Hazardous Materials Removal Workers
What Hazardous Materials Removal Workers Do
Identify, remove, pack, transport, or dispose of hazardous materials, including asbestos, lead-based paint, waste oil, fuel, transmission fluid, radioactive materials, or contaminated soil. Specialized training and certification in hazardous materials handling or a confined entry permit are generally required. May operate earth-moving equipment or trucks.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Self-employed
- 0.1%
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 3 of 5Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
- Experience
- Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.
- Education
- Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
- Job training
- Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Key Knowledge Areas
Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.
- Public Safety and Securityimportance 3.6/5
- Administration and Managementimportance 3.5/5
- Transportationimportance 3.4/5
- Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 3.4/5
- Building and Constructionimportance 3.2/5
- Mechanicalimportance 3.1/5
- English Languageimportance 3.1/5
- Mathematicsimportance 2.8/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.8/5
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets4.6/5
- Wear Specialized Protective or Safety Equipment such as Breathing Apparatus, Safety Harness, Full Protection Suits, or Radiation Protection4.5/5
- Health and Safety of Other Workers4.3/5
- Exposed to Contaminants4.1/5
- Telephone Conversations4.1/5
Careers With Similar Skills
Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.
- Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand95% skill match
- Tree Trimmers and Pruners95% skill match
- Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation95% skill match
- Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers95% skill match
- Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas94% skill match
- Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic94% skill match
- Floor Sanders and Finishers94% skill match
- Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers94% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Operation and Controlimportance 3.4/5
- Operations Monitoringimportance 3.3/5
- Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.0/5
- Coordinationimportance 3.0/5
- Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.0/5
- Quality Control Analysisimportance 3.0/5
- Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.0/5
- Time Managementimportance 3.0/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Hot Technologies
Other Software Used
- Computerized maintenance management system software CMMS
- Database software
- Inventory management systems
- Xactware Xactimate
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Cautiousness
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Stress Tolerance
- Integrity
- Perseverance
- Self-Control
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- RealisticHigh
- ConventionalMedium
- InvestigativeLow
- SocialLow
- EnterprisingLow
- ArtisticLow
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Where This Career Is Most Concentrated
Metro areas where hazardous materials removal workers make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Kennewick-Richland, WA16.71× national avg
- 2Idaho Falls, ID9.82× national avg
- 3Farmington, NM5.22× national avg
- 4Vallejo, CA4.62× national avg
- 5Springfield, MA4.08× national avg
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.
- Highway Maintenance WorkersLateral Move
- Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and WallLateral Move
- Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive FirersCareer Change
- Terrazzo Workers and FinishersLateral Move
See the full career path from Hazardous Materials Removal Workers →
Related Education Programs
Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.
Hazardous Materials Management and Waste Technology/Technician
- Northwestern Technological Institute (Southfield, MI)grads earn ~$47,685
- NUC University (Bayamon, PR)grads earn ~$25,788
- Lincoln Technical Institute-Union (Union, NJ)grads earn ~$55,887
- South Florida Institute of Technology (Miami, FL)grads earn ~$40,093
- Wichita Technical Institute (Wichita, KS)grads earn ~$44,964