Outpaid

Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors salary

The BLS estimates 147,240 Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors jobs in the U.S. with a median base pay of $49,690 (May 2025, SOC 53-7081). Across 145 metros with published figures, medians range from $21,840 in San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR to $87,430 in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA.

REFUSE AND RECYCLABLE MATERIAL COLLECTORS · UNITED STATES · BLS
BLS · UNITED STATES · ALL EMPLOYERS, ALL EXPERIENCE LEVELS
P10$33,590P25$39,080MEDIAN$49,690P75$62,020P90$75,900
30 SECONDS · NO SIGNUP · ON-DEVICE

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HIGHEST-PAYING METROS

  1. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$87,430 · 870 jobs
  2. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$77,570 · 2,040 jobs
  3. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$77,470 · 3,330 jobs
  4. Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL$75,440 · 750 jobs
  5. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$75,090 · 2,100 jobs
  6. Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$73,110 · 320 jobs
  7. San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$69,300 · 1,230 jobs
  8. Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$66,900 · 220 jobs
  9. Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA$66,230 · 330 jobs
  10. Fresno, CA$65,950 · 390 jobs

LARGEST METROS

  1. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$65,310 · 13,310 jobs
  2. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX$47,960 · 4,300 jobs
  3. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$62,490 · 4,210 jobs
  4. Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL$49,770 · 3,370 jobs
  5. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$77,470 · 3,330 jobs
  6. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$46,530 · 3,100 jobs
  7. Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA$47,840 · 2,950 jobs
  8. Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$59,730 · 2,610 jobs
  9. Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX$46,320 · 2,310 jobs
  10. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$75,090 · 2,100 jobs

ALL METROS (A–Z)

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA · Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX · Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD · Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC · Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN · Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX · Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO · Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI · Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX · Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN · Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA · Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL · Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ · Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL · Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD · Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ · Pittsburgh, PA · Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA · Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA · San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX · San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA · San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA · San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR · Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA · Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL · Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV

Questions

What is the median Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors salary in the U.S.?

$49,690 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half earn $39,080–$62,020.

Where do Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors earn the most?

Highest metro medians: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($87,430), San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA ($77,570), Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN ($77,470). Cost of living differs, so compare offers locally.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025 (metro, state and national estimates). Employer filing counts: U.S. DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data FY2026 Q3, visa-sponsored positions only.