What the work involves, what it pays, and real lines you can start from. Answer a few small questions and leave with a resume.
Also called collector, garbage collector, recyclable materials collector and refuse collector.
Pay and headcount are from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lines are written from what the US Department of Labor records about this work.
An example
Every line below comes from the same public record as the rest of this page. The greyed parts are the ones only you can answer.
Refuse and Recyclable Material Collector
Refuse and recyclable material collector driving trucks to collect garbage and recycling from containers, inspecting vehicles for safety, and operating equipment to lift and dump bins into trucks
Where you worked
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becomes
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The line
Inspected several trucks every day before starting routes to ensure safe operating conditions
Add how many trucks you inspected each shift
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Adding it to the line…
The line
Refueled trucks and added necessary fluids to maintain optimal performance
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The work itself
The public record of what this job is, in one paragraph.
Collect and dump refuse or recyclable materials from containers into truck. May drive truck.
What it pays
Annual pay across the United States. The middle figure is the median: half earn less than that, and half earn more.
| 25th percentile | $39,080 |
|---|---|
| Median | $49,690 |
| 75th percentile | $62,020 |
| State | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| AK | $36,030 | $45,740 | $71,840 |
| AL | $36,280 | $46,240 | $54,910 |
| AR | $29,320 | $35,640 | $41,420 |
| AZ | $34,860 | $46,910 | $60,010 |
| CA | $55,420 | $64,890 | $75,070 |
| CO | $46,770 | $60,310 | $64,410 |
| CT | $35,480 | $38,220 | $51,080 |
| DC | $45,740 | $55,490 | $63,710 |
| DE | $48,130 | $61,290 | $63,290 |
| FL | $39,400 | $47,820 | $58,090 |
| GA | $37,220 | $46,960 | $55,990 |
| HI | $39,150 | $56,270 | $64,080 |
| IA | $46,190 | $49,850 | $58,050 |
| ID | $46,350 | $49,880 | $55,270 |
| IL | $58,750 | $75,050 | $84,300 |
| IN | $49,840 | $58,900 | $61,210 |
| KS | $35,020 | $45,510 | $48,120 |
| KY | $34,710 | $43,100 | $48,870 |
| LA | $34,110 | $38,810 | $49,270 |
| MA | $45,040 | $50,310 | $62,360 |
| MD | $38,290 | $41,870 | $51,190 |
| ME | $37,170 | $43,360 | $48,780 |
| MI | $37,510 | $51,030 | $61,460 |
| MN | $52,030 | $62,570 | $65,980 |
| MO | $36,420 | $50,010 | $61,360 |
| MS | $35,530 | $39,170 | $48,100 |
| MT | $45,330 | $49,420 | $58,090 |
| NC | $34,650 | $44,670 | $49,030 |
| ND | $47,770 | $59,000 | $61,640 |
| NE | $39,450 | $49,390 | $54,140 |
| NH | $40,420 | $46,580 | $53,890 |
| NJ | $41,920 | $54,630 | $65,370 |
| NM | $41,870 | $47,660 | $50,140 |
| NV | $50,490 | $61,310 | $79,860 |
| NY | $47,020 | $64,950 | $86,310 |
| OH | $42,610 | $49,330 | $59,250 |
| OK | $36,300 | $43,060 | $48,900 |
| OR | $59,960 | $63,210 | $66,180 |
| PA | $37,440 | $48,240 | $61,960 |
| PR | $21,840 | $21,840 | $22,230 |
| RI | $47,790 | $55,970 | $59,970 |
| SC | $27,850 | $34,880 | $42,150 |
| SD | $29,620 | $32,950 | $37,820 |
| TN | $35,410 | $43,270 | $57,330 |
| TX | $35,880 | $46,330 | $50,040 |
| UT | $48,010 | $59,310 | $61,640 |
| VA | $34,230 | $46,530 | $57,430 |
| VT | $49,780 | $51,960 | $60,460 |
| WA | $61,700 | $74,620 | $80,750 |
| WI | $48,440 | $59,810 | $63,430 |
| WV | $29,430 | $35,840 | $43,460 |
| WY | $42,850 | $48,820 | $52,530 |
Other names
collector, garbage collector, recyclable materials collector, refuse collector, rubbish collector, scrap metal collector, solid waste collector, trash collector, waste collector, disposal man, disposal worker, dumpman.
front load trash truck driver, front loader residential driver, garbage collection sanitation engineer, garbage man, garbage person, garbage pick up man, garbage pick up worker, garbage worker, junkman, limb driver, recycle driver, recycle worker, recycler, recycling attendant, recycling collections driver, recycling specialist, refuse driver, residential recycle driver, roll off container truck driver, roll off driver, roll off truck driver, sanitation engineer, sanitation laborer, sanitation truck driver, sanitation worker, solid waste collection worker, solid waste driver, solid waste laborer, swamper, thrower, trash collection sanitation engineer, trash man, truck driver, waste man.
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This page is about the occupation Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors. What this job involves and what it is made of come from O*NET 30.3, the US Department of Labor's occupation database, refreshed July 2026; Rung writes those records into the plain sentences you see. Pay comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS release for 2025. Rung is an independent service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by either agency. How Rung handles accuracy is on the accuracy page, and the full data credits are on the credits page.