ごみ収集作業員 ごみ収集作業員
What ごみ収集作業員 do
An English description is being prepared. Japanese description:
ごみには大きく分けて可燃ごみ（燃やすごみ）、不燃ごみ（燃やさないごみ：金属や陶磁器など焼却に適さないもの）、粗大ごみ、資源（びん、かん、古紙、プラスチック等）などがあり、地域によって異なるが、可燃ごみは週２～３回、不燃ごみ、粗大ごみ、資源は月１回～週１回程度の収集を行っている場合が多い。
ごみの収集では、作業員は担当する地区と、ごみの種類ごとに班に分かれ、２～３人のグループが１台のごみ収集車に乗り、コースにしたがって集積所を回り、ごみを収集する。
一人の作業員は、１日に収集車５～６台分のごみを収集しており、中には悪臭のするものや危険なものも含まれる。
ごみの収集の他、し尿の収集処理、動物の死体処理などを行う場合もある。
◇ よく使う道具、機材、情報技術等
ごみ収集車、作業中の保護具（ヘルメット、ゴーグル、グローブ、安全靴等）
Employment type of workers
ごみ収集作業員 salary
The average annual pay for ごみ収集作業員 in Japan is ¥3.99M (≈ $25,348; Basic Survey on Wage Structure (2025), national). The estimated median is ¥3.71M, the typical range is ¥2.87M–¥6.50M and the top 10% earn about ¥5.66M.
How does your pay compare with people your age?
Your numbers are not sent or stored. The distribution is estimated from Japan's national wage statistics, including pay differences by age.
Pay by ageest.
Estimated from the average pay and average age (49.3) using the age-wage curve of the Basic Survey on Wage Structure.
Pay by experienceest.
Pay by employment typeest.
The average hourly wage of ¥1,942 is 1.6× Japan's national average minimum wage of ¥1,177 (fiscal 2026). Minimum wage by prefecture →
Japanese pay is shown in yen (¥5.57M = 5.57 million yen ≈ 557万円). Dollar figures use the current rate of 157.25 yen per dollar and are for reference only; purchasing power differs.
Pay over time
| Year | Average pay | Employment | Openings ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | ¥3.88M | — | — |
| 2022 | ¥3.82M | — | — |
| 2023 | ¥3.86M | — | 1.66x |
| 2024 | ¥4.00M | — | 1.42x |
| 2025 | ¥3.99M | — | 1.22x |
Projected pay for ごみ収集作業員 (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today ¥3.99M → in 3 years ¥4.38M → in 5 years ¥4.66M → in 10 years ¥5.44M (10-year range ¥4.68M–¥6.32M). The model assumes pay growth of +3.2% per year.
What drives the annual growth rate
Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (the job-openings-to-applicants ratio), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →
Outlook score for ごみ収集作業員
Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.
Will AI replace ごみ収集作業員? AI replacement risk
How AI is changing this job
A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.
AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using the MHLW job tag survey on work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →
Labor demand for ごみ収集作業員
A ratio above 1.0 means there are more job openings than applicants (a labor shortage). The 5- and 10-year figures are estimates from the openings ratio, wage momentum and AI replacement risk.
The same job in the United States
| ごみ収集作業員 Japan | Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors United States | |
|---|---|---|
| Median / average pay | ¥3.99M ≈ $25,348 | $49,690 |
| Pay in 10 years (est.) | ¥5.44M | $67,300 |
| Outlook score | 58 | 51 |
| AI replacement risk | 9% Very low | 26% Low |
| Workers | — | 147K |
Matched by occupation (SOC code). Yen converted at 157.25 JPY/USD for reference; Japanese figures are averages, U.S. figures are medians, and the surveys define occupations differently.
Skills, education and requirements for ごみ収集作業員
Key skills
Skill levels from the MHLW job tag worker survey.
Key knowledge areas
What the work involves
Important abilities
Licenses and certifications (Japan)
No specific license or certification is required.
Education of workers
Training before entry
Related work experience
Difficulty of entry: ★☆☆☆☆ Easy to enter (from education, training, experience, licenses)
How to become ごみ収集作業員
The typical path in Japan is shown by the education, training and experience of current workers above and in the Japanese guidance below. A detailed English guide for this occupation is being prepared.
Guidance from job tag (Japanese)
自治体に勤務する場合、経験を積んで技能主任、技能長などになると、作業計画の立案や職員の指導、住民への説明等といった仕事を担当することが多い。
仕事を行う上で、きれいな街づくりを積極的に進めようという奉仕的精神が求められる。また、屋外作業であり、ごみを収集車に積み上げたり、重量のある粗大ごみを取り扱うこともあるため一定の体力が必要である。
Career path and how to earn more as ごみ収集作業員
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by experience is shown in the Pay section.