Transportation and material moving
Refuse and recyclable material collectors
Collect and dump refuse or recyclable materials from containers into truck. May drive truck.
Median pay
$49,690
Growth to 2035
+2%
about as fast as average
Openings a year
15,500
Time to qualify*
1 month
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Refuse and recyclable material collectors
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- No formal educational credential
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- Prior experience
- None
Calculate your switch to refuse and recyclable material collectors
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time sitting
Time standing
Outdoors in all weather
Hazardous conditions
Exposure to disease
Refuse and recyclable material collectors: 64% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core 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.
Also called: Front Load Trash Truck Driver · Garbage Man · Recycle Driver · Refuse Collector · Roll Off Container Truck Driver · Roll Off Truck Driver · Sanitation Laborer · Swamper
Outlook and AI
Refuse and recyclable material collectors held 156,400 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 159,600 by 2035 (+2%, about as fast as average; all jobs: +3.5%).
Compare with
- Refuse and recyclable material collectors vs. Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand
- Refuse and recyclable material collectors vs. Hazardous materials removal worker
- Refuse and recyclable material collectors vs. Truck driver
- Refuse and recyclable material collectors vs. Tank car, truck, and ship loaders
- Refuse and recyclable material collectors vs. Septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners
- Refuse and recyclable material collectors vs. Industrial truck and tractor operators
- Refuse and recyclable material collectors vs. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment
- Refuse and recyclable material collectors vs. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators