Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectorssalary
Official wage statistics for refuse and recyclable material collectors in United States, published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)), reference period May 2025. Approximately 147.24K people work in this occupation.
Wage distribution
| Percentile | Annual |
|---|---|
| 10th percentileentry / lowest decile | $33,590 |
| 25th percentilelower quartile | $39,080 |
| Median (50th)typical worker | $49,690 |
| 75th percentileupper quartile | $62,020 |
| 90th percentiletop decile | $75,900 |
| Meanaverage, skews high | $52,820 |
Salary by state
Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors wages vary widely by state. Official U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates, May 2025, sorted by median. Suppressed areas omitted.
| State | Median (annual) | P10–P90 / low–high | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| ILIllinois | $75,050 | $38,790 – $88,640 | 4,910 |
| WAWashington | $74,620 | $54,070 – $88,990 | 3,750 |
| NYNew York | $64,950 | $42,740 – $86,720 | 11,630 |
| CACalifornia | $64,890 | $45,970 – $90,370 | 13,930 |
| OROregon | $63,210 | $53,270 – $72,440 | 2,500 |
| MNMinnesota | $62,570 | $47,260 – $71,450 | 2,500 |
| NVNevada | $61,310 | $48,030 – $81,950 | 770 |
| DEDelaware | $61,290 | $38,700 – $74,590 | 600 |
| COColorado | $60,310 | $39,580 – $75,330 | 3,700 |
| WIWisconsin | $59,810 | $33,360 – $64,200 | 1,550 |
| UTUtah | $59,310 | $42,990 – $72,930 | 960 |
| NDNorth Dakota | $59,000 | $41,690 – $71,330 | 360 |
| INIndiana | $58,900 | $36,000 – $64,680 | 3,180 |
| HIHawaii | $56,270 | $30,760 – $65,740 | 770 |
| RIRhode Island | $55,970 | $34,810 – $61,370 | 470 |
| DCDistrict of Columbia | $55,490 | $39,810 – $76,020 | 540 |
| NJNew Jersey | $54,630 | $37,590 – $71,230 | 4,330 |
| VTVermont | $51,960 | $41,240 – $63,070 | 160 |
| MIMichigan | $51,030 | $34,150 – $76,360 | 4,020 |
| MAMassachusetts | $50,310 | $39,180 – $73,090 | 1,010 |
| MOMissouri | $50,010 | $31,760 – $71,270 | 1,930 |
| IDIdaho | $49,880 | $38,210 – $58,030 | 730 |
| IAIowa | $49,850 | $38,220 – $63,350 | 1,780 |
| MTMontana | $49,420 | $37,080 – $60,730 | 370 |
| NENebraska | $49,390 | $37,210 – $59,400 | 910 |
| OHOhio | $49,330 | $35,840 – $62,450 | 4,710 |
| WYWyoming | $48,820 | $33,770 – $58,800 | 280 |
| PAPennsylvania | $48,240 | $31,200 – $66,660 | 6,220 |
| FLFlorida | $47,820 | $35,350 – $61,450 | 11,650 |
| NMNew Mexico | $47,660 | $34,870 – $61,040 | 1,070 |
| GAGeorgia | $46,960 | $31,680 – $60,330 | 4,830 |
| AZArizona | $46,910 | $33,480 – $73,610 | 2,380 |
| NHNew Hampshire | $46,580 | $37,920 – $59,810 | 340 |
| VAVirginia | $46,530 | $28,120 – $61,040 | 4,330 |
| TXTexas | $46,330 | $30,830 – $59,380 | 12,860 |
| ALAlabama | $46,240 | $29,500 – $61,000 | 2,790 |
| AKAlaska | $45,740 | $31,620 – $80,310 | 250 |
| KSKansas | $45,510 | $29,100 – $57,090 | 910 |
| NCNorth Carolina | $44,670 | $25,140 – $58,570 | 7,250 |
| MEMaine | $43,360 | $34,590 – $61,950 | 770 |
| TNTennessee | $43,270 | $28,390 – $61,400 | 2,550 |
| KYKentucky | $43,100 | $29,610 – $56,170 | 1,580 |
| OKOklahoma | $43,060 | $31,030 – $59,590 | 2,030 |
| MDMaryland | $41,870 | $35,900 – $61,210 | 3,120 |
| MSMississippi | $39,170 | $29,420 – $58,340 | 1,970 |
| LALouisiana | $38,810 | $27,840 – $59,010 | 2,200 |
| CTConnecticut | $38,220 | $34,980 – $62,330 | 810 |
| WVWest Virginia | $35,840 | $26,520 – $47,960 | 1,000 |
| ARArkansas | $35,640 | $26,590 – $51,570 | 1,600 |
| SCSouth Carolina | $34,880 | $22,340 – $50,600 | 2,020 |
| SDSouth Dakota | $32,950 | $27,380 – $47,700 | 340 |
| GUGuam | $32,520 | $28,070 – $42,190 | 40 |
| PRPuerto Rico | $21,840 | $21,840 – $23,140 | 1,800 |
Frequently asked
The median refuse and recyclable material collectors in United States earns $49,690 per year (reference period May 2025). Earnings typically range from $33,590 (10th percentile or low) to $75,900 (90th percentile or high). These are official statistics published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Directly from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) (SOC 2018 code 53-7081). FedSalary republishes official statistics only; no self-reported or crowdsourced figures. Retrieved 2026-06-11.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates 147,240 people employed in this occupation in United States (May 2025).
Approximately EUR 45,173 · GBP 39,126 per year (mid-market snapshot 2026-05-02). The authoritative native figure is $49,690. FX conversion is informational only.