Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors Career, Salary and Skills
Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $49,690 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 147,240. Wage data is published for 366 locations.
Occupation description
Collect and dump refuse or recyclable materials from containers into truck. May drive truck.
O*NET code
53-7081.00
Job zone
2
Typical education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
Experience
Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
National salary and employment
Median annual
$49,690
Hourly median
$23.89
Employment
147,240
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Operations Monitoring | 3.00 | 2.62 |
| Operation and Control | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Speaking | 2.88 | 2.00 |
| Active Listening | 2.88 | 2.50 |
| Critical Thinking | 2.75 | 2.62 |
| Equipment Maintenance | 2.75 | 2.00 |
| Reading Comprehension | 2.62 | 2.00 |
| Coordination | 2.62 | 2.50 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 2.50 | 2.12 |
| Monitoring | 2.50 | 2.00 |
Typical tasks
- 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.
Technology
- AMCS Platform
- Computerized maintenance management system CMMS
- Dossier software
- Fleet management software
- Global positioning system GPS software
- Mileage logging software
- Payroll software
- Routeware software
- Squeegee
- WAM software
Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors Salary in CAMedian $64,890 · Employment 13,930
- Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors Salary in New York, NYMedian $65,310 · Employment 13,310
- Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors Salary in TXMedian $46,330 · Employment 12,860
- Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors Salary in FLMedian $47,820 · Employment 11,650
- Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors Salary in NYMedian $64,950 · Employment 11,630
- Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors Salary in NCMedian $44,670 · Employment 7,250
- Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors Salary in PAMedian $48,240 · Employment 6,220
- Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors Salary in ILMedian $75,050 · Employment 4,910
- Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors Salary in GAMedian $46,960 · Employment 4,830
- Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors Salary in OHMedian $49,330 · Employment 4,710
- Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors Salary in VAMedian $46,530 · Employment 4,330
- Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors Salary in NJMedian $54,630 · Employment 4,330
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Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.