Average Salary for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors
SOC 53-7081 · Transportation and Material Moving Occupations · 2024 data
The median annual wage for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors in the United States is $48,350 ($23.24/hr), based on 2024 BLS OEWS data. Wages range from $31,810 at the 10th percentile to $75,200 at the 90th percentile nationally. An estimated 139,180 people work in this occupation across the country. The national median wage has grown 27.8% since 2019.
Median Annual
$48,350
Mean Annual
$51,210
10th Pct
$31,810
75th Pct
$61,010
Employment
139,180
Salary Distribution
$32k
10th
$38k
25th
$48k
Median
$61k
75th
$75k
90th
Highest Paying Metro Areas
| Metro Area | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $77,300 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $76,760 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | $74,240 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $72,380 |
| Napa, CA | $70,690 |
| Merced, CA | $66,690 |
| Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI | $65,580 |
| Reno, NV | $65,440 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $64,880 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $64,530 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $64,050 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $63,670 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $63,560 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $63,410 |
| Yakima, WA | $63,300 |
Salary by State
| State | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| 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 |
National Wage Trend
View data table
| Year | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $48,350 |
| 2023 | $45,760 |
| 2022 | $43,540 |
| 2021 | $38,500 |
| 2020 | $39,100 |
| 2019 | $37,840 |