Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors Salary: $65,853 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 139,180 refuse and recyclable material collectors nationally earn a mean of $65,853. Employment in the series shown rose about 4% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 1.2% annual decline.
Key Statistics
Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors: what the data shows
Common questions about refuse and recyclable material collectors careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a refuse and recyclable material collectors?
Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 53-7081.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 139,180 workers.
What does a refuse and recyclable material collectors do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include 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, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a refuse and recyclable material collectors make?
BLS national median annual wage: $48,350 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $65,853 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $42,611 |
| 25th percentile | $52,537 |
| Median (50th) | $63,149 |
| 75th percentile | $75,758 |
| 90th percentile | $96,183 |
What education do you need?
For Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Operation and Control, Operations Monitoring, Speaking, Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Equipment Maintenance, and knowledge areas including Mechanical, English Language, Transportation, Customer and Personal Service. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is refuse and recyclable material collectors in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 1.2% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -5.9%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -11.5%.
Current U.S. headcount: 139,180.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do refuse and recyclable material collectorss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 139,180 | 18.8% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 94,740 | 12.8% |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 91,490 | 12.4% |
| Waste Management and Remediation Services | 87,670 | 11.8% |
| Waste Collection | 67,960 | 9.2% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 44,440 | 6.0% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors workforce.
Employment Over Time
139,180 Workforce in 2023
The Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$65,853 Average Wage
In 2023, Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors earned an average of $65,853.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors.
Salary distribution for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors.
Employment Growth Projections
-1.2% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
46,518 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -5.9%
43,752 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -11.5%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors.
Wage Trends by Industry
-1.0% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 13,240 employees, $64,290 avg wage
- NY: 11,240 employees, $65,260 avg wage
- TX: 10,720 employees, $45,060 avg wage
- FL: 9,690 employees, $47,180 avg wage
- NC: 6,460 employees, $40,690 avg wage
- PA: 5,800 employees, $43,700 avg wage
- OH: 5,000 employees, $49,160 avg wage
- IL: 4,940 employees, $62,680 avg wage
- GA: 4,790 employees, $46,320 avg wage
- NJ: 4,710 employees, $52,730 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 13,230 employees, $63,930 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 3,940 employees, $60,730 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 3,560 employees, $65,950 avg wage
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 2,860 employees, $48,950 avg wage
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 2,820 employees, $47,430 avg wage
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL: 2,530 employees, $49,790 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 2,520 employees, $47,550 avg wage
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 2,420 employees, $44,810 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 2,380 employees, $48,400 avg wage
- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA: 2,210 employees, $72,270 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors.
Diversity
Demographic information on Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors in 2023 was 139,180 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors in 2023 were Business Administration, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors workers.
Education level distribution for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors.
Skills
Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors need many skills, but most especially Operation and Control, Operations Monitoring, Speaking, Active Listening, Critical Thinking.
Required skills for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors include Mechanical, English Language, Transportation, Customer and Personal Service, Public Safety and Security.
Knowledge areas required for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors include Multilimb Coordination, Arm-Hand Steadiness, Static Strength, Reaction Time, Manual Dexterity.
Required abilities for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors.
Daily Activities
Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors spend their time on activities such as 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.
Most important work activities for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors.
About
Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors
The average yearly wage for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors was $65,853 in 2023.
SOC Code
53-7081 - Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors reports an average salary of $65,853.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 139,180 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -1.2%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.