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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2020

53-7081 Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors

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


National estimates for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors
Industry profile for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors
Geographic profile for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors

National estimates for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
120,850 1.8 % $ 20.49 $ 42,620 1.2 %

Percentile wage estimates for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 11.48 $ 14.51 $ 18.80 $ 24.77 $ 32.47
Annual Wage (2) $ 23,880 $ 30,180 $ 39,100 $ 51,530 $ 67,530


Industry profile for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Waste Collection 58,840 31.41 $ 19.71 $ 40,990
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 39,750 0.74 $ 21.58 $ 44,900
Waste Treatment and Disposal 13,510 13.79 $ 22.33 $ 46,450
Remediation and Other Waste Management Services 2,730 1.72 $ 18.16 $ 37,780
Employment Services 2,360 0.07 $ 14.86 $ 30,910

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Waste Collection 58,840 31.41 $ 19.71 $ 40,990
Waste Treatment and Disposal 13,510 13.79 $ 22.33 $ 46,450
Remediation and Other Waste Management Services 2,730 1.72 $ 18.16 $ 37,780
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 39,750 0.74 $ 21.58 $ 44,900
Other Support Services 290 0.10 $ 17.68 $ 36,770

Top paying industries for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 450 0.02 $ 27.14 $ 56,450
Postal Service (federal government) 160 0.02 $ 26.12 $ 54,340
Waste Treatment and Disposal 13,510 13.79 $ 22.33 $ 46,450
Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods (4232, 4233, 4235, 4236, 4237, and 4239 only) 300 0.02 $ 22.05 $ 45,870
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 39,750 0.74 $ 21.58 $ 44,900


Geographic profile for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 13,950 0.85 0.98 $ 27.07 $ 56,300
New York 10,290 1.18 1.36 $ 29.54 $ 61,450
Texas 10,060 0.83 0.96 $ 17.21 $ 35,790
Florida 9,190 1.09 1.25 $ 19.33 $ 40,200
North Carolina 5,980 1.39 1.60 $ 15.19 $ 31,600




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Arkansas 2,030 1.72 1.98 $ 15.21 $ 31,630
Wyoming 390 1.49 1.71 $ 18.64 $ 38,770
Alabama 2,670 1.40 1.61 $ 15.87 $ 33,010
North Carolina 5,980 1.39 1.60 $ 15.19 $ 31,600
Mississippi 1,340 1.24 1.43 $ 13.88 $ 28,870




Top paying states for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York 10,290 1.18 1.36 $ 29.54 $ 61,450
Illinois (8) (8) (8) $ 28.41 $ 59,090
Washington 3,160 0.99 1.14 $ 27.23 $ 56,640
California 13,950 0.85 0.98 $ 27.07 $ 56,300
Hawaii 610 1.07 1.23 $ 23.16 $ 48,170





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 10,150 1.15 1.32 $ 29.63 $ 61,640
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 4,270 0.73 0.84 $ 29.11 $ 60,550
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 3,400 0.95 1.09 $ 17.94 $ 37,310
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 2,490 0.99 1.14 $ 21.16 $ 44,000
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 2,330 1.00 1.15 (8) (8)
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 2,210 0.73 0.84 $ 24.74 $ 51,460
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 2,120 1.00 1.16 $ 19.97 $ 41,540
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 1,990 1.02 1.17 $ 28.71 $ 59,720
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC 1,900 1.57 1.80 $ 16.76 $ 34,860
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL 1,750 1.34 1.55 $ 19.93 $ 41,460




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Lewiston-Auburn, ME 130 2.79 3.21 $ 16.80 $ 34,940
Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ 80 2.56 2.94 $ 16.70 $ 34,740
Lima, OH 110 2.30 2.64 $ 18.24 $ 37,930
Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR 750 2.24 2.57 $ 16.38 $ 34,080
Ocala, FL 230 2.20 2.54 $ 14.89 $ 30,970
Greeley, CO 230 2.19 2.53 (8) (8)
Mobile, AL 360 2.12 2.44 $ 15.51 $ 32,270
Rome, GA 80 2.05 2.36 $ 13.81 $ 28,720
Hot Springs, AR 70 1.99 2.29 $ 14.16 $ 29,460
Auburn-Opelika, AL 110 1.94 2.23 $ 17.59 $ 36,590




Top paying metropolitan areas for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI (8) (8) (8) $ 30.71 $ 63,870
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 10,150 1.15 1.32 $ 29.63 $ 61,640
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 4,270 0.73 0.84 $ 29.11 $ 60,550
Bellingham, WA 60 0.69 0.79 $ 28.95 $ 60,210
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 970 0.87 1.01 $ 28.90 $ 60,120
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 1,990 1.02 1.17 $ 28.71 $ 59,720
Kennewick-Richland, WA 120 1.03 1.19 $ 26.37 $ 54,860
Stockton-Lodi, CA 320 1.27 1.46 $ 26.15 $ 54,400
Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI (8) (8) (8) $ 25.67 $ 53,380
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT (8) (8) (8) $ 25.61 $ 53,260

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southeast Coastal North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 530 2.20 2.53 $ 11.99 $ 24,930
Piedmont North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 460 1.88 2.17 $ 13.08 $ 27,200
Eastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area 450 3.57 4.11 $ 18.37 $ 38,200
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 420 1.12 1.29 $ 14.56 $ 30,290
Hill Country Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 410 2.12 2.44 $ 15.27 $ 31,770

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northern New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 120 3.74 4.31 $ 16.37 $ 34,050
South Arkansas nonmetropolitan area 340 3.63 4.18 $ 13.56 $ 28,210
Eastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area 450 3.57 4.11 $ 18.37 $ 38,200
Northeast Coastal North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 310 3.43 3.94 $ 13.61 $ 28,310
Lower Savannah South Carolina nonmetropolitan area 140 2.70 3.10 $ 9.46 $ 19,670

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Western Washington nonmetropolitan area 200 1.70 1.96 $ 24.66 $ 51,280
West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area 180 1.52 1.75 $ 23.76 $ 49,420
Central Oregon nonmetropolitan area 60 1.12 1.28 $ 23.67 $ 49,240
Coast Oregon nonmetropolitan area 130 1.22 1.41 $ 23.56 $ 49,010
Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area 60 1.17 1.34 $ 23.44 $ 48,750


About May 2020 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OEWS estimates and related information:

May 2020 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 31, 2021