Supervise curbside and drop-off recycling programs for municipal governments or private firms.
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Licensing, certifications and working conditions
About these figures. In its May 2025 wage data and 2025-2035 projections, BLS reports this occupation together with others under the combined code 53-1047 ("First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors"). The wage, growth, openings and employment figures above describe that combined group, not this occupation alone. Skills, interests and other O*NET details are specific to this career.
State licensing. CareerOneStop's licensing data records no state license for Recycling Coordinators, which usually means it is not a licensed occupation. Requirements can still vary by employer and state.
Certifications. CareerOneStop directly links 2 professional certifications to Recycling Coordinators. 1 of them are in CareerOneStop's "Core" group, for example: Managing Composting Programs. Certifications are voluntary credentials offered by the organizations named; listing one is not an endorsement.
Working conditions. On average, workers stand or walk about 5.7 hours and sit about 2.4 hours per day. The typical heaviest weight lifted or carried is about 30.0 pounds. For 40.2% of workers the job requires medium strength. Shares of workers who interact with the general public (64.6%), have a consistently fast work pace (48.5%), cannot pause their work (5.5%), and are exposed to the outdoors (34.4%). From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Requirements Survey (2023 estimates); figures describe the occupation on average.
Sources: CareerOneStop (licenses and certifications), part of the CareerOneStop suite of web products, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (working conditions, wages). MajorPays has reorganized this information; these agencies have not approved or endorsed it. See it interactively, with state-by-state detail →
More data on this career
Injury and illness rates. For the broader group "First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers", which includes this career (BLS did not publish enough cases for this exact occupation), employers reported 74.0 nonfatal injury and illness cases with days away from work per 10,000 full-time workers, compared with 94.6 for all U.S. workers; the median case kept the worker away 8 days (all workers: 8) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023-2024). Rates reflect the work setting as well as the occupation.
Union membership. In the broad group "Transportation and material moving", which includes this career, 12.8% of wage and salary workers belong to a union (all U.S. workers: 10.0%); median weekly pay is $1,174 for union members and $866 for workers not in a union (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, 2025). This is a group figure, not specific to recycling coordinators.
Employer benefits. In the broad group "Transportation and material moving", which includes this career, 80% of civilian workers had access to an employer retirement plan, 76% had access to employer medical care benefits, and 82% had paid sick leave, 86% paid vacation and 85% paid holidays (all civilian workers: 75%, 74%, 83%, 77% and 79%) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Compensation Survey, March 2026). This is a group figure, not specific to recycling coordinators, and having access to a benefit does not mean every worker uses it. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has not endorsed this presentation. Employers spent about $37.05 per hour worked on total compensation for the occupational group "Transportation and material moving" in June 2026 ($25.16 in wages and salaries and $11.89 in benefits, 32.1% of the total; all civilian workers: $49.46, with 31.6% in benefits) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employer Costs for Employee Compensation).
Work environment. In O*NET's survey of workers in this occupation, the conditions most often placed at the two highest levels for recycling coordinators are: contact with others (100%), determine tasks, priorities and goals (98%), freedom to make decisions (97%), e-mail (97%), face-to-face discussions with individuals and within teams (97%), frequency of decision making (95%). Each percentage is the share of respondents choosing the top two levels for that condition (for example 'most of the time' or 'continually'), so it describes how common the condition is in the job, not how a particular workplace is (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Typical preparation. In O*NET's survey of workers in this occupation, for related work experience, the most common answer (27% of 21 respondents) was "over 1 year, up to and including 2 years"; for on-site or in-plant training, the most common answer (26% of 21 respondents) was "up to and including 1 month"; for on-the-job training, the most common answer (33% of 21 respondents) was "over 1 month, up to and including 3 months". These are what workers report is needed to do the job; employers' requirements and individual paths vary (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Related careers. O*NET lists these occupations as similar to recycling coordinators in the work done and the skills used: Recycling and Reclamation Workers, First-Line Supervisors of Material-Moving Machine and Vehicle Operators, First-Line Supervisors of Helpers, Laborers, and Material Movers, Hand, First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers, Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors, First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers, First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers, Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Compare recycling coordinators with other careers (pay, growth, openings and education side by side).
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 PUMS (MajorPays' own estimates from the survey; Census is credited as the source of the original data and has not endorsed them); BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses; BLS Current Population Survey; BLS National Compensation Survey (employee benefits); HRSA National Center for Health Workforce Analysis; U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification (LCA disclosure data, FY2025). MajorPays has selected and reorganized these figures; these agencies have not approved or endorsed them. See it interactively →