SOC 53-7062.04Bright outlook

    Recycling and Reclamation Workers

    Prepare and sort materials or products for recycling.

    Median pay
    $40,240
    Growth
    +1.8%
    Slower than average
    Openings a year
    340,500
    Typical education
    No formal credential

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections · figures for the broader BLS group "Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand"

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    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $31,270
    Median
    $40,240
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $55,140
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    2,950,280 people work in this occupation.

    What recycling and reclamation workers do

    Job Zone 2: Some preparation

    Prepare and sort materials or products for recycling. Identify and remove hazardous substances. Dismantle components of products such as appliances.

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

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R) · strongest
    88 / 100
    Investigative (I)
    17 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    0 / 100
    Social (S)
    5 / 100
    Enterprising (E)
    10 / 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

    Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
    86
    Controlling Machines and Processes
    79
    Handling and Moving Objects
    77
    Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
    77
    Getting Information
    73
    Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment
    66
    Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
    66
    Performing General Physical Activities
    65
    Training and Teaching Others
    64
    Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
    63
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

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

    Knowledge

    • Production and Processing
    • Mechanical
    • Administration and Management
    • Public Safety and Security
    • Education and Training
    • Customer and Personal Service
    • English Language
    • Personnel and Human Resources
    • Sales and Marketing
    • Engineering and Technology

    Abilities

    • Manual Dexterity
    • Control Precision
    • Arm-Hand Steadiness
    • Multilimb Coordination
    • Near Vision
    • Category Flexibility
    • Finger Dexterity
    • Trunk Strength
    • Flexibility of Closure
    • Information Ordering

    Also called

    Auto Dismantler · Bobcat Driver · Box Sorter · Computer Recycling Worker · Convenience Recycle Center Technician (Convenience Recycle Center Tech) · Deconstruction and Decontamination Waste Operations Specialist (D and D Waste Operations Specialist) · Household Hazardous Waste Recycling Worker · Materials Sorter · Non-Ferrous Material Handler · Pallet Sorter

    CareerOneStop

    Certifications, licenses and pay by state

    What recycling and reclamation 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

    Licenses by state

    1 state lists 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 6, 2026.

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    Related careers

    Careers with similar work, interests or skills.

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    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 6, 2026.

    Page data updated November 5, 2026.