Refuse and recyclable material collectors: Salary, career path, job outlook, education and more

Refuse and recyclable material collectors gather garbage and recyclables from homes and businesses to transport to a dump, landfill, or recycling center. Many collectors lift garbage cans by hand and empty them into their truck. Some collectors drive the garbage or recycling truck along a scheduled route and may use a hydraulic lift to empty the contents of a dumpster into the truck.

Education Required
There are no formal educational requirements for anyone to become a hand laborer or material mover.
Training Required
Most positions for hand laborers and material movers require less than 1 month of on-the-job training. Some workers need only a few days of training, and most training is done by a supervisor or a more experienced worker who decides when trainees are ready to work on their own.
Job Outlook
The projected percent change in employment from 2016 to 2026: 7% (As fast as average)
(The average growth rate for all occupations is 7 percent.)
Licenses/Certifications
Refuse and recyclable material collectors who drive trucks that exceed a certain capacitysuch as vehicles with the combined weight of the vehicle, passengers, and cargo exceeding 26,000 poundsmust have a commercial drivers license (CDL). Obtaining a CDL requires passing written, skill, and vision tests.
Median pay: How much do Hand Laborers and Material Movers make?
$24,880 Annual Salary
$11.96 per hour

Careers for Hand Laborers and Material Movers

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  • Baggers
  • Beer coil cleaners
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  • Brick offbearers
  • Bus cleaners
  • Bus washers
  • Car wash attendants
  • Car washers
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  • Carton wrappers
  • Chain offbearers
  • Chopper feeders
  • Cleaners of vehicles and equipment
  • Doffers
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  • Equipment cleaners
  • Freight handlers
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  • Hand packers and packagers
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  • Hopper fillers
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  • Manufacturing laborers
  • Material handlers
  • Meat packagers
  • Meat wrappers
  • Offbearers
  • Package handlers
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