Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for refuse and recyclable material collectorss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- Washington$71,690
- Illinois$68,310
- New York$67,130
- California$66,300
- Nevada$64,120
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- South Dakota$34,810
- South Carolina$35,690
- West Virginia$36,820
- Arkansas$37,250
- Louisiana$41,900
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $71,690 | $74,620 | $34 | +35.7% | 3,750 |
| 2 | Illinois | $68,310 | $75,050 | $33 | +29.3% | 4,910 |
| 3 | New York | $67,130 | $64,950 | $32 | +27.1% | 11,630 |
| 4 | California | $66,300 | $64,890 | $32 | +25.5% | 13,930 |
| 5 | Nevada | $64,120 | $61,310 | $31 | +21.4% | 770 |
| 6 | Oregon | $62,930 | $63,210 | $30 | +19.1% | 2,500 |
| 7 | Minnesota | $59,790 | $62,570 | $29 | +13.2% | 2,500 |
| 8 | Delaware | $58,000 | $61,290 | $28 | +9.8% | 600 |
| 9 | Colorado | $57,860 | $60,310 | $28 | +9.5% | 3,700 |
| 10 | Utah | $56,420 | $59,310 | $27 | +6.8% | 960 |
| 11 | North Dakota | $56,220 | $59,000 | $27 | +6.4% | 360 |
| 12 | District of Columbia | $55,960 | $55,490 | $27 | +5.9% | 540 |
| 13 | Wisconsin | $55,090 | $59,810 | $26 | +4.3% | 1,550 |
| 14 | Indiana | $54,930 | $58,900 | $26 | +4% | 3,180 |
| 15 | New Jersey | $54,260 | $54,630 | $26 | +2.7% | 4,330 |
| 16 | Massachusetts | $54,230 | $50,310 | $26 | +2.7% | 1,010 |
| 17 | Vermont | $54,110 | $51,960 | $26 | +2.4% | 160 |
| 18 | Hawaii | $53,780 | $56,270 | $26 | +1.8% | 770 |
| 19 | Rhode Island | $53,190 | $55,970 | $26 | +0.7% | 470 |
| 20 | Michigan | $52,280 | $51,030 | $25 | -1% | 4,020 |
| 21 | Alaska | $51,900 | $45,740 | $25 | -1.7% | 250 |
| 22 | Idaho | $51,350 | $49,880 | $25 | -2.8% | 730 |
| 23 | Iowa | $51,120 | $49,850 | $25 | -3.2% | 1,780 |
| 24 | Missouri | $50,300 | $50,010 | $24 | -4.8% | 1,930 |
| 25 | Montana | $50,200 | $49,420 | $24 | -5% | 370 |
| 26 | Ohio | $49,990 | $49,330 | $24 | -5.4% | 4,710 |
| 27 | Pennsylvania | $49,400 | $48,240 | $24 | -6.5% | 6,220 |
| 28 | Florida | $48,960 | $47,820 | $24 | -7.3% | 11,650 |
| 29 | Nebraska | $48,610 | $49,390 | $23 | -8% | 910 |
| 30 | Arizona | $48,500 | $46,910 | $23 | -8.2% | 2,380 |
| 31 | New Hampshire | $47,400 | $46,580 | $23 | -10.3% | 340 |
| 32 | Wyoming | $47,170 | $48,820 | $23 | -10.7% | 280 |
| 33 | New Mexico | $46,940 | $47,660 | $23 | -11.1% | 1,070 |
| 34 | Maryland | $46,740 | $41,870 | $22 | -11.5% | 3,120 |
| 35 | Georgia | $46,150 | $46,960 | $22 | -12.6% | 4,830 |
| 36 | Virginia | $46,100 | $46,530 | $22 | -12.7% | 4,330 |
| 37 | Alabama | $45,450 | $46,240 | $22 | -14% | 2,790 |
| 38 | Connecticut | $45,120 | $38,220 | $22 | -14.6% | 810 |
| 39 | Maine | $44,840 | $43,360 | $22 | -15.1% | 770 |
| 40 | Texas | $44,700 | $46,330 | $21 | -15.4% | 12,860 |
| 41 | Tennessee | $44,320 | $43,270 | $21 | -16.1% | 2,550 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $43,520 | $43,060 | $21 | -17.6% | 2,030 |
| 43 | Kansas | $42,960 | $45,510 | $21 | -18.7% | 910 |
| 44 | Kentucky | $42,710 | $43,100 | $21 | -19.1% | 1,580 |
| 45 | North Carolina | $42,590 | $44,670 | $20 | -19.4% | 7,250 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $42,300 | $39,170 | $20 | -19.9% | 1,970 |
| 47 | Louisiana | $41,900 | $38,810 | $20 | -20.7% | 2,200 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $37,250 | $35,640 | $18 | -29.5% | 1,600 |
| 49 | West Virginia | $36,820 | $35,840 | $18 | -30.3% | 1,000 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $35,690 | $34,880 | $17 | -32.4% | 2,020 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $34,810 | $32,950 | $17 | -34.1% | 340 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 436 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $87,430 | $88,030 | 870 |
| 2 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $77,570 | $76,010 | 2,040 |
| 3 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $77,470 | $71,570 | 3,330 |
| 4 | Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $76,340 | $69,090 | 130 |
| 5 | Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | $75,440 | $66,700 | 750 |
| 6 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $75,090 | $76,420 | 2,100 |
| 7 | Kennewick-Richland, WA | $74,180 | $66,890 | 90 |
| 8 | Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $73,770 | $69,970 | 70 |
| 9 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $73,110 | $70,560 | 320 |
| 10 | Napa, CA | $72,450 | $67,510 | 90 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing refuse and recyclable material collectorss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Postal Service (Federal Government) | $60,670 | $61,380 | 190 |
| 2 | Postal Service (Federal Government) | $60,670 | $61,380 | 190 |
| 3 | Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $60,670 | $61,380 | 190 |
| 4 | Waste Treatment and Disposal | $60,040 | $60,670 | 15,380 |
| 5 | Management of Companies and Enterprises | $58,930 | $57,190 | — |
| 6 | Management of Companies and Enterprises | $58,930 | $57,190 | — |
| 7 | Sector 55 - Management of Companies and Enterprises | $58,930 | $57,190 | — |
| 8 | Truck Transportation | $55,840 | $56,210 | — |
| 9 | Sectors 48 and 49 - Transportation and Warehousing | $55,840 | $56,790 | 930 |
| 10 | State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $55,490 | $56,310 | 460 |
| 11 | Waste Management and Remediation Services | $52,840 | $54,300 | 94,170 |
| 12 | Sector 56 - Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | $51,440 | $53,600 | 98,380 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do refuse and recyclable material collectors make in the U.S.?
The median refuse and recyclable material collectors salary in the United States is $49,690 per year (mean $52,820), and about 80% earn between $33,590 and $75,900.
How much do refuse and recyclable material collectors make per hour?
Roughly $25 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $52,820 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays refuse and recyclable material collectors the most?
Washington has the highest average pay for refuse and recyclable material collectors at $71,690 per year (median $74,620).
What is the job outlook for refuse and recyclable material collectors?
Employment is projected to change +0.9% from 2024 to 2034 (Slower than average), with about 16,900 openings per year.