Median pay for refuse and recyclable material collectors in each state, from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025). Nationally the median is $49,690 a year across about 156,400 jobs. More about this career.
By state
Listed alphabetically to start; MajorPays does not rank states. Click a column heading to sort; shift-click more headings to sort by several columns as a group.
| State | Median pay | 10th to 90th percentile | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $46,240 | $29,500–$61,000 | 2,790 |
| Arizona | $46,910 | $33,480–$73,610 | 2,380 |
| Arkansas | $35,640 | $26,590–$51,570 | 1,600 |
| California | $64,890 | $45,970–$90,370 | 13,930 |
| Colorado | $60,310 | $39,580–$75,330 | 3,700 |
| Florida | $47,820 | $35,350–$61,450 | 11,650 |
| Georgia | $46,960 | $31,680–$60,330 | 4,830 |
| Illinois | $75,050 | $38,790–$88,640 | 4,910 |
| Indiana | $58,900 | $36,000–$64,680 | 3,180 |
| Iowa | $49,850 | $38,220–$63,350 | 1,780 |
| Kentucky | $43,100 | $29,610–$56,170 | 1,580 |
| Louisiana | $38,810 | $27,840–$59,010 | 2,200 |
| Maryland | $41,870 | $35,900–$61,210 | 3,120 |
| Massachusetts | $50,310 | $39,180–$73,090 | 1,010 |
| Michigan | $51,030 | $34,150–$76,360 | 4,020 |
| Minnesota | $62,570 | $47,260–$71,450 | 2,500 |
| Mississippi | $39,170 | $29,420–$58,340 | 1,970 |
| Missouri | $50,010 | $31,760–$71,270 | 1,930 |
| New Jersey | $54,630 | $37,590–$71,230 | 4,330 |
| New Mexico | $47,660 | $34,870–$61,040 | 1,070 |
| New York | $64,950 | $42,740–$86,720 | 11,630 |
| North Carolina | $44,670 | $25,140–$58,570 | 7,250 |
| Ohio | $49,330 | $35,840–$62,450 | 4,710 |
| Oklahoma | $43,060 | $31,030–$59,590 | 2,030 |
| Oregon | $63,210 | $53,270–$72,440 | 2,500 |
| Pennsylvania | $48,240 | $31,200–$66,660 | 6,220 |
| South Carolina | $34,880 | $22,340–$50,600 | 2,020 |
| Tennessee | $43,270 | $28,390–$61,400 | 2,550 |
| Texas | $46,330 | $30,830–$59,380 | 12,860 |
| Virginia | $46,530 | $28,120–$61,040 | 4,330 |
| Washington | $74,620 | $54,070–$88,990 | 3,750 |
| West Virginia | $35,840 | $26,520–$47,960 | 1,000 |
| Wisconsin | $59,810 | $33,360–$64,200 | 1,550 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025, state estimates (employees only; self-employed workers are not included); price-level adjustment uses the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (where 100 is the U.S. average; MajorPays' calculation). Wages are for an occupation in a state as a whole and vary widely by employer, experience, industry and place within the state. MajorPays selected and reorganized these figures; neither agency has approved or endorsed this presentation. See Data sources for each dataset's terms.