Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors
What Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors Do
Collect and dump refuse or recyclable materials from containers into truck. May drive truck.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- Self-employed
- 3.7%
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 2 of 5Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Job training
- Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Key Knowledge Areas
Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.
- Mechanicalimportance 3.2/5
- English Languageimportance 2.8/5
- Transportationimportance 2.6/5
- Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 2.5/5
- Public Safety and Securityimportance 2.5/5
- Administration and Managementimportance 2.1/5
- Telecommunicationsimportance 2.0/5
- Computers and Electronicsimportance 2.0/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets5.0/5
- Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions4.9/5
- In an Enclosed Vehicle or Operate Enclosed Equipment4.7/5
- Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions4.3/5
- Exposed to Contaminants4.3/5
- Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures4.2/5
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.
- Rock Splitters, Quarry96% skill match
- Dishwashers96% skill match
- Highway Maintenance Workers95% skill match
- Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons95% skill match
- Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic95% skill match
- Floor Sanders and Finishers94% skill match
- Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic94% skill match
- Bridge and Lock Tenders94% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Operations Monitoringimportance 3.0/5
- Operation and Controlimportance 3.0/5
- Equipment Maintenanceimportance 2.8/5
- Coordinationimportance 2.6/5
- Social Perceptivenessimportance 2.5/5
- Troubleshootingimportance 2.5/5
- Repairingimportance 2.5/5
- Time Managementimportance 2.5/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Other Software Used
- AMCS Platform
- Computerized maintenance management system CMMS
- Dossier software
- Fleet management software
- Global positioning system GPS software
- Mileage logging software
- Payroll software
- Routeware software
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Dependability
- Cautiousness
- Attention to Detail
- Stress Tolerance
- Integrity
- Perseverance
- Cooperation
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
- EnterprisingLow
- SocialLow
- 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 refuse and recyclable material collectors make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Monroe, MI5.07× national avg
- 2Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL4.40× national avg
- 3Guayama, PR4.37× national avg
- 4Traverse City, MI4.02× national avg
- 5Arecibo, PR3.26× national avg
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.
- Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment OperatorsCareer Change
- Hazardous Materials Removal WorkersCareer Change
- Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, HandLateral Move
- Highway Maintenance WorkersCareer Change
See the full career path from Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors →