Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors
Agriculture, Food and Natural ResourcesO*NET 53-7081.00United States
Collect and dump refuse or recyclable materials from containers into truck. May drive truck.
- Median annual earnings
- $48,443
- Projected change
- +6.1%
- Typical education
- High school diploma or less
- Employment
- 159.29K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
83.1% of the workforce
Growing to 168.94K by 2035
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The work
What refuse and recyclable material collectors do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- Inspect trucks prior to beginning routes to ensure safe operating condition.
- Drive trucks, following established routes, through residential streets or alleys or through business or industrial areas.
- Refuel trucks or add other fluids, such as oil or brake fluid.
- Dump refuse or recyclable materials at disposal sites.
- Fill out defective equipment reports.
- Operate automated or semi-automated hoisting devices that raise refuse bins and dump contents into openings in truck bodies.
- Operate equipment that compresses collected refuse.
- Dismount garbage trucks to collect garbage and remount trucks to ride to the next collection point.
- Communicate with dispatchers concerning delays, unsafe sites, accidents, equipment breakdowns, or other maintenance problems.
- Check road or weather conditions to determine how routes will be affected.
- Clean trucks or compactor bodies after routes have been completed.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $32,180
- 25th percentile
- $37,671
- 50th percentile
- $48,443
- 75th percentile
- $61,157
- 90th percentile
- $77,172
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $48,443 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
+6.1%faster than average
2025159,288 jobs
2035 projected168,938 jobs
9,650 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- High school diploma or less
- 83.1%
- Associate degree
- 11.2%
- Certificate
- 5.7%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- Operation and Control
- Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
- Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Equipment Maintenance
- Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Troubleshooting
- Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
- Repairing
- Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Service Orientation
- Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Quality Control Analysis
- Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Persuasion
- Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Trash Collectors636 postings
- 02Refuse Collectors15 postings
- 03Truck Drivers4 postings
- 04Door to Door Sales Representatives2 postings
- 05Transfer Station Operators2 postings
- 06Commercial Collectors1 postings
- 07Recycling Coordinators1 postings
- 08Removal Technicians1 postings
Top employers
- 01Community Concierge Services129 postings
- 02G&H Trash Valet68 postings
- 03A1 Valet Trash61 postings
- 04Affinity Waste Solutions58 postings
- 05Greenway Waste Recycling56 postings
- 065280 Community Waste Solutions39 postings
- 07Valet Living36 postings
- 08Ally Waste Services25 postings
- 09Pro Valet Trash14 postings
- 10Recycle Now7 postings
- 11Aerotek5 postings
- 12ABM Industries4 postings
- 13Hr Partners Staffing4 postings
- 14Levy Restaurants3 postings
- 15Amass Solutions2 postings
- 16City Of Goose Creek2 postings
- 17City Of Norfolk2 postings
- 18City of Orlando2 postings
- 19Dk Valet2 postings
- 20Fielding And Sons Trash Service2 postings
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