How much do garbage collectors make?

Garbage Collector salary 2026 · BLS occupation: Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors (SOC 53-7081) · Updated October 28, 2026

Answer

Garbage collectors in the US earned a median of $49,690 a year ($23.89 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned $39,080 to $62,020.

Median annual pay: $49,690; Mean $52,820
Median hourly pay: $23.89; Mean $25.39
Typical range (10th–90th): $33.6K–$75.9K; $33,590 to $75,900
US jobs: 147,240; +2.1% projected, 2025–35

BLS OEWS, May 2025, released April 30, 2026. Wages include tips, commissions and production bonuses but not overtime premiums, shift differentials, other bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers are not included. Methodology

How to become a garbage collector: steps, years and cost · Best-paying state after cost of living: Illinois

Garbage Collector pay range

Annual wages, May 2025

10th percentile$33,590
25th percentile$39,080
Median$49,690
75th percentile$62,020
90th percentile$75,900

Half of all garbage collectors earned more than $49,690 and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% made under $33,590; the top 10% made over $75,900. The middle 50%, from the 25th to the 75th percentile, ran from $39,080 to $62,020.

These percentiles describe everyone in the occupation at one time. They are not pay steps by years of experience: they mix new and senior workers, different states, employers and hours. Pay generally rises with experience, credentials and specialization, but BLS does not publish pay by experience.

Percentile	Annual	Hourly	Monthly
10th	$33,590	$16.15	$2,799
25th	$39,080	$18.79	$3,257
Median (50th)	$49,690	$23.89	$4,141
75th	$62,020	$29.82	$5,168
90th	$75,900	$36.49	$6,325
Mean (average)	$52,820	$25.39	$4,402

Garbage Collector salary by state

Median annual pay; cost of living from BEA regional price parities 2024

Median annual pay for garbage collectors by state. Darker tiles pay more.

Highest-paying states

1. Illinois $75,050
2. Washington $74,620
3. New York $64,950
4. California $64,890
5. Oregon $63,210

Lowest-paying states

51. South Dakota $32,950
50. South Carolina $34,880
49. Arkansas $35,640
48. West Virginia $35,840
47. Connecticut $38,220

Best after cost of living: Illinois. Its median of $75,050 is worth about $75,082 at national-average prices.


Alabama	$46,240	36	$52,059	24	$22.23	2,790	1.32
Alaska	$45,740	37	$44,686	43	$21.99	250	0.76
Arizona	$46,910	32	$46,595	38	$22.55	2,380	0.74
Arkansas	$35,640	49	$40,995	46	$17.13	1,600	1.23
California	$64,890	4	$58,607	12	$31.20	13,930	0.77
Colorado	$60,310	9	$58,524	13	$29.00	3,700	1.29
Connecticut	$38,220	47	$36,888	51	$18.37	810	0.48
Delaware	$61,290	8	$61,408	7	$29.47	600	1.24
District of Columbia	$55,490	16	$50,491	28	$26.68	540	0.78
Florida	$47,820	29	$46,241	39	$22.99	11,650	1.17
Georgia	$46,960	31	$48,768	32	$22.58	4,830	0.99
Hawaii	$56,270	14	$51,177	26	$27.05	770	1.23
Idaho	$49,880	22	$52,234	22	$23.98	730	0.85
Illinois	$75,050	1	$75,082	1	$36.08	4,910	0.81
Indiana	$58,900	13	$63,110	6	$28.32	3,180	0.99
Iowa	$49,850	23	$56,801	14	$23.97	1,780	1.14
Kansas	$45,510	38	$50,528	27	$21.88	910	0.64
Kentucky	$43,100	42	$47,804	33	$20.72	1,580	0.79
Louisiana	$38,810	46	$43,999	45	$18.66	2,200	1.14
Maine	$43,360	40	$44,678	44	$20.85	770	1.20
Maryland	$41,870	44	$39,892	48	$20.13	3,120	1.13
Massachusetts	$50,310	20	$47,571	35	$24.19	1,010	0.28
Michigan	$51,030	19	$53,036	20	$24.53	4,020	0.91
Minnesota	$62,570	6	$63,445	5	$30.08	2,500	0.85
Mississippi	$39,170	45	$45,047	41	$18.83	1,970	1.69
Missouri	$50,010	21	$55,067	15	$24.04	1,930	0.66
Montana	$49,420	24	$52,216	23	$23.76	370	0.72
Nebraska	$49,390	25	$54,815	16	$23.75	910	0.89
Nevada	$61,310	7	$61,323	8	$29.47	770	0.49
New Hampshire	$46,580	33	$44,718	42	$22.40	340	0.50
New Jersey	$54,630	17	$50,209	29	$26.27	4,330	1.01
New Mexico	$47,660	30	$51,685	25	$22.92	1,070	1.23
New York	$64,950	3	$60,183	10	$31.23	11,630	1.20
North Carolina	$44,670	39	$47,357	36	$21.48	7,250	1.47
North Dakota	$59,000	12	$66,323	3	$28.37	360	0.85
Ohio	$49,330	26	$53,172	18	$23.72	4,710	0.85
Oklahoma	$43,060	43	$49,019	31	$20.70	2,030	1.19
Oregon	$63,210	5	$61,155	9	$30.39	2,500	1.27
Pennsylvania	$48,240	28	$49,440	30	$23.19	6,220	1.02
Rhode Island	$55,970	15	$54,722	17	$26.91	470	0.95
South Carolina	$34,880	50	$37,206	49	$16.77	2,020	0.88
South Dakota	$32,950	51	$37,195	50	$15.84	340	0.75
Tennessee	$43,270	41	$47,099	37	$20.80	2,550	0.78
Texas	$46,330	35	$47,735	34	$22.27	12,860	0.91
Utah	$59,310	11	$59,992	11	$28.52	960	0.55
Vermont	$51,960	18	$53,043	19	$24.98	160	0.54
Virginia	$46,530	34	$46,022	40	$22.37	4,330	1.05
Washington	$74,620	2	$69,730	2	$35.88	3,750	1.06
West Virginia	$35,840	48	$40,046	47	$17.23	1,000	1.42
Wisconsin	$59,810	10	$63,563	4	$28.76	1,550	0.53
Wyoming	$48,820	27	$52,670	21	$23.47	280	0.99

BLS OEWS, May 2025, state estimates. Adjusted pay = median ÷ (state price level ÷ 100), using BEA regional price parities for 2024; it ignores taxes. Figures for states with few workers in the occupation have larger survey errors and can change sharply from one year to the next. “—” means BLS did not publish the figure. State names link to each state’s highest-paying jobs.

Best-paying metro areas for garbage collectors

307 metro areas with published pay

Highest median pay
Metro area	Median	Adjusted	Jobs
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	$87,430	$79,177	870
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	$77,570	$67,095	2,040
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	$77,470	$74,782	3,330
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA	$76,340	$73,638	130
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL	$75,440	$84,689	750
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	$75,090	$67,568	2,100
Kennewick-Richland, WA	$74,180	$74,121	90
Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA	$73,770	$69,853	70
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA	$73,110	$67,830	320
Napa, CA	$72,450	$64,369	90

Most jobs
Metro area	Jobs	Median	Adjusted
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	13,310	$65,310	$58,021
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	4,300	$47,960	$46,522
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	4,210	$62,490	$55,025
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	3,370	$49,770	$43,599
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	3,330	$77,470	$74,782
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	3,100	$46,530	$42,734
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA	2,950	$47,840	$47,812
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	2,610	$59,730	$58,242
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX	2,310	$46,320	$46,964
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	2,100	$75,090	$67,568

BLS OEWS, May 2025, metropolitan statistical areas; adjusted with BEA metro price parities (2024).

What moves garbage collector pay: employers and settings

Who you work for and what you drive matter most. Waste treatment and disposal employers, which run landfills and transfer stations, pay a median of $60,040; waste collection companies pay $50,600; and local governments pay $47,020. Workers placed through staffing agencies earn the least, at $35,350. The national median is $49,690.

BLS counts drivers and helpers as one occupation, so it publishes no separate pay for each; driver jobs add the cost and responsibility of a CDL and a heavy vehicle. Overtime on long routes, holiday weeks and storm cleanup also adds to pay for some collectors.

State makes a sizable difference. Illinois ($75,050, first) and Washington ($74,620, second) lead, followed by New York ($64,950, third). The lowest medians are in Arkansas ($35,640, third lowest), South Carolina ($34,880, second lowest) and South Dakota at $32,950. Illinois also leads after living costs, at $75,082 adjusted. The gap between the 10th percentile ($33,590, the low end) and the 90th ($75,900, the high end) mixes differences in employer, state and role; it is not a measure of years on the job.

Where garbage collectors work
Industry	Share of jobs	Median pay
Waste Collection	51.9%	$50,600
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals	29.7%	$47,020
Waste Treatment and Disposal	10.4%	$60,040
Employment Services	2.4%	$35,350
Remediation and Other Waste Management Services	1.6%	$48,290
Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods (4232, 4233, 4235, 4236, 4237, and 4239 only)	0.8%	$47,990

Private employers and government
Employer type	Jobs	Median pay
Private employers	102,670	$51,090
Federal government (incl. Postal Service)	190	$60,670
State government (incl. schools and hospitals)	650	$49,620
Local government (incl. schools and hospitals)	43,730	$47,020

BLS OEWS, May 2025, national industry-specific and ownership estimates (4-digit NAICS).

Garbage Collector pay over time

Median annual pay, 2015–2025

$49.7K $33.8K

2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

Nominal median (dollars of each year)In May 2025 dollars (adjusted with CPI-U)

The median rose from $33,800 in 2015 to $49,690 in 2025, up 47% in nominal dollars. After inflation, the 2015 median is worth $45,691 in May 2025 dollars, so real pay grew 9% over the period.

BLS OEWS, May 2025 and earlier May releases; inflation from the CPI-U, US city average, May of each year.

What garbage collectors do

A garbage collector, also called a sanitation worker, refuse collector or garbage man, picks up trash, recycling and yard waste from homes and businesses and hauls it to transfer stations, landfills and recycling plants. Crews start early, often before dawn, and each one runs set routes on a weekly schedule.

The job varies with the truck. On automated side-loaders, a single driver uses a joystick-controlled arm to grab and empty carts without leaving the cab. Rear-loader crews include a driver plus one or two helpers who ride on the back, jump off at each stop and throw bags and cans into the hopper. Front-load drivers empty commercial dumpsters, and roll-off drivers swap large open-top containers at construction sites. Drivers of the heavy trucks need a commercial driver's license (CDL).

About half of collectors in our data work for private waste collection companies and about three in ten for local governments. The work is outdoors in heat, cold and rain, with heavy lifting, traffic and sharp or hazardous items in the waste.

A typical day

Walk around the truck before leaving the yard, checking brakes, lights, tires, hydraulics and the packer body
Drive the route through neighborhoods, alleys or commercial districts in a set order
Empty carts with an automated arm, or lift cans and bags into the rear hopper by hand
Run the compactor and keep the load within the truck's weight limits
Report blocked cans, overflowing bins, damaged carts and unsafe stops to dispatch
Dump full loads at the transfer station, landfill or recycling facility and log the trip
Wash out the truck and report any mechanical problems at the end of the shift

Also called: garbage man, sanitation worker, trash collector, garbage truck driver, refuse collector, front load trash truck driver, recycle driver, roll off container truck driver.

How to become a garbage collector

Full guide

To become a garbage collector, you apply to a city sanitation department or private waste hauler; helpers need no degree or license and train on the job in a few weeks. To drive a garbage truck you need a Class B commercial driver's license, which takes a learner's permit, federally required entry-level training and a skills test, usually within one to three months.

Typical time: 1-3 months for a CDL driver; Fastest: A few days to a few weeks
Minimum education: No formal education required; a high school diploma is common and some employers prefer one
License: No license for helpers; a Class B CDL is required to drive trucks over 26,000 lb GVWR in every state
Typical training cost: $0–$1.9K; See the guide for what it includes

Read the step-by-step guide to becoming a garbage collector: each step with its time and cost, education options, exams, licensing and advancement.

Is it worth it? Training cost against pay

Compare careers

Training time: 1-3 months for a CDL driver; Typical path in our guide
Training cost: $0–$1.9K; Tuition and exam fees, before aid
Median pay: $49,690; $1,290 below the all-jobs median ($50,980)
Cost vs. one year's pay: 0–4%; Training cost as a share of a year at the median

The median for garbage collectors is below the median for all US jobs, so the case for training rests on the work itself, entry speed and local pay rather than a pay premium. This is a rough guide: it ignores taxes, financial aid, interest, earnings given up while training and how pay changes over a career. How we calculate ROI.

Job outlook for garbage collectors

BLS Employment Projections 2025–35

Projected growth: +2.1%; All occupations +3.5%
Jobs in 2025: 156,400; 159,600 projected for 2035
Openings each year: 15,500; New jobs plus replacements
Self-employed: 3.8%; Not in the pay figures above

BLS projects jobs for refuse and recyclable material collectors to grow 2.1% from 2025 to 2035, from 156,400 to 159,600, slower than the 3.5% for all occupations. Even so, about 15,500 openings are expected each year, mostly from workers retiring or leaving the field. A growing population produces more trash and recycling, which supports demand. Automated side-loader trucks that need only one driver, and software that optimizes routes, limit how many new jobs that growth creates.

Related careers and their pay

Truck Driver$58,640
Crane Operator$68,080
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand$40,240
Hazardous Materials Removal Workers$49,450
First-Line Supervisors of Helpers, Laborers, and Material Movers, Hand—

Related occupations from O*NET 31.0; median annual pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.

Garbage Collector salary FAQ

How much do garbage collectors make an hour?

The median hourly wage for garbage collectors was $23.89 in May 2025. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $16.15 an hour and the highest-paid 10% more than $36.49. Hourly figures are BLS estimates for all workers in the occupation, full-time and part-time.

Which state pays garbage collectors the most?

Illinois has the highest median pay for garbage collectors, $75,050 a year, followed by Washington ($74,620) and New York ($64,950). After adjusting for each state's price level, Illinois comes out ahead at about $75,082 in national-average dollars.

Do garbage collectors make six figures?

Few do: based on the BLS percentiles, fewer than 10% of garbage collectors earn more than $100,000 a year. The median is $49,690, and the top 10% earn more than $75,900. Pay generally rises with experience, specialization and location.

Do you need a CDL to be a garbage collector?

Only if you drive. Most garbage trucks are heavy straight trucks over 26,000 pounds, which requires a Class B commercial driver's license. Helpers who ride on the back and load the hopper do not need a CDL, and many people start that way. Some employers help helpers earn a CDL later so they can move into driving jobs.

Is being a garbage collector dangerous?

Yes, it carries real risks. Collectors work in traffic, climb on and off moving equipment and lift heavy loads all day, and waste can contain broken glass, needles and chemicals. Distracted drivers passing the truck are a serious risk. Employers require safety training, high-visibility clothing and gloves, and automated trucks have reduced the amount of lifting and time spent outside the cab.

What hours do garbage collectors work?

Routes usually start very early, often around dawn, so crews can finish before traffic builds. Many collectors finish their route by early afternoon. Holiday weeks, storms and heavy yard waste seasons can mean longer days or Saturday work. Commercial and roll-off routes may run at night or on weekends to serve businesses when they are closed.

Sources

Data updated October 28, 2026 · Text checked against its sources October 28, 2026

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, released April 30, 2026, SOC 53-7081
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035, released September 2026
O*NET 31.0 Database (53-7081.00), U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0; tasks rewritten by Careers and Salaries
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state and metro area, 2024
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, May values
U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study and institution data, most recent cohorts, released 2026-10-15
Hand Laborers and Material Movers, Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · checked October 28, 2026
49 CFR 383.25, Commercial learner's permit (CLP), Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (National Archives) · checked October 28, 2026
49 CFR 391.11, General qualifications of drivers, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (National Archives) · checked October 28, 2026
49 CFR 380.609, General entry-level driver training requirements, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (National Archives) · checked October 28, 2026
Class B Commercial Driver's License: Cost, Pima Community College · checked October 28, 2026
License Finder, CareerOneStop, U.S. Department of Labor · checked October 28, 2026
49 CFR 383.91, Commercial motor vehicle groups, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (National Archives) · checked October 28, 2026
49 CFR 391.45, Persons who must be medically examined and certified, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (National Archives) · checked October 28, 2026
49 CFR 382.301, Pre-employment testing, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (National Archives) · checked October 28, 2026
49 CFR 382.305, Random testing, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (National Archives) · checked October 28, 2026
49 CFR 380.707, Entry-level driver training instructor requirements, Legal Information Institute (Cornell Law School), text of the Code of Federal Regulations · checked October 28, 2026

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