Collect and dump refuse or recyclable materials from containers into truck. May drive truck.
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Licensing, certifications and working conditions
State licensing. Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors is licensed or registered in 5 of 57 states and territories, as reported by each state to CareerOneStop. A license often applies only to certain roles within a career, and records were last updated between 2010 and 2024, so confirm requirements with the state licensing board.
Certifications. CareerOneStop directly links 2 professional certifications to Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors. 1 of them are in CareerOneStop's "Core" group, for example: Transfer Station Management. Certifications are voluntary credentials offered by the organizations named; listing one is not an endorsement.
Working conditions. The typical heaviest weight lifted or carried is about 50.0 pounds. For 5.0% of workers the job requires light strength. Shares of workers who have a consistently fast work pace (70.9%), and are exposed to the outdoors (over 65%). 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
Pay by education level. Among full-time, year-round refuse and recyclable material collectors ages 25 to 64, median yearly pay is $44,200 with a high school diploma or GED, $48,700 with some college or an associate's degree and $46,500 with a bachelor's degree (Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2024 dollars). Pay differs for many reasons besides education, such as experience, employer and location.
Industries that employ this career. The largest shares of refuse and recyclable material collectors work in Administrative, Support and Waste Management (72%), Manufacturing (7%), Wholesale Trade (4%) and Health Care and Social Assistance (2%) (Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2024).
Where the jobs are, and what they pay by industry. Nationwide, the industries that employ the most refuse and recyclable material collectors are Waste Collection (53% of the jobs counted, median pay $50,600), Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (30% of the jobs counted, median pay $47,020), Waste Treatment and Disposal (11% of the jobs counted, median pay $60,040), Employment Services (2% of the jobs counted, median pay $35,350) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). Among large industries, the highest median pay is in Waste Treatment and Disposal ($60,040), Waste Collection ($50,600), Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals ($47,020). Pay differs by industry for many reasons, including the mix of jobs and where employers are located.
Injury and illness rates. For refuse and recyclable material collectors, employers reported 320.1 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 refuse and recyclable material collectors.
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 refuse and recyclable material collectors, 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 refuse and recyclable material collectors are: wear common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, hard hats, or life jackets (100%), outdoors, exposed to all weather conditions (95%), in an enclosed vehicle or operate enclosed equipment (90%), spend time making repetitive motions (77%), exposed to very hot or cold temperatures (76%), time pressure (74%). 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 on-site or in-plant training, the most common answer (81% of 20 respondents) was "up to and including 1 month"; for on-the-job training, the most common answer (69% of 20 respondents) was "anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month". 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 refuse and recyclable material collectors in the work done and the skills used: Recycling and Reclamation Workers, Hazardous Materials Removal Workers, Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers, Recycling Coordinators, Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders, Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners, Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators, Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Pay by state. See what refuse and recyclable material collectors earn in each state, with the pay range and number of jobs: Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors salary by state (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025).
Compare refuse and recyclable material collectors 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 →