SOC 53-7081.00

    Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors

    Collect and dump refuse or recyclable materials from containers into truck.

    Median pay
    $49,690
    Growth
    +2.1%
    As fast as average
    Openings a year
    15,500
    Typical education
    No formal credential

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

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    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $33,590
    Median
    $49,690
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $75,900
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    147,240 people work in this occupation.

    What refuse and recyclable material collectors do

    Job Zone 2: Some preparation

    Collect and dump refuse or recyclable materials from containers into truck. May drive truck.

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

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R) · strongest
    100 / 100
    Investigative (I)
    14 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    0 / 100
    Social (S)
    5 / 100
    Enterprising (E)
    6 / 100
    Conventional (C)
    59 / 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

    Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment
    83
    Performing General Physical Activities
    68
    Handling and Moving Objects
    67
    Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
    60
    Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
    57
    Getting Information
    54
    Controlling Machines and Processes
    54
    Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
    53
    Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
    50
    Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment
    49
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

    • Operation and Control
    • Operations Monitoring
    • Active Listening
    • Speaking
    • Critical Thinking
    • Equipment Maintenance
    • Coordination
    • Reading Comprehension
    • Monitoring
    • Repairing

    Knowledge

    • Mechanical
    • English Language
    • Transportation
    • Customer and Personal Service
    • Public Safety and Security
    • Administration and Management
    • Telecommunications
    • Computers and Electronics
    • Mathematics
    • Education and Training

    Abilities

    • Multilimb Coordination
    • Arm-Hand Steadiness
    • Static Strength
    • Manual Dexterity
    • Reaction Time
    • Trunk Strength
    • Extent Flexibility
    • Far Vision
    • Near Vision
    • Oral Comprehension

    Work styles

    • Dependability
    • Cautiousness
    • Attention to Detail
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Integrity
    • Perseverance
    • Cooperation
    • Self-Control
    • Optimism
    • Achievement Orientation

    Also called

    Collector · Disposal Man · Disposal Worker · Dumpman · Front Load Trash Truck Driver · Front Loader Residential Driver · Garbage Collection Sanitation Engineer · Garbage Collector · Garbage Man · Garbage Person

    CareerOneStop

    Certifications, licenses and pay by state

    What refuse and recyclable material collectors 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

    5 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.

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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 9, 2026.

    Page data updated November 5, 2026.