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Refuse and Recyclable Material Collector Salary

Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors earn a median $49,690 a year nationally. Transportation and Material Moving Occupations

U.S. median
$49,690
$23.89 per hour
Range
$33,590 – $75,900
10th to 90th percentile
Employed
147,240
across the U.S.

Refuse and Recyclable Material Collector take-home pay calculator

Starts at the national median. Pick your state to see your real paycheck.

Refuse and Recyclable Material Collector
Deductions, kids & local tax

2026 tax year. Federal brackets from IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32.

Your take-home pay
$42,106
per year · effective tax rate 15.3%
$3,509Monthly
$1,754Twice a month
$1,619Every 2 weeks
$20.24Hourly
  • Federal income tax$3,783
  • Social Security (6.2%)$3,081
  • Medicare (1.45%)$721
  • Texas income tax$0
  • Take-home pay$42,106

Marginal rate: 12% federal + 0.00% state

Pay by experience

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home (no state tax)
10th percentile (entry level)$33,590$16.15$29,170
25th percentile$39,080$18.79$33,581
Median (50th)$49,690$23.89$42,106
75th percentile$62,020$29.82$52,013
90th percentile (top earners)$75,900$36.49$62,226

Best cities for refuse and recyclable material collectors (after tax & cost of living)

#Metro areaMedianTake-homeReal value*Jobs
1Davenport, IA$75,440$59,687$67,005750
2San Jose, CA$87,430$65,299$59,135870
3Chicago, IL$77,470$59,640$57,5713,330
4Seattle, WA$75,090$61,656$55,4792,100
5St. Louis, MO$60,750$49,075$51,610970
6San Francisco, CA$77,570$59,399$51,3772,040
7Des Moines, IA$56,990$46,458$50,662440
8Indianapolis, IN$59,710$48,425$50,6031,030
9Nashville, TN$57,650$48,502$50,345520
10Columbus, OH$57,510$47,590$49,849930
11Salt Lake City, UT$61,320$49,657$49,230530
12Sacramento, CA$65,950$52,250$48,982910
13Minneapolis, MN$64,410$51,077$48,7271,550
14Cleveland, OH$55,090$45,712$48,670880
15San Diego, CA$69,300$54,350$48,5761,230
16Portland, OR$65,920$50,208$47,6271,500
17Philadelphia, PA$59,730$48,339$47,1362,610
18Denver, CO$61,190$49,362$46,6641,970
19Riverside, CA$61,940$49,378$46,3891,280
20New York, NY$65,310$51,727$45,95413,310
21Oklahoma City, OK$50,540$41,060$45,416590
22San Antonio, TX$50,040$42,387$44,7521,060
23Louisville, KY$51,080$41,553$44,645500
24Los Angeles, CA$62,490$49,779$43,8334,210
25Cincinnati, OH$49,940$41,716$43,741950

*Take-home pay in U.S.-average dollars (BEA Regional Price Parities).

Highest-paying cities

Refuse and Recyclable Material Collector salary by state

StateMedianTake-homeRangeJobs
Illinois $75,050$58,057 $38,790 – $88,6404,910
Washington $74,620$61,325 $54,070 – $88,9903,750
New York $64,950$51,457 $42,740 – $86,72011,630
California $64,890$51,496 $45,970 – $90,37013,930
Oregon $63,210$48,268 $53,270 – $72,4402,500
Minnesota $62,570$49,724 $47,260 – $71,4502,500
Nevada $61,310$51,443 $48,030 – $81,950770
Delaware $61,290$48,702 $38,700 – $74,590600
Colorado $60,310$48,694 $39,580 – $75,3303,700
Wisconsin $59,810$48,387 $33,360 – $64,2001,550
Utah $59,310$48,133 $42,990 – $72,930960
North Dakota $59,000$49,587 $41,690 – $71,330360
Indiana $58,900$47,798 $36,000 – $64,6803,180
Hawaii $56,270$44,647 $30,760 – $65,740770
Rhode Island $55,970$45,670 $34,810 – $61,370470
District of Columbia $55,490$44,603 $39,810 – $76,020540
New Jersey $54,630$44,605 $37,590 – $71,2304,330
Vermont $51,960$42,623 $41,240 – $63,070160
Michigan $51,030$41,265 $34,150 – $76,3604,020
Massachusetts $50,310$40,309 $39,180 – $73,0901,010
Missouri $50,010$40,950 $31,760 – $71,2701,930
Idaho $49,880$40,723 $38,210 – $58,030730
Iowa $49,850$40,992 $38,220 – $63,3501,780
Montana $49,420$40,323 $37,080 – $60,730370
Nebraska $49,390$40,497 $37,210 – $59,400910
Ohio $49,330$41,242 $35,840 – $62,4504,710
Wyoming $48,820$41,407 $33,770 – $58,800280
Pennsylvania $48,240$39,460 $31,200 – $66,6606,220
Florida $47,820$40,603 $35,350 – $61,45011,650
New Mexico $47,660$39,393 $34,870 – $61,0401,070
Georgia $46,960$38,098 $31,680 – $60,3304,830
Arizona $46,910$38,908 $33,480 – $73,6102,380
New Hampshire $46,580$39,607 $37,920 – $59,810340
Virginia $46,530$37,705 $28,120 – $61,0404,330
Texas $46,330$39,406 $30,830 – $59,38012,860
Alabama $46,240$37,287 $29,500 – $61,0002,790
Alaska $45,740$38,932 $31,620 – $80,310250
Kansas $45,510$37,008 $29,100 – $57,090910
North Carolina $44,670$36,799 $25,140 – $58,5707,250
Maine $43,360$35,275 $34,590 – $61,950770
Tennessee $43,270$36,947 $28,390 – $61,4002,550
Kentucky $43,100$35,420 $29,610 – $56,1701,580
Oklahoma $43,060$35,387 $31,030 – $59,5902,030
Maryland $41,870$34,197 $35,900 – $61,2103,120
Mississippi $39,170$32,818 $29,420 – $58,3401,970
Louisiana $38,810$32,586 $27,840 – $59,0102,200
Connecticut $38,220$32,095 $34,980 – $62,330810
West Virginia $35,840$30,017 $26,520 – $47,9601,000
Arkansas $35,640$29,640 $26,590 – $51,5701,600
South Carolina $34,880$29,270 $22,340 – $50,6002,020
South Dakota $32,950$28,655 $27,380 – $47,700340

Frequently asked questions

How much does a refuse and recyclable material collector make?

The national median salary for refuse and recyclable material collectors is $49,690 a year ($23.89 an hour). The lowest-paid 10% earn under $33,590 and the top 10% earn over $75,900. Source: BLS, May 2025.

Which state pays refuse and recyclable material collectors the most?

Illinois has the highest median pay at $75,050. After taxes and local prices, Davenport, IA offers the best real take-home pay of any metro area.

How many refuse and recyclable material collectors are there in the U.S.?

About 147,240 people work as refuse and recyclable material collectors nationwide.

All 52 cities