Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors Salary, Job Outlook & Education | Career Matchup
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Verified career profile

Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors

53-7081

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

Median annual wage

$49,690

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 53-7081

Projected change

2.1%

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Employment Projections
Release: 2025-2035 · Reference/year: 2025-2035 · Occupation code: 53-7081

Annual openings

15.5k

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Employment Projections
Release: 2025-2035 · Reference/year: 2025-2035 · Occupation code: 53-7081

National employment

147,240

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 53-7081

Read the data in context

Career Matchup does not declare an overall winner. National estimates can hide local variation, and O*NET relative values describe the named construct rather than whether a career is better.

01 · Compensation

Pay and employment

National estimates are shown with the reference year from the BLS source row. Missing source values stay visible as Not available.

Median annual wage

$49,690

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 53-7081

Mean annual wage

$52,820

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 53-7081

Hourly median wage

$23.89

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 53-7081

Hourly mean wage

$25.39

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 53-7081

10th percentile annual wage

$33,590

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 53-7081

25th percentile annual wage

$39,080

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 53-7081

75th percentile annual wage

$62,020

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 53-7081

90th percentile annual wage

$75,900

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 53-7081

National employment

147,240

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 53-7081

02 · Outlook

Employment outlook

BLS projections describe the national occupation outlook across the published projection period.

Projected employment change

2.1%

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Employment Projections
Release: 2025-2035 · Reference/year: 2025-2035 · Occupation code: 53-7081

Average annual openings

15.5k

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Employment Projections
Release: 2025-2035 · Reference/year: 2025-2035 · Occupation code: 53-7081

Projection period: 2025-2035

Annual openings are reported in thousands in the BLS source.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Employment Projections
Release: 2025-2035 · Reference/year: 2025-2035 · Occupation code: 53-7081

03 · Preparation

Education and training

These are the typical preparation categories reported for the occupation, not a guarantee of any individual employer's requirements.

Typical entry-level education

No formal educational credential

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Employment Projections
Release: 2025-2035 · Reference/year: 2025-2035 · Occupation code: 53-7081

Related work experience

Not available

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Employment Projections
Release: 2025-2035 · Reference/year: 2025-2035 · Occupation code: 53-7081

On-the-job training

Short-term on-the-job training

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Employment Projections
Release: 2025-2035 · Reference/year: 2025-2035 · Occupation code: 53-7081

04 · Work context

What the work is like

O*NET context measures use their source scale identifier and a documented relative bar. A higher bar means more of the named construct, not a universal improvement.

Contact with others

3.6 raw · CX scale
65% relative

Relative scale: 65% · raw 3.61 · CX

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 53-7081.00

Time pressure

3.7 raw · CX scale
69% relative

Relative scale: 69% · raw 3.74 · CX

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 53-7081.00

Spend time standing

3.1 raw · CX scale
52% relative

Relative scale: 52% · raw 3.09 · CX

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 53-7081.00

Exposed to contaminants

4.3 raw · CX scale
83% relative

Relative scale: 83% · raw 4.3 · CX

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 53-7081.00

Exposed to disease or infections

2.9 raw · CX scale
48% relative

Relative scale: 48% · raw 2.92 · CX

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 53-7081.00

Exposed to hazardous equipment

3.7 raw · CX scale
68% relative

Relative scale: 68% · raw 3.73 · CX

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 53-7081.00

05 · Fit signals

Skills and work styles

These measurements describe skills and work-style characteristics associated with the occupation in O*NET.

Critical thinking

2.6 raw · LV scale
37% relative

Relative scale: 37% · raw 2.62 · LV

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 53-7081.00

Active listening

2.5 raw · LV scale
36% relative

Relative scale: 36% · raw 2.5 · LV

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 53-7081.00

Monitoring

2 raw · LV scale
29% relative

Relative scale: 29% · raw 2 · LV

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 53-7081.00

Reading comprehension

2 raw · LV scale
29% relative

Relative scale: 29% · raw 2 · LV

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 53-7081.00

Speaking

2 raw · LV scale
29% relative

Relative scale: 29% · raw 2 · LV

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 53-7081.00

Writing

2 raw · LV scale
29% relative

Relative scale: 29% · raw 2 · LV

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 53-7081.00

Active learning

1.6 raw · LV scale
23% relative

Relative scale: 23% · raw 1.62 · LV

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 53-7081.00

Learning strategies

0.4 raw · LV scale
5% relative

Relative scale: 5% · raw 0.38 · LV

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 53-7081.00

Dependability

2.2 raw · WI scale
87% relative

Relative scale: 87% · raw 2.22 · WI

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 53-7081.00

Attention to detail

1.1 raw · WI scale
68% relative

Relative scale: 68% · raw 1.07 · WI

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 53-7081.00

Stress tolerance

1 raw · WI scale
67% relative

Relative scale: 67% · raw 1.02 · WI

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 53-7081.00

Cooperation

0.7 raw · WI scale
62% relative

Relative scale: 62% · raw 0.71 · WI

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 53-7081.00

06 · Evidence

Sources and limitations

Every displayed value retains the dataset release, reference period, and occupation code used to publish it.

Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Source-backed

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Release May 2025 · Reference 2025

Occupation code 53-7081 · SHA-256 b5855a37f3e03e779f6fbf173d3bbc94aeeff33426aef32fa95ce6d025bab1af

Employment Projections

Source-backed

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Release 2025-2035 · Reference 2025-2035

Occupation code 53-7081 · SHA-256 a7d060f0576f7d4f5b829b9a0bb4a6c11a12766d159ebb0e07aab5bd2e7583c5

O*NET Database

Source-backed

O*NET Resource Center

Release 31.0 · Reference August 2026

Occupation code 53-7081.00 · SHA-256 c63ad00a8e45f3d3ef8e1529fcf8864d2279f2dfcb98737436818f5664781b04

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Median pay

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Source: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 53-7051

Growth

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Source: Employment Projections
Release: 2025-2035 · Reference/year: 2025-2035 · Occupation code: 53-7051

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Median pay

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Source: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 53-7064

Growth

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Source: Employment Projections
Release: 2025-2035 · Reference/year: 2025-2035 · Occupation code: 53-7064

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53-7061

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Median pay

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Source: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 53-7061

Growth

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Source: Employment Projections
Release: 2025-2035 · Reference/year: 2025-2035 · Occupation code: 53-7061

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53-7062

Manually move freight, stock, luggage, or other materials, or perform other general labor. Includes all manual laborers not elsewhere classified.

Median pay

$40,240

Source: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 53-7062

Growth

1.8%

Source: Employment Projections
Release: 2025-2035 · Reference/year: 2025-2035 · Occupation code: 53-7062

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Data sourcesData availabilityAboutFree guideContactPrivacyTermsData: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET® Database.