Salary by Metro

SOC 53-7081 · Transportation and Material Moving Occupations

Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors wages by metro

National median annual wage

$49,690

10th percentile
$33,590
25th percentile
$39,080
Median
$49,690
75th percentile
$62,020
90th percentile
$75,900
Mean
$52,820

Annual wage from the May 2025 OEWS estimates.

National employment in May 2025: 147,240.

That median is 2.5% lower than the all-occupations national median of $50,980.

The metro and state figures below are the same May 2025 release. A blank wage means BLS did not publish it. See when a wage is not published.

A public high school teacher standing in a classroom in the United States
A public high school classroom in the United States. Photograph by Harrison Keely. Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0

Highest published medians

Metros with the highest published annual medians for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors.
OccupationEmployment10thMedian90th
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA870$56,080$87,430$110,950
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA2,040$49,400$77,570$100,630
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN3,330$39,780$77,470$89,090
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA130$61,610$76,340$77,610
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL750$49,850$75,440$75,440
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA2,100$59,270$75,090$90,160
Kennewick-Richland, WA90$48,140$74,180$76,730
Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA70$47,390$73,770$82,980
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA320$48,540$73,110$98,110
Napa, CA90$49,840$72,450$79,000
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA1,230$51,020$69,300$86,130
Salinas, CA90$45,640$69,210$69,210
Merced, CA70$35,370$68,530$68,530
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA220$58,770$66,900$75,400
Boulder, CO110$37,530$66,610$71,380
Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA330$47,680$66,230$77,270
Fresno, CA390$45,180$65,950$88,510
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA910$48,580$65,950$78,240
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA1,500$60,830$65,920$76,310
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ13,310$41,130$65,310$86,720

Where employment is largest

Metros with the most Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors jobs in the May 2025 tables.
OccupationEmployment10thMedian90th
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ13,310$41,130$65,310$86,720
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX4,300$31,740$47,960$59,740
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA4,210$36,810$62,490$75,650
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL3,370$35,350$49,770$65,740
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN3,330$39,780$77,470$89,090
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV3,100$37,430$46,530$68,650
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA2,950$35,750$47,840$60,810
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD2,610$36,040$59,730$71,250
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX2,310$30,500$46,320$58,280
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA2,100$59,270$75,090$90,160
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA2,040$49,400$77,570$100,630
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO1,970$39,960$61,190$76,720
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL1,930$38,250$47,620$60,380
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI1,900$34,150$51,070$79,650
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC1,840$36,700$49,470$65,120
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ1,780$33,860$47,460$77,430
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI1,550$51,640$64,410$71,550
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA1,500$60,830$65,920$76,310
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL1,420$37,900$48,920$59,560
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX1,410$33,860$49,560$60,720

States and territories

State estimates for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors, May 2025.
OccupationEmployment10thMedian90th
Illinois4,910$38,790$75,050$88,640
Washington3,750$54,070$74,620$88,990
New York11,630$42,740$64,950$86,720
California13,930$45,970$64,890$90,370
Oregon2,500$53,270$63,210$72,440
Minnesota2,500$47,260$62,570$71,450
Nevada770$48,030$61,310$81,950
Delaware600$38,700$61,290$74,590
Colorado3,700$39,580$60,310$75,330
Wisconsin1,550$33,360$59,810$64,200
Utah960$42,990$59,310$72,930
North Dakota360$41,690$59,000$71,330
Indiana3,180$36,000$58,900$64,680
Hawaii770$30,760$56,270$65,740
Rhode Island470$34,810$55,970$61,370
District of Columbia540$39,810$55,490$76,020
New Jersey4,330$37,590$54,630$71,230
Vermont160$41,240$51,960$63,070
Michigan4,020$34,150$51,030$76,360
Massachusetts1,010$39,180$50,310$73,090
Missouri1,930$31,760$50,010$71,270
Idaho730$38,210$49,880$58,030
Iowa1,780$38,220$49,850$63,350
Montana370$37,080$49,420$60,730
Nebraska910$37,210$49,390$59,400
Ohio4,710$35,840$49,330$62,450
Wyoming280$33,770$48,820$58,800
Pennsylvania6,220$31,200$48,240$66,660
Florida11,650$35,350$47,820$61,450
New Mexico1,070$34,870$47,660$61,040
Georgia4,830$31,680$46,960$60,330
Arizona2,380$33,480$46,910$73,610
New Hampshire340$37,920$46,580$59,810
Virginia4,330$28,120$46,530$61,040
Texas12,860$30,830$46,330$59,380
Alabama2,790$29,500$46,240$61,000
Alaska250$31,620$45,740$80,310
Kansas910$29,100$45,510$57,090
North Carolina7,250$25,140$44,670$58,570
Maine770$34,590$43,360$61,950
Tennessee2,550$28,390$43,270$61,400
Kentucky1,580$29,610$43,100$56,170
Oklahoma2,030$31,030$43,060$59,590
Maryland3,120$35,900$41,870$61,210
Mississippi1,970$29,420$39,170$58,340
Louisiana2,200$27,840$38,810$59,010
Connecticut810$34,980$38,220$62,330
West Virginia1,000$26,520$35,840$47,960
Arkansas1,600$26,590$35,640$51,570
South Carolina2,020$22,340$34,880$50,600
South Dakota340$27,380$32,950$47,700
Guam40$28,070$32,520$42,190
Puerto Rico1,800$21,840$21,840$23,140

Other transportation and material moving occupations

Questions this page answers

What is the national median wage for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors?

In the May 2025 OEWS estimates, the national median annual wage for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors is $49,690. Employment is 147,240.

How does Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors pay compare with all occupations?

The national median for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors is 2.5% lower than the all-occupations median of $50,980.

Which metro has the highest published median for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors?

Among metros with a published annual median in the May 2025 tables, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA is highest on this page's list at $87,430.