Refuse & recyclable material collectors

Detailed Occupation

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2024 Workforce

99.8k

Average Age

41.4

Estimated Job Growth

0.879%

10-year projection

Average Salary

$43,633

Average Male Salary

$45,278

Average Female Salary

$31,206

About

Refuse & recyclable material collectors are most often employed by the Waste management & remediation services industry. The average yearly wage for Refuse & recyclable material collectors was $43,633 in 2024.

The locations that employ the most Refuse & recyclable material collectors are NYC-Staten Island Community District 3--South Shore PUMA, NY, NYC-Staten Island Community District 1--North Shore PUMA, NY, and NYC-Queens Community District 14--The Rockaways PUMA, NY. The locations with a relatively high concentration of Refuse & recyclable material collectors are NYC-Staten Island Community District 3--South Shore PUMA, NY, Houston City (North)--West of Aldine & Inside Beltway TX-8 PUMA, TX, and NYC-Queens Community District 14--The Rockaways PUMA, NY.

Production, Transportation, & Material Moving Occupations Transportation & Material Moving Occupations Material Moving Occupations

Employment

Employment and salary information for the Refuse & recyclable material collectors workforce. Refuse & recyclable material collectors workforce in 2024 was 99,757 people, of which 11.7% were women and 88.3% were men.

Refuse & recyclable material collectors are paid most in Putnam County & Southern Dutchess County PUMA, NY but are relatively concentrated in NYC-Staten Island Community District 3--South Shore PUMA, NY.

Employment Over Time

Metric

Grouping

88,098

Male Workforce

± 7.29k

11,659

Female Workforce

± 2.65k

The Refuse & recyclable material collectors workforce in 2024 was 99,757 people (11.7% women and 88.3% men). This implies an average annual growth of 11.8% between 2014 (89,242) and 2024 (99,757).

Employment by Location

Level

Metric

This map shows the states in the United States shaded by average wage for Refuse & recyclable material collectors.

During 2024, the states that concentrated the best average annual wage were North Dakota ($95,726), New York ($70,539), and Wisconsin ($56,515).

Yearly Wage Ranking

$43,633

AVERAGE WAGE

#367 in the ranking (2014)

$69,878

NATIONAL AVERAGE WAGE

For all occupations across the US

In 2024, Refuse & recyclable material collectors earned an average of $43,633, $26,244 less than the average national salary of $69,878

The graph shows the ranking of Refuse & recyclable material collectors in relation to all Detailed Occupation in 2014.

Wage Distribution

Gender

0.424

WAGE GINI

In 2024, Refuse & recyclable material collectors had a wage GINI coefficient of 0.424, which is lower than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly for Refuse & recyclable material collectors (shown in red) than for the overall labor force (shown in gray).

The graphic shows the distribution of average salaries by buckets for Refuse & recyclable material collectors compared to the entire workforce in the country.

Industry

Information on the industries that employ Refuse & recyclable material collectors and on wages for those in the field. Waste management & remediation services is the industry that employs the most Refuse & recyclable material collectors, both by share and by number, though the highest paid industry for Refuse & recyclable material collectors, by average wage, is Electric lighting & electrical equipment manufacturing, & other electrical component manufacturing, n.e.c. ($117,392).

Occupations by Industries

Metric

Value

99.8k

2024 Workforce

± 7,752

2.63%

1 YEAR GROWTH

± 10.8%

This graphic shows the share of Refuse & recyclable material collectors employed by various industries. Waste management & remediation services employs the largest share of Refuse & recyclable material collectors at 91.8%, followed by Recyclable material merchant wholesalers with 4.21% and Services to buildings & dwellings (except cleaning during construction & immediately after construction) with 2.05%.

Diversity

Demographic information on Refuse & recyclable material collectors in the US. The workforce of Refuse & recyclable material collectors in 2024 was 99,757 people, with 11.7% woman, and 88.3% men. The average age of male Refuse & recyclable material collectors in the workforce is 41.3 and of female Refuse & recyclable material collectors is 42.1, and the most common race/ethnicity for Refuse & recyclable material collectors is White.

Gender and Age

Metric

The workforce of Refuse & recyclable material collectors in 2024 was 99,757 people, with 11.7% woman, and 88.3% men.

The age ranges that concentrated the largest workforce were 35 to 39 years (12,534 people), 25 to 29 years (11,865 people), and 30 to 34 years (10,941 people). Among them they concentrated 35.5% of the total workforce.

Ethnicity

Gender

In 2024, 27.7% of Refuse & recyclable material collectors workers were Hispanic and 72.3% non-Hispanic.

The treemap shows the distribution of Hispanic workers according to their origin, highlighting Mexican (59.1%), Puerto Rican (12.5)%, and Salvadoran (5.39)%

You can review this information by gender using the selectors above.

Races

In 2024, 45.7% of the Refuse & recyclable material collectors workforce were White, of which 11.9% were women and 88.1% men. Other races that concentrated a significant number of workers were Black (25.6%) and Two or More Races (14.1%).

Education & Skills

Data on higher education choices for Refuse & recyclable material collectors from The Department of Education and Census Bureau. The most common major for Refuse & recyclable material collectors is Business but the most specialized major according to RCA in 2024 were Philosophy and Religious Studies.

Among the necessary skills for Refuse & recyclable material collectors, Operation and Control stands, but the revealed comparative advantage (RCA) shows that Refuse & recyclable material collectors need more than the average amount of Equipment Maintenance.

Majors

ACS PUMS data only shows the major for bachelor's degrees. However, we can filter the data based on highest degree obtained.

Type of Majors

Degree

The most common majors achieved by Refuse & recyclable material collectors in 2024 (counting all academic degrees) were Business (1,424 people), Engineering (509 people), and Psychology (425 people).

You can review this information for different academic grades by modifying the option selected in the selector above.

Education Levels

Metric

The main educational levels achieved by the Refuse & recyclable material collectors workers were High School or Equivalent (50,974 people), Some college (17,857 people), and Secondary Education (12,762 people).

The graphic shows the Refuse & recyclable material collectors workforce by gender and educational level.

Skills

Chart

Value

Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for Refuse & recyclable material collectors from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Refuse & recyclable material collectors need many skills, but most especially Operation and Control, Operations Monitoring, Critical Thinking.

Projections

Projections on job growth for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The 10-year national workforce is projected to grow 3.07%, but Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors are expected to see a growth of 0.879% over the same period. This occupation is expected to grow less than the national average.

Job Growth

For growth projections, the closest comparible industry reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics is Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors.

0.879%

Estimated Job Growth

10-year Projection

3.07%

National Growth

10-year Projection

This line chart shows the projected 10-year growth in the number of jobs for Refuse & recyclable material collectors. This profession is expected to grow less than than 3.07%, the average rate of national job growth.