53
Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors is a notable career in the 53 category. This page provides verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0 (2024), helping you compare Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors against similar careers and make data-driven decisions.
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11
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13
| soc | 53-7081 |
| title | Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors |
| onet code | 53-7081.00 |
| description | Collect and dump refuse or recyclable materials from containers into truck. May drive truck. |
| job zone | 2 |
| major group | 53 |
| tot emp | 139,180 |
| a mean | 51,210 |
| a median | 48,350 |
| a pct10 | 31,810 |
| a pct25 | 38,330 |
| a pct75 | 61,010 |
| a pct90 | 75,200 |
| h mean | 24 |
| h median | 23 |
The day-to-day work of a refuse and recyclable material collectors typically centers on inspect trucks prior to beginning routes to ensure safe operating condition. Every task listed below is classified as Core in O*NET — they collectively define the role. Task descriptions below are quoted from the U.S. Department of Labor's O*NET 29.0 occupation profile.
Workers in this occupation rely most on Operation and Control, Operations Monitoring. Across the top 2 skills, the average O*NET importance score is 3.00 out of 5 — moderately weighted for this role. Importance reflects how essential each skill is for adequate job performance.
Among working refuse and recyclable material collectors, the most common entry qualification is a High School Diploma (81.5%). Bachelor's-degree-or-higher credentials are reported by 0% of incumbents. Most workers enter without a four-year degree, making this a relatively accessible career path.
Median annual pay is highest in Washington at $71,440 and lowest in South Dakota at $33,030 — a 2.2× spread. The top five states (Washington, Nevada, New York, Illinois, California) average $64,992. Figures reflect BLS OEWS May 2024 state-level wage estimates; percentiles shown are for full-time wage-earners in each state.
| State | Median | Mean | 10th % | 90th % | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $71,440 | $68,350 | $49,730 | $88,520 | 3,890 |
| Nevada | $65,440 | $63,260 | $35,350 | $80,170 | 600 |
| New York | $64,550 | $65,260 | $41,250 | $84,390 | 11,240 |
| Illinois | $61,880 | $62,680 | $36,190 | $84,570 | 4,940 |
| California | $61,650 | $64,290 | $41,600 | $93,900 | 13,240 |
| Minnesota | $61,630 | $57,830 | $41,960 | $70,970 | 2,260 |
| Oregon | $61,040 | $59,940 | $48,880 | $67,460 | 2,080 |
| Colorado | $60,610 | $57,190 | $38,960 | $73,670 | 3,410 |
| Wisconsin | $60,390 | $56,370 | $35,080 | $64,440 | 1,330 |
| Massachusetts | $59,540 | $54,450 | $39,290 | $69,840 | 1,170 |
| Michigan | $59,290 | $56,460 | $34,320 | $78,040 | 3,680 |
| Indiana | $59,260 | $54,920 | $34,470 | $69,810 | 2,980 |
| Hawaii | $55,330 | $56,430 | $47,950 | $68,560 | 740 |
| District of Columbia | $53,870 | $54,450 | $39,810 | $74,330 | 550 |
| Rhode Island | $51,450 | $51,290 | $33,950 | $71,510 | 520 |
| Montana | $51,230 | $49,670 | $35,690 | $58,820 | 350 |
| Utah | $50,720 | $49,660 | $31,230 | $61,270 | 680 |
| New Jersey | $50,700 | $52,730 | $36,560 | $71,910 | 4,710 |
| North Dakota | $50,440 | $51,680 | $36,190 | $66,930 | 300 |
| Vermont | $49,200 | $49,870 | $39,690 | $60,340 | 160 |
| Iowa | $48,830 | $49,880 | $37,340 | $63,040 | 2,050 |
| Ohio | $48,730 | $49,160 | $32,270 | $62,880 | 5,000 |
| Idaho | $48,200 | $48,760 | $34,940 | $58,220 | 830 |
| Wyoming | $47,970 | $46,900 | $32,860 | $59,090 | 310 |
| Nebraska | $47,490 | $46,120 | $30,560 | $60,660 | 1,190 |
| Delaware | $46,950 | $48,220 | $34,830 | $61,470 | 380 |
| Florida | $46,890 | $47,180 | $32,710 | $62,030 | 9,690 |
| New Mexico | $46,810 | $45,810 | $34,790 | $58,110 | 1,210 |
| Missouri | $46,760 | $46,480 | $31,440 | $60,330 | 2,180 |
| Virginia | $46,080 | $45,120 | $28,800 | $60,700 | 3,720 |
| Connecticut | $45,760 | $45,800 | $34,350 | $61,830 | 930 |
| Texas | $45,710 | $45,060 | $32,870 | $56,360 | 10,720 |
| Maine | $43,220 | $42,920 | $33,020 | $51,540 | 620 |
| Georgia | $43,000 | $46,320 | $30,300 | $60,480 | 4,790 |
| New Hampshire | $42,690 | $45,050 | $34,380 | $58,680 | 390 |
| Pennsylvania | $42,690 | $43,700 | $24,960 | $63,040 | 5,800 |
| Kansas | $42,540 | $41,300 | $28,390 | $57,090 | 980 |
| North Carolina | $40,500 | $40,690 | $24,310 | $55,780 | 6,460 |
| Maryland | $40,080 | $44,790 | $34,170 | $60,110 | 2,710 |
| Alabama | $39,850 | $43,340 | $28,970 | $60,890 | 2,000 |
| Arizona | $39,650 | $47,650 | $33,950 | $65,750 | 2,020 |
| Tennessee | $38,570 | $40,140 | $26,720 | $59,160 | 2,630 |
| South Carolina | $37,380 | $37,100 | $22,260 | $51,130 | 2,600 |
| Kentucky | $36,930 | $40,130 | $22,980 | $56,720 | 2,060 |
| Louisiana | $36,890 | $38,790 | $26,290 | $51,950 | 2,200 |
| Oklahoma | $36,850 | $39,920 | $30,220 | $55,290 | 2,030 |
| Alaska | $36,830 | $50,340 | $31,060 | $78,860 | 330 |
| Arkansas | $36,640 | $36,950 | $27,820 | $50,230 | 1,530 |
| West Virginia | $36,630 | $37,960 | $26,000 | $52,050 | 860 |
| Mississippi | $36,070 | $37,930 | $27,230 | $51,190 | 1,790 |
| South Dakota | $33,030 | $34,790 | $27,830 | $46,590 | 360 |
Recruiters and job boards use several alternate titles for refuse and recyclable material collectors. Knowing these variants widens your job search — listings for Collector or Disposal Man frequently describe the same role. The list below is a sample of the most common industry variants.
This data helps you understand how Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors compares to others in the 53 category. Use it to make informed decisions based on verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0.
careers with the closest data values to Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors
The CertifyWize editorial team aggregates and verifies careers data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0. Every statistic on this site is cross-referenced against the official source before publication, with quarterly re-verification cycles.
Read our full methodology or contact us with corrections.