maintenance problems.
- Operate automated or semi-automated hoisting devices that raise refuse bins and dump contents into openings in truck bodies.
- Dump refuse or recyclable materials at disposal sites.
- Dismount garbage trucks to collect garbage and remount trucks to ride to the next collection point.
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Things a Refuse & Recyclable Material Collector Should Know How to Do
Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.
Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Equipment Maintenance: Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
Operation Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Other Refuse & Recyclable Material Collector Job Titles
- Dumpman
- Trash Man
- Trash Truck Driver
- Solid Waste Collector
- Recyclable Materials Collector
Job Opportunities for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors
In 2016, there was an estimated number of 136,000 jobs in the United States for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collector. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 13.2% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 17,900 new jobs for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collector by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 18,900 job openings in this field each year.

The states with the most job growth for Refuse & Recyclable Material Collector are Utah, Missouri, and Georgia. Watch out if you plan on working in Alaska, Tennessee, or New Jersey. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Refuse & Recyclable Material Collector Salary
The typical yearly salary for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors is somewhere between $22,290 and $66,020.

Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors who work in Illinois, New York, or Washington, make the highest salaries.
How much do Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors make in different U.S. states?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $31,080 |
Alaska | $48,000 |
Arizona | $39,960 |
Arkansas | $29,090 |
California | $53,730 |
Colorado | $40,780 |
Connecticut | $44,290 |
Delaware | $40,840 |
Florida | $36,460 |
Georgia | $32,390 |
Hawaii | $37,290 |
Idaho | $35,670 |
Illinois | $57,680 |
Indiana | $33,840 |
Iowa | $33,460 |
Kansas | $32,420 |
Kentucky | $30,200 |
Louisiana | $33,300 |
Maine | $30,800 |
Maryland | $30,890 |
Massachusetts | $44,020 |
Michigan | $41,880 |
Minnesota | $40,240 |
Mississippi | $26,310 |
Missouri | $33,020 |
Montana | $38,840 |
Nebraska | $33,030 |
Nevada | $38,420 |
New Hampshire | $33,110 |
New Jersey | $36,730 |
New Mexico | $32,790 |
New York | $56,710 |
North Carolina | $29,370 |
North Dakota | $33,030 |
Ohio | $37,970 |
Oklahoma | $34,150 |
Oregon | $44,650 |
Pennsylvania | $37,640 |
Rhode Island | $36,620 |
South Carolina | $24,920 |
South Dakota | $26,750 |
Tennessee | $30,060 |
Texas | $34,500 |
Utah | $38,970 |
Vermont | $34,020 |
Virginia | $35,510 |
Washington | $51,780 |
West Virginia | $28,860 |
Wisconsin | $41,330 |
Wyoming | $37,150 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors:
- Computerized maintenance management system CMMS
- Global positioning system GPS software
- Payroll software
Becoming a Refuse & Recyclable Material Collector
What kind of Refuse and Recyclable Material Collector requirements are there?

How many years of work experience do I need?

Where Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors Are Employed

Below are examples of industries where Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors work:

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References:
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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