Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors
Transportation and Material Moving
Starts the day by checking the truck, then follows a set route through residential streets, alleys, or business and industrial areas. Uses hoists to lift bins, or steps off the truck to collect containers by hand, and runs equipment that compresses the load. Dumps the material at a disposal site, fuels and tops up fluids, and writes up any equipment problems. The work is outdoors, on foot and in the cab, often with a crew. A better fit for those who want physical outdoor work, a repeating route, and watching equipment for safety problems.
Typical education: High School Diploma or GED
Annual Median Wage in Field (2025)
$49'690
Median Wage Market Position
$49'690
What you might do
- Empty refuse bins into the collection truck
- Drive the truck along assigned routes
- Climb down to collect refuse by hand
- Compact trash inside the truck body
- Unload materials at disposal sites
- Inspect the truck before each route
Skills that matter
- Pre-route truck safety inspections
- Route driving through streets and alleys
- Hoist operation for refuse bins
- Compactor and dump-site work
- Defective-equipment report writing
- On-foot collection between stops
AI & the future of this role
Route robotics and smart sorting may trim some facility-side work, but curbside pickup remains messy, outdoor, and tied to physical trucks. Variable neighborhoods, heavy lifting, and public-facing service keep this role comparatively hard to automate.
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Includes O*NET® 30.3 Database information by USDOL/ETA under CC BY 4.0; modified by LostInCareer. Wage/outlook from BLS. Attribution details