What are the main factors that influence a Waste Collector's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

What are the highest paying states for a Waste Collector?

Waste Collector salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Waste Collector roles are District of Columbia $43,490, California $43,290, Massachusetts $42,690. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Waste Collector roles make?

Salaries for Waste Collector level roles vary by specialization: Waste Manager: $78,262; Waste Handler: $60,237; Waste Operative: $55,521; Collector III: $49,300; Waste Coordinator: $45,103.

How do different companies affect a Waste Collector's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Waste Collector roles. Large, established industry leaders like New York Police Department ($97,099) and State of New York - Metropolitan Transportation Authority ($95,962) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $75,106.

Waste Collector Salary in the United States

How much does a Waste Collector make in the United States?

As of October 01, 2026, the average salary for a Waste Collector in the United States is $39,290 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $19.

However, a Waste Collector's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $58,203
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $32,790 to $49,190
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $26,872

10% $26,872

50% (Median) $39,290

90% $58,203

Waste Collector Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$49,190	$4,099	$946	$24
Average	$39,290	$3,274	$756	$19
25th Percentile	$32,790	$2,733	$631	$16

Salary Factors Salary-Boosting Skills Salary by Experience Related Job Salaries Top Paying Cities Explore Related Jobs

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Key Factors That Influence Waste Collector Salaries

A Waste Collector's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how geographic location and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Do Waste Collector Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Waste Collectors. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $43,490.
California: $43,290.
Massachusetts: $42,690.

District of Columbia $43,490 California $43,290 Massachusetts $42,690 Washington $42,590 New Jersey $42,590 Alaska $42,490 Connecticut $41,990 New York $41,790

Hawaii $41,090 Rhode Island $40,690 Maryland $40,490 Minnesota $40,190 Colorado $40,090 Illinois $39,990 Oregon $39,890 Delaware $39,790

New Hampshire $39,690 Virginia $39,590 Pennsylvania $39,090 Nevada $38,890 North Dakota $38,790 Michigan $38,690 Wisconsin $38,590 Vermont $38,590

Ohio $38,290 Arizona $38,290 Maine $38,290 Texas $38,290 Georgia $37,890 Indiana $37,690 Wyoming $37,690 Utah $37,590

Iowa $37,590 Kansas $37,390 Louisiana $37,390 North Carolina $37,290 Missouri $37,290 Florida $37,190 Montana $37,090 Nebraska $36,990

Kentucky $36,990 South Carolina $36,790 Tennessee $36,690 Idaho $36,690 New Mexico $36,390 Oklahoma $36,290 Alabama $36,090 South Dakota $35,690

Arkansas $35,490 West Virginia $35,390 Mississippi $34,990

Top Paying Cities for Waste Collectors

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

San Jose: $49,490
San Francisco: $48,990
Oakland: $47,990

San Jose, CA $49,490

San Francisco, CA $48,990

Oakland, CA $47,990

New York, NY $45,190

Paramus, NJ $44,690

Queens Village, NY $44,690

Passaic, NJ $44,590

Bergenfield, NJ $44,590

Huntington, NY $44,490

Stamford, CT $44,490

Newark, NJ $44,190

Bridgeport, CT $44,190

Vallejo, CA $44,090

New Brunswick, NJ $44,090

Petaluma, CA $43,990

Middlesex, NJ $43,990

Somerset, NJ $43,890

Santa Cruz, CA $43,890

Boston, MA $43,590

Monterey, CA $43,490

Seattle, WA $43,390

Santa Rosa, CA $43,390

Los Angeles, CA $43,390

Juneau, AK $43,290

Washington, DC $43,290

Orange, CA $43,090

Long Beach, CA $42,990

Anaheim, CA $42,990

Santa Ana, CA $42,990

Anchorage, AK $42,890

Santa Maria, CA $42,790

Everett, WA $42,790

Danbury, CT $42,690

Bremerton, WA $42,590

Sacramento, CA $42,490

Tacoma, WA $42,490

New Suffolk, NY $42,490

Trenton, NJ $42,390

Santa Barbara, CA $42,390

San Diego, CA $42,390

Brockton, MA $42,290

Fairbanks, AK $42,190

Lompoc, CA $42,090

Lowell, MA $42,090

Ventura, CA $42,090

Nashua, NH $42,090

Stockton, CA $42,090

Modesto, CA $41,790

Poughkeepsie, NY $41,690

Olympia, WA $41,590

Kennewick, WA $41,590

New Haven, CT $41,590

Lawrence, MA $41,490

Hartford, CT $41,490

Richland, WA $41,390

New Bedford, MA $41,390

Riverside, CA $41,390

Bakersfield, CA $41,290

San Bernardino, CA $41,290

New Britain, CT $41,290

Atlantic City, NJ $41,290

New London, CT $41,290

Norwich, CT $41,290

Portsmouth, NH $41,290

Worcester, MA $41,190

Boulder, CO $41,190

Portland, OR $41,190

Minneapolis, MN $40,990

Philadelphia, PA $40,990

Vineland, NJ $40,790

Honolulu, HI $40,790

Saint Paul, MN $40,790

Providence, RI $40,690

Chicago, IL $40,590

Springfield, MA $40,490

Baltimore, MD $40,490

Bellingham, WA $40,490

Chico, CA $40,390

Pittsfield, MA $40,290

Manchester, NH $40,190

Spokane, WA $40,090

Denver, CO $39,990

Albany, NY $39,890

Nassau, NY $39,790

Schenectady, NY $39,790

Troy, NY $39,790

Wilmington, DE $39,690

Burlington, VT $39,690

Salem, OR $39,690

Portland, ME $39,490

Yakima, WA $39,490

Rochester, MN $39,390

Reno, NV $39,390

Fresno, CA $39,390

Allentown, PA $39,290

Ann Arbor, MI $39,290

Milwaukee, WI $39,290

Detroit, MI $39,290

Colorado Springs, CO $39,190

Syracuse, NY $39,190

Carson City, NV $39,190

Houston, TX $39,090

Eugene, OR $39,090

Gary, IN $39,090

Springfield, OR $38,990

Bismarck, ND $38,990

Galveston, TX $38,990

Medford, OR $38,890

Fort Collins, CO $38,890

Concord, NH $38,890

Austin, TX $38,890

Saint Cloud, MN $38,790

Dallas, TX $38,790

Reading, PA $38,790

Mesa, AZ $38,790

Phoenix, AZ $38,790

Madison, WI $38,690

Utica, NY $38,590

Rochester, NY $38,490

Des Moines, IA $38,490

Raleigh, NC $38,490

Atlanta, GA $38,490

Battle Creek, MI $38,490

Salt Lake City, UT $38,390

Lancaster, PA $38,390

Boca Raton, FL $38,290

Columbus, OH $38,290

Fort Worth, TX $38,290

Champaign, IL $38,290

Kansas City, KS $38,290

Kansas City, MO $38,290

Harrisburg, PA $38,290

Pittsburgh, PA $38,190

Richmond, VA $38,190

Indianapolis, IN $38,190

Cleveland, OH $38,190

Las Vegas, NV $38,190

Cincinnati, OH $38,190

Petersburg, VA $38,090

Huntsville, AL $38,090

Charlotte, NC $37,990

Racine, WI $37,990

Dayton, OH $37,990

Buffalo, NY $37,990

Saint Louis, MO $37,990

Pueblo, CO $37,990

Lebanon, PA $37,990

Lansing, MI $37,990

Appleton, WI $37,990

Toledo, OH $37,890

Benton Harbor, MI $37,890

Binghamton, NY $37,890

Lorain, OH $37,890

Rock Hill, SC $37,890

Billings, MT $37,890

York, PA $37,890

Beaumont, TX $37,890

Gastonia, NC $37,890

Elkhart, IN $37,890

Rockford, IL $37,790

Springfield, IL $37,790

Elyria, OH $37,790

Fargo, ND $37,790

Flagstaff, AZ $37,790

Fort Lauderdale, FL $37,790

Duluth, MN $37,690

Miami, FL $37,690

Grand Forks, ND $37,690

Cheyenne, WY $37,690

Grand Rapids, MI $37,590

Louisville, KY $37,590

Hialeah, FL $37,590

Cedar Rapids, IA $37,590

Bangor, ME $37,590

Durham, NC $37,590

Casper, WY $37,490

Scranton, PA $37,490

Peoria, IL $37,390

Akron, OH $37,390

Sarasota, FL $37,390

New Orleans, LA $37,390

Virginia Beach, VA $37,390

Nashville, TN $37,290

Omaha, NE $37,290

Green Bay, WI $37,290

Baton Rouge, LA $37,290

Charleston, SC $37,290

Davenport, IA $37,290

Jamestown, NY $37,290

Tucson, AZ $37,290

Port Arthur, TX $37,190

Evansville, IN $37,190

Bradenton, FL $37,190

Saint Petersburg, FL $37,190

Tampa, FL $37,190

Orlando, FL $37,090

Santa Fe, NM $37,090

Clearwater, FL $36,990

La Crosse, WI $36,990

Canton, OH $36,990

Albuquerque, NM $36,890

Newport News, VA $36,890

High Point, NC $36,890

Ogden, UT $36,890

Corpus Christi, TX $36,890

Memphis, TN $36,790

Fort Myers, FL $36,790

Moline, IL $36,790

Boise, ID $36,790

Salisbury, NC $36,790

Laramie, WY $36,790

Saginaw, MI $36,790

Rock Island, IL $36,790

Norfolk, VA $36,790

Jacksonville, FL $36,790

Lincoln, NE $36,690

Spartanburg, SC $36,690

Tulsa, OK $36,690

Waterloo, IA $36,690

Fort Wayne, IN $36,590

Provo, UT $36,590

Cedar Falls, IA $36,590

San Antonio, TX $36,590

Greensboro, NC $36,590

South Bend, IN $36,590

Muskegon, MI $36,490

Savannah, GA $36,490

Birmingham, AL $36,490

Winston Salem, NC $36,490

Lake Charles, LA $36,390

Anderson, IN $36,390

Lexington, KY $36,390

Augusta, GA $36,390

Greenville, SC $36,390

Columbia, SC $36,290

Springfield, OH $36,290

Wichita, KS $36,290

Lima, OH $36,290

Tuscaloosa, AL $36,290

Asheville, NC $36,190

Bloomington, IN $36,190

Knoxville, TN $35,990

Shreveport, LA $35,990

Wilmington, NC $35,990

Roanoke, VA $35,990

Melbourne, FL $35,890

Longview, TX $35,890

Chillicothe, OH $35,890

Oklahoma City, OK $35,890

Frankfort, KY $35,890

Topeka, KS $35,890

Sioux Falls, SD $35,790

Mobile, AL $35,790

Terre Haute, IN $35,790

Altoona, PA $35,790

Killeen, TX $35,690

Chattanooga, TN $35,690

Fayetteville, AR $35,690

Amarillo, TX $35,690

Sioux City, IA $35,590

Idaho Falls, ID $35,590

Lynchburg, VA $35,590

Gainesville, FL $35,590

Temple, TX $35,490

Pensacola, FL $35,490

Clarksville, TN $35,490

Daytona Beach, FL $35,490

Lafayette, LA $35,490

Little Rock, AR $35,490

Portsmouth, OH $35,490

Youngstown, OH $35,490

Hopkinsville, KY $35,390

Erie, PA $35,390

Florence, SC $35,290

Charleston, WV $35,290

Great Falls, MT $35,290

Helena, MT $35,190

Waco, TX $35,190

Tallahassee, FL $35,190

Macon, GA $35,190

Fayetteville, NC $35,190

Pine Bluff, AR $35,090

Vincennes, IN $35,090

Lubbock, TX $35,090

Alamogordo, NM $34,990

Twin Falls, ID $34,990

Rapid City, SD $34,990

Montgomery, AL $34,890

Parkersburg, WV $34,890

Greenville, MS $34,890

Jackson, MS $34,890

Huntington, WV $34,890

Wichita Falls, TX $34,790

Springfield, MO $34,790

Biloxi, MS $34,790

Monroe, LA $34,790

Johnstown, PA $34,790

Pascagoula, MS $34,690

Abilene, TX $34,690

Columbus, GA $34,690

Sumter, SC $34,690

Kingsport, TN $34,590

Albany, GA $34,590

Gulfport, MS $34,490

Alexandria, LA $34,390

Fort Smith, AR $34,290

El Paso, TX $34,190

Las Cruces, NM $33,990

Harlingen, TX $33,890

Pocatello, ID $33,890

Florence, AL $33,890

Brownsville, TX $33,890

Mcallen, TX $33,790

Dothan, AL $33,690

Columbus, MS $33,490

Altus, OK $33,290

Lawton, OK $33,190

Pierre, SD $33,090

Waste Collector Salary by Company Size: Startups vs. Enterprise

Waste Collector salary potential scales significantly with company size. Data shows that Enterprise companies (5,000+ employees) pay the highest average salary at around $43,086. While startup companies pay approximate $36,523.

Waste Collector Salary by Company Size

Company Size	Employees	Average Salary
Startup	1~50	$36,523
Growth Stage	51~500	$38,605
Established	501~5000	$41,617
Enterprise	5000+	$43,086

Waste Collector Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Waste Collector's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

$32,790

Average $39,290/year

$49,190

$2,733

Average $3,274/month

$4,099

$631

Average $756/week

$946

$16

Average $19/hour

$24

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$49,190	$4,099	$946	$24
Average	$39,290	$3,274	$756	$19
25th Percentile	$32,790	$2,733	$631	$16

Waste Collector Salary Growth & Career Path

Waste Collector

Next Role

Advancement

Promotions are the fastest way to increase your earnings. As a Waste Collector, you have the following paths for advancement. The table below compares the salary raises for common next-step roles. By comparing these figures, you can choose the career path that best meets your financial goals.

Waste Collector Salary Growth and Career Path
Next Step Role	Estimate Salary	Projected Raise
Landfill Operator	$49,700	26%
Refuse Collection Supervisor	$83,000	111%

Most common benefits for Waste Collector

Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)

Common company salaries for Waste Collector

Here are companies hiring for Waste Collector and their salaries, click below for more details.

N $97,099/per year

New York Police Department Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit the United States

S $95,962/per year

State of New York - Metropolitan Transportation Authority Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit the United States

U $94,615/per year

US Department of Transportation Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit the United States

U $93,141/per year

US General Services Administration Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit the United States

L $92,342/per year

Los Angeles County Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit the United States

D $92,011/per year

Department of Justice - Federal Bureau of Prisons Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit the United States

U $91,967/per year

US Department of Commerce Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit the United States

U $91,755/per year

US Department of Energy Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit the United States

F $91,673/per year

Federal Bureau of Investigation Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit the United States

N $90,276/per year

Naval Sea Systems Command Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit the United States

T $88,975/per year

The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit the United States

S $88,721/per year

San Diego County Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit the United States

T $88,664/per year

The TTB Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit the United States

L $87,569/per year

Lutheran Services Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit the United States

M $85,066/per year

Maryland Inc Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit the United States

S $83,780/per year

State University of New York Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit the United States

N $82,969/per year

New York State Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit the United States

P $82,703/per year

Puerto Rico Department of Education Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit the United States

U $80,526/per year

US Central Command Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit the United States

H $80,286/per year

Health and Safety Executive Northern Ireland Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit the United States

A $79,270/per year

Air Force Reserve Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit the United States

A $78,505/per year

American Automobile Association (AAA) Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit the United States

S $76,678/per year

State of Florida - Department of Health Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit the United States

N $75,183/per year

New York State Department Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit the United States

S $75,106/per year

State University System of Florida Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit the United States

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Waste Collector Salary in the United States

How much does a Waste Collector make in the United States?

Key Factors That Influence Waste Collector Salaries

How Do Waste Collector Salaries Vary from State to State?

Top Paying Cities for Waste Collectors

Waste Collector Salary by Company Size: Startups vs. Enterprise

Waste Collector Salary by Company Size

Waste Collector Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Waste Collector Salary Growth & Career Path

Most common benefits for Waste Collector

Common company salaries for Waste Collector

Find Your Next Waste Collector Job

For Employees

For Employers

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Are you an HR manager or compensation specialist?

Waste Collector Salary in the United States

How much does a Waste Collector make in the United States?

Key Factors That Influence Waste Collector Salaries

How Do Waste Collector Salaries Vary from State to State?

Top Paying Cities for Waste Collectors

Waste Collector Salary by Company Size: Startups vs. Enterprise

Waste Collector Salary by Company Size

Waste Collector Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Waste Collector Salary Growth & Career Path

Salaries of Jobs related to Waste Collector

Most common benefits for Waste Collector

Common company salaries for Waste Collector

Find Your Next Waste Collector Job

For Employees

For Employers

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Are you an HR manager or compensation specialist?