Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors
Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors is a dynamic career path with diverse opportunities. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Cross-industry and Cross-industry, Private Ownership only. The field combines competitive compensation with strong employment opportunities, making it an attractive career path.
Key Statistics
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors workforce.
Employment Over Time
13,240 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.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 10,970 employees, $67,157 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 3,180 employees, $62,765 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 970 employees, $61,766 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 960 employees, $84,168 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 960 employees, $77,770 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 950 employees, $67,666 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 860 employees, $65,003 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 820 employees, $74,431 avg wage
- Fresno MSA: 360 employees, $55,753 avg wage
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA: 320 employees, $65,095 avg wage
- Modesto MSA: 270 employees, $65,771 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 13,240 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 13,240 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.