Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors
Also called: Collector, Disposal Man, Disposal Worker, Dumpman, Front Load Trash Truck Driver, Front Loader Residential Driver, Garbage Collection Sanitation Engineer, Garbage Collector
Collect and dump refuse or recyclable materials from containers into truck.
What refuse and recyclable material collectors do
Typical tasks
- 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.
- Dismount garbage trucks to collect garbage and remount trucks to ride to the next collection point.
- Operate equipment that compresses collected refuse.
- 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.
- Tag garbage or recycling containers to inform customers of problems, such as excess garbage or inclusion of items that are not permitted.
Typical path into the job (BLS)
Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors salary
The median annual wage for refuse and recyclable material collectors is $49,690 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $33,590 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $75,900. The mean annual wage is $52,820.
The mean hourly wage of $25.00 is 3.4× the federal minimum wage of $7.25. State minimums are higher in most large states. Minimum wage by state →
How does your pay compare with people your age?
Your numbers are not sent or stored. The comparison uses this occupation's BLS wage percentiles, adjusted for age with BLS median weekly earnings by age group (Q3 2026).
Pay by percentile
Annual wage percentiles from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Percentiles are a good proxy for pay by experience.
Projected pay for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today $49,690 → in 3 years $54,400 → in 5 years $57,800 → in 10 years $67,300 (10-year range $57,900–$78,200). The model assumes pay growth of +3.1% 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 (BLS projected employment growth), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →
Outlook score for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors
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 Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors? 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 O*NET 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 Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors
Employment projections are from the BLS Employment Projections program (2025–35). Annual openings include both new jobs and replacement of workers who leave the occupation.
The same job in Japan
| Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors United States | ごみ収集作業員 Japan | 産業廃棄物収集運搬作業員 Japan | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median / average pay | $49,690 | ¥3.99M ≈ $25,348 | ¥3.99M ≈ $25,348 |
| Pay in 10 years (est.) | $67,300 | ¥5.44M | ¥5.43M |
| Outlook score | 51 | 58 | 59 |
| AI replacement risk | 26% Low | 9% Very low | 11% Very 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 Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors
Key skills
O*NET skill level ratings (0–7).
Key knowledge areas
What the work involves
Important abilities
Education of workers
Training before entry
Related work experience
Job Zone 2 — some preparation needed (O*NET)
Difficulty of entry: ★★☆☆☆ Fairly easy (from education, training, experience and Job Zone)
How to become refuse and recyclable material collectors
A step-by-step guide for this occupation is being prepared. The education, training and experience data above show the typical path.
Career path and how to earn more as refuse and recyclable material collectors
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by percentile is shown in the Pay section.