Average Refuse And Recyclable Material Collectors Salary in the United States
The national median salary for Refuse And Recyclable Material Collectors is $49,690 per year. The middle 50% earn between $39,080 and $62,020, with 147,240 workers employed nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates . Data covers 51 states and 315 metro areas.
Pay distribution
Here is how Refuse And Recyclable Material Collectors pay is distributed across workers nationally. The 10th percentile typically reflects entry-level or early-career pay, the median is the midpoint, and the 90th percentile represents the top earners in the field.
- 10th
- $33,590
- 25th
- $39,080
- Median
- $49,690
- 75th
- $62,020
- 90th
- $75,900
All values are percentiles of annual wages.
Refuse And Recyclable Material Collectors earn close to the national median for all US workers. Solidly middle-income.
The spread between entry-level and top-end pay is typical for US occupations. Experience and specialization matter, but the range is not unusually wide.
Job outlook
BLS projects employment for refuse and recyclable material collectors from 2024 to 2034. Growth is below the US average of roughly 4% across all occupations. The field is relatively stable but not expanding quickly.
- Projected growth
- +0.9%
- 1,300 net jobs over the projection period.
- Annual openings
- 16,900
- Includes growth plus replacements for workers who leave. Annual openings reflect typical replacement demand alongside any growth.
- Typical entry education
- No formal educational credential
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
There are no formal educational requirements for entry. Much of the training happens through experience on the job.
Where Refuse And Recyclable Material Collectors earn the most
Location matters a lot. The gap between top-paying and bottom-paying states is large, so where refuse and recyclable material collectors work can reshape their total compensation. Right now, the top-paying state is Illinois at $75,050, about 51.0% above the national median. At the metro level, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA leads with a median of $87,430.
Top-paying states
| State | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Illinois | $75,050 | 4,910 |
| Washington | $74,620 | 3,750 |
| New York | $64,950 | 11,630 |
| California | $64,890 | 13,930 |
| Oregon | $63,210 | 2,500 |
| Minnesota | $62,570 | 2,500 |
| Nevada | $61,310 | 770 |
| Delaware | $61,290 | 600 |
Top-paying metros
| Metro area | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $87,430 | 870 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $77,570 | 2,040 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $77,470 | 3,330 |
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $76,340 | 130 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | $75,440 | 750 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $75,090 | 2,100 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | $74,180 | 90 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $73,770 | 70 |
Compare two locations side by side
Pick two states or metros to see refuse and recyclable material collectors pay in each, along with a cost-of-living adjusted view.
Salary trend and related occupations
Between 2019 and 2025, the national median salary for Refuse And Recyclable Material Collectors rose from $37,840 to $49,690, a gain of +31.3% in nominal dollars.
Over the same period, US consumer prices rose by +25.9%. Just to keep pace with inflation, the 2019 median of $37,840 would need to be worth $47,651 in 2025 dollars.
The actual 2025 median of $49,690 is $2,039 above that inflation-adjusted benchmark, a real change of +4.3% in purchasing power.
Real wages have outpaced inflation by 4.3%, a modest but real gain in purchasing power.
- Nominal change
- +31.3%
- 2019–2025
- Cumulative inflation
- +25.9%
- US CPI, 2019–2025
- Real change
- +4.3%
- After adjusting for inflation
Median salary over time
Refuse And Recyclable Material Collectors median pay by year, going back through the available BLS releases.
- 2025
- $49,690
- 2024
- $48,350
- 2023
- $45,760
- 2022
- $43,540
- 2021
- $38,500
- 2020
- $39,100
- 2019
- $37,840
BLS did not publish a median for 2000–2018, so those years are omitted.
Related occupations
Other occupations in the same field, with median pay for comparison.
- Dredge Operators
- $49,640
- Hoist And Winch Operators
- $56,450
- Conveyor Operators And Tenders
- $42,420
- Machine Feeders And Offbearers
- $41,220
- Stockers And Order Fillers
- $37,330
Common salary questions for Refuse And Recyclable Material Collectors
What does the median salary mean? +
The median is the midpoint of all wages. Half of Refuse And Recyclable Material Collectors workers earn more and half earn less. It is a better measure of typical pay than the average, which can be skewed by very high or very low earners.
Why does pay vary so much by location? +
Local labor markets, cost of living, industry concentration, and employer competition all affect wages. High-cost metros like San Francisco and New York often pay more in nominal terms, though some of that premium is offset by higher living costs.
How current is this salary data? +
This page uses the May 2025 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. BLS publishes OEWS data once per year, typically in the spring for the previous May reference period.
What do the percentile ranges tell me? +
The 10th and 90th percentiles show the full pay band. The 25th to 75th percentile range, the middle 50%, is where most workers fall. A wide spread usually means experience, specialization, or location matter a lot for this occupation.