Garbage Man salary: $49,690 median, and how to negotiate yours.
The full pay range by percentile, every state, the top-paying metro areas and similar roles, from the latest BLS survey. Place your own offer on the range.
Hourly pay, BLS May 2025: 10th percentile $16.15 · 25th $18.79 · median $23.89 · 75th $29.82 · 90th $36.49.
The median annual wage for refuse and recyclable material collectors in the United States was $49,690 in May 2025 (BLS). The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $33,590 and the top 10% earned more than $75,900. That median is 1.0 times the $50,980 median for all occupations. The highest-paying state was Illinois ($75,050).
Data Government data groups this job as Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors (O*NET-SOC 53-7081.00). Figures on this page are for that occupation.
- 10th percentile
- $33,590
- lowest-paid 10% earn less
- 25th percentile
- $39,080
- a quarter earn less
- 75th percentile
- $62,020
- a quarter earn more
- 90th percentile
- $75,900
- top 10% earn more
More on garbage man pay
The median hourly wage for refuse and recyclable material collectors in the United States was $23.89 in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
The middle half of refuse and recyclable material collectors in the United States earned between $39,080 and $62,020 a year in May 2025 (25th to 75th percentile, BLS).
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
The lowest-paid 10% of refuse and recyclable material collectors in the United States earned less than $33,590 a year in May 2025, and the top 10% more than $75,900 (BLS).
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
The mean annual wage for refuse and recyclable material collectors in the United States was $52,820 in May 2025, according to BLS; the mean is a different measure from the median.
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS estimated that 147,240 people were employed as refuse and recyclable material collectors in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Garbage Man salary in every state
Data BLS state estimates, May 2025. 50 states and DC published a median for this occupation. Sort by pay or by number employed.
- Illinois$75,050
- Washington$74,620
- New York$64,950
- California$64,890
- Oregon$63,210
- California13,930
- Texas12,860
- Florida11,650
- New York11,630
- North Carolina7,250
| State | 10th–90th percentile | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | $75,050 | $38,790–$88,640 | 4,910 |
| Washington | $74,620 | $54,070–$88,990 | 3,750 |
| New York | $64,950 | $42,740–$86,720 | 11,630 |
| California | $64,890 | $45,970–$90,370 | 13,930 |
| Oregon | $63,210 | $53,270–$72,440 | 2,500 |
| Minnesota | $62,570 | $47,260–$71,450 | 2,500 |
| Nevada | $61,310 | $48,030–$81,950 | 770 |
| Delaware | $61,290 | $38,700–$74,590 | 600 |
| Colorado | $60,310 | $39,580–$75,330 | 3,700 |
| Wisconsin | $59,810 | $33,360–$64,200 | 1,550 |
| Utah | $59,310 | $42,990–$72,930 | 960 |
| North Dakota | $59,000 | $41,690–$71,330 | 360 |
| Indiana | $58,900 | $36,000–$64,680 | 3,180 |
| Hawaii | $56,270 | $30,760–$65,740 | 770 |
| Rhode Island | $55,970 | $34,810–$61,370 | 470 |
| District of Columbia | $55,490 | $39,810–$76,020 | 540 |
| New Jersey | $54,630 | $37,590–$71,230 | 4,330 |
| Vermont | $51,960 | $41,240–$63,070 | 160 |
| Michigan | $51,030 | $34,150–$76,360 | 4,020 |
| Massachusetts | $50,310 | $39,180–$73,090 | 1,010 |
| Missouri | $50,010 | $31,760–$71,270 | 1,930 |
| Idaho | $49,880 | $38,210–$58,030 | 730 |
| Iowa | $49,850 | $38,220–$63,350 | 1,780 |
| Montana | $49,420 | $37,080–$60,730 | 370 |
| Nebraska | $49,390 | $37,210–$59,400 | 910 |
| Ohio | $49,330 | $35,840–$62,450 | 4,710 |
| Wyoming | $48,820 | $33,770–$58,800 | 280 |
| Pennsylvania | $48,240 | $31,200–$66,660 | 6,220 |
| Florida | $47,820 | $35,350–$61,450 | 11,650 |
| New Mexico | $47,660 | $34,870–$61,040 | 1,070 |
| Georgia | $46,960 | $31,680–$60,330 | 4,830 |
| Arizona | $46,910 | $33,480–$73,610 | 2,380 |
| New Hampshire | $46,580 | $37,920–$59,810 | 340 |
| Virginia | $46,530 | $28,120–$61,040 | 4,330 |
| Texas | $46,330 | $30,830–$59,380 | 12,860 |
| Alabama | $46,240 | $29,500–$61,000 | 2,790 |
| Alaska | $45,740 | $31,620–$80,310 | 250 |
| Kansas | $45,510 | $29,100–$57,090 | 910 |
| North Carolina | $44,670 | $25,140–$58,570 | 7,250 |
| Maine | $43,360 | $34,590–$61,950 | 770 |
| Tennessee | $43,270 | $28,390–$61,400 | 2,550 |
| Kentucky | $43,100 | $29,610–$56,170 | 1,580 |
| Oklahoma | $43,060 | $31,030–$59,590 | 2,030 |
| Maryland | $41,870 | $35,900–$61,210 | 3,120 |
| Mississippi | $39,170 | $29,420–$58,340 | 1,970 |
| Louisiana | $38,810 | $27,840–$59,010 | 2,200 |
| Connecticut | $38,220 | $34,980–$62,330 | 810 |
| West Virginia | $35,840 | $26,520–$47,960 | 1,000 |
| Arkansas | $35,640 | $26,590–$51,570 | 1,600 |
| South Carolina | $34,880 | $22,340–$50,600 | 2,020 |
| South Dakota | $32,950 | $27,380–$47,700 | 340 |
Where the median is highest
Data Metropolitan areas with at least 100 people employed in the occupation, BLS May 2025.
How the pay compares
Data National medians for related occupations (O*NET related roles, BLS pay).
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How this page is built
Wages are BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics estimates for May 2025 (national, state and metropolitan area), for the occupation shown. OEWS wages are straight-time gross pay: they include base pay, commissions, production bonuses and tips, and exclude overtime, shift differentials, non-production bonuses and benefits. Percentiles describe all workers in the occupation, not entry or senior levels.
- Pay at a specific employer, or for self-employed workers (OEWS covers employees).
- Experience level: percentiles are not seniority bands.
- Equity, bonuses outside OEWS's definition, and benefits.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).
- O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. TryHired selected, ranked and combined the data; O*NET is not responsible for these pages.
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