---

Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors in Washington

Thinking about a career as a Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors in Washington? Here’s what the data says. Collect and dump refuse or recyclable materials from containers into truck. May drive truck.

What do Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors Make in Washington?

For refuse and recyclable material collectors working in Washington, wages run about $71,440 per year (or roughly $34.35/hour).Pay can range from $49,730 at the 10th percentile to $88,520 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic	Annual	Hourly
10th percentile	$49,730	$23.91
25th percentile	$60,870	$29.26
Median (50th)	$71,440	$34.35
75th percentile	$78,070	$37.53
90th percentile	$88,520	$42.56

The location quotient — a measure of how concentrated this occupation is in Washington relative to the national average — is 1.22, suggesting that refuse and recyclable material collectors are more concentrated here than the national average.

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, refuse and recyclable material collectors earn a median of $34,777 per year ($16.72/hour), higher than the Washington median.

Employment Outlook

There are roughly 620,047 refuse and recyclable material collectors in the U.S.. In Washington alone, about 3,890 people work in this role. That’s higher than the typical state, which employs around 2,030 refuse and recyclable material collectors.

Top Washington Metros for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors

The largest metro-area employers of refuse and recyclable material collectors in Washington.

Metro Area	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	2,210	$77,300
Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA	320	$62,040
Kennewick-Richland, WA	120	$62,930
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA	120	$60,930
Yakima, WA	60	$63,300
Walla Walla, WA	30	$60,330

Top States for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors Employment

View the states that employ the most refuse and recyclable material collectors work.

State	Number Employed
California	13,240
New York	11,240
Texas	10,720
Florida	9,690
North Carolina	6,460
Pennsylvania	5,800
Ohio	5,000
Illinois	4,940
Georgia	4,790
New Jersey	4,710
Washington	3,890
Virginia	3,720
Michigan	3,680
Colorado	3,410
Indiana	2,980
Maryland	2,710
Tennessee	2,630
South Carolina	2,600
Minnesota	2,260
Louisiana	2,200

Highest-Paying States for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors

Where refuse and recyclable material collectors earn the most: refuse and recyclable material collectors.

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

Skills

Key refuse and recyclable material collectors skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Knowledge Areas

Core knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Abilities

Key abilities for refuse and recyclable material collectors, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Daily Tasks

Day-to-day, refuse and recyclable material collectors typically:

• 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.
• Communicate with dispatchers concerning delays, unsafe sites, accidents, equipment breakdowns, or other maintenance problems.
• Check road or weather conditions to determine how routes will be affected.
• Clean trucks or compactor bodies after routes have been completed.
• Tag garbage or recycling containers to inform customers of problems, such as excess garbage or inclusion of items that are not permitted.

Work Activities

• Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment
• Performing General Physical Activities
• Handling and Moving Objects
• Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
• Getting Information
• Controlling Machines and Processes
• Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
• Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
• Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment
• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events

Tools & Technology

Software and systems commonly involved:

• AMCS Platform (analytical or scientific software)
• Computerized maintenance management system CMMS (facilities management software)
• Dossier software (data base user interface and query software)
• Fleet management software (materials requirements planning logistics and supply chain software)
• Global positioning system GPS software (mobile location based services software)
• Mileage logging software (data base user interface and query software)
• Payroll software (time accounting software)
• Routeware software (map creation software)
• Squeegee (cloud-based data access and sharing software)
• WAM software (compliance software)

Related Careers

Other careers like refuse and recyclable material collectors include:

• Pile Driver Operators
• Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
• Hazardous Materials Removal Workers
• Highway Maintenance Workers
• Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners
• Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining

Also Known As

Collector, Disposal Man, Disposal Worker, Dumpman, Front Load Trash Truck Driver, Front Loader Residential Driver, Garbage Collection Sanitation Engineer, Garbage Collector, Garbage Man, Garbage Person, Garbage Pick Up Man, Garbage Pick Up Worker, Garbage Worker, Junkman, Limb Driver.

References

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
• O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
• BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
• O*NET-SOC code: 53-7081.00