SOC 47-4041.00

    Hazardous Materials Removal Workers

    Identify, remove, pack, transport, or dispose of hazardous materials, including asbestos, lead-based paint, waste oil, fuel, transmission fluid, radioactive materials, or contaminated soil.

    Median pay
    $49,450
    Growth
    +1.5%
    Slower than average
    Openings a year
    4,300
    Typical education
    High school diploma

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

    See the pathway

    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $38,460
    Median
    $49,450
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $82,410
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    51,710 people work in this occupation.

    In short

    Hazardous materials removal workers identify, pack, transport, and safely dispose of dangerous substances like asbestos, lead paint, and radioactive waste. This career offers a median annual pay of $49,450.

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What hazardous materials removal workers do

    Job Zone 2: Some preparation

    Identify, remove, pack, transport, or dispose of hazardous materials, including asbestos, lead-based paint, waste oil, fuel, transmission fluid, radioactive materials, or contaminated soil. Specialized training and certification in hazardous materials handling or a confined entry permit are generally required. May operate earth-moving equipment or trucks.

    Usually a high school diploma; some on-the-job training or experience.

    What the work is like

    Workers in this field focus on identifying, removing, and disposing of dangerous materials such as fuel, contaminated soil, and asbestos. They must inspect equipment and monitor their surroundings constantly to ensure safety. The day-to-day work involves performing physical activities, gathering information, and making decisions to solve containment problems. Some workers may also operate trucks or earth-moving machinery to transport waste.

    This occupation strongly appeals to individuals with realistic interests who enjoy practical, hands-on tasks. Success in this role requires strong skills in monitoring, critical thinking, and operation control. Because of the dangerous nature of the materials, workers must have a solid knowledge of public safety, security, and chemistry. Key work styles include cautiousness, attention to detail, dependability, and high stress tolerance to manage hazardous situations safely.

    How to get there

    Entering this career typically requires a high school diploma. Most workers prepare through some on-the-job training or prior experience. For those looking to study in college, environmental control technologies and technicians is a related major that leads to this field.

    Specialized training and certification in handling hazardous materials or a permit for confined entry are generally required. Available certifications include the Student Certified Hazardous Materials Manager from the Institute of Hazardous Materials Management and the WSO - Certified Hazardous Materials Technician I from the World Safety Organization. Additionally, some states list a license for this type of work.

    Pay and outlook explained

    The median annual pay for these workers is $49,450. The lowest 10 percent of earners make less than $38,460, while the highest 10 percent earn more than $82,410. There are 51,710 people employed in this field. Between 2025 and 2035, employment is projected to grow by 1.5 percent, which is slower than average. Despite this slow growth rate, about 4,300 job openings are expected to become available each year.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R) · strongest
    100 / 100
    Investigative (I)
    26 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    0 / 100
    Social (S)
    8 / 100
    Enterprising (E)
    3 / 100
    Conventional (C)
    56 / 100
    How strongly each interest area describes the work, from O*NET (scores rescaled to 0–100). The interest code lists the strongest areas in order.

    Interest code RCI. Compare it with yours

    What you'd do

    Getting Information
    78
    Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
    70
    Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    68
    Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
    67
    Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
    66
    Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
    65
    Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
    61
    Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
    59
    Performing General Physical Activities
    59
    Thinking Creatively
    56
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

    • Monitoring
    • Critical Thinking
    • Active Listening
    • Coordination
    • Judgment and Decision Making
    • Operation and Control
    • Operations Monitoring
    • Reading Comprehension
    • Speaking
    • Time Management

    Knowledge

    • Public Safety and Security
    • Customer and Personal Service
    • Administration and Management
    • Education and Training
    • English Language
    • Transportation
    • Chemistry
    • Law and Government
    • Mechanical
    • Administrative

    Abilities

    • Problem Sensitivity
    • Oral Comprehension
    • Control Precision
    • Deductive Reasoning
    • Near Vision
    • Arm-Hand Steadiness
    • Category Flexibility
    • Information Ordering
    • Inductive Reasoning
    • Manual Dexterity

    Work styles

    • Cautiousness
    • Attention to Detail
    • Dependability
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Integrity
    • Perseverance
    • Self-Control
    • Adaptability
    • Cooperation
    • Self-Confidence

    Also called

    Abatement Worker · Asbestos Abatement Worker · Asbestos Coverer · Asbestos Handler · Asbestos Remover · Asbestos Technician (Asbestos Tech) · Asbestos Worker · Clandestine Laboratory Responder (Clan Lab Responder) · D and D Operator (Decontaminate and Decommissioning Operator) · D and D Operator (Decontamination and Decommissioning Operator)

    Career pathway

    From your interests to hazardous materials removal workers

    Interests that fit the work, the career, majors that lead there and colleges whose graduates in those majors earn the most. Hover or focus a step to follow one path.

    1. Interests

    2. This career

      • Hazardous Materials Removal Workers$49,450 median pay

    3. Majors

    4. Colleges

    College Scorecard program outcomes

    Colleges with strong outcomes

    Programs that lead to this career, ranked by what their graduates earn four years after finishing. Earnings are for graduates who received federal aid.

    1. 1The University of Findlay logo
      The University of Findlay

      Findlay, OH · Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      Not reported
      4 yrs after
      $94,131
      Median debt
      Not reported
    2. 2Rochester Institute of Technology logo
      Rochester Institute of Technology

      Rochester, NY · Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      Not reported
      4 yrs after
      $84,755
      Median debt
      $22,250
    3. 3Appalachian State University logo
      Appalachian State University

      Boone, NC · Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $47,866
      4 yrs after
      $69,956
      Median debt
      $22,500
    4. 4North Carolina State University at Raleigh logo
      North Carolina State University at Raleigh

      Raleigh, NC · Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $60,183
      4 yrs after
      $66,491
      Median debt
      Not reported

    Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025. Programs with few graduates are not listed.

    NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk

    Majors that lead here

    Related programs by four-digit CIP code. They are common routes in, not the only ones.

    CareerOneStop

    Certifications, licenses and pay by state

    What hazardous materials removal workers may need beyond a degree, where a license is required, and what the work pays in each state.

    Certifications

    Core certifications employers recognise for this work.

    Search all certifications on CareerOneStop

    Training

    Programs of study that prepare people for this work.

    • Hazardous Materials Management and Waste Technology/Technician

    Find training near you on CareerOneStop

    Licenses by state

    27 states list a license for this work. Open your state for the license and the agency that issues it.

    Check license requirements on CareerOneStop

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Your plan

    Build my pathway plan

    Courses, majors, colleges, scholarships and a timeline for this career, built from your profile.

    Related careers

    Careers with similar work, interests or skills.

    All careers

    Questions about hazardous materials removal workers

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What are some alternative job titles for this career?

    People in this field are also called abatement workers, asbestos handlers, or asbestos technicians. Other titles include clandestine laboratory responders and decontamination and decommissioning operators.

    What kind of certifications can workers earn?

    Workers can obtain credentials such as the Student Certified Hazardous Materials Manager or the WSO - Certified Hazardous Materials Technician I. Some states also list specific licensing requirements for this profession.

    What other careers are similar to this one?

    Related occupations include recycling and reclamation workers, water and wastewater treatment plant operators, and highway maintenance workers. Other similar roles are septic tank servicers, refuse collectors, and insulation workers.

    Sources and attribution

    Every figure on this page comes from these public datasets. Missing values are shown as not reported, never estimated.

    O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Page data updated November 5, 2026.