Waste Management Specialist Salary in the United States
How much does a Waste Management Specialist make in the United States?
As of October 01, 2026, the average salary for a Waste Management Specialist in the United States is $39,797 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $19.
However, a Waste Management Specialist's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $46,372
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $36,706 to $43,239
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $33,892
10%$33,892
50% (Median)$39,797
90%$46,372
Waste Management Specialist Salaries by Percentile
Key Factors That Influence Waste Management Specialist Salaries
A Waste Management Specialist's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location
and company size
can directly affect your earning potential.
How Experience Level Affects Waste Management Specialist Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Waste Management Specialist's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:
How Do Waste Management Specialist 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 Management Specialists. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
Top Paying Cities for Waste Management Specialists
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: $50,196
San Francisco: $49,646
Oakland: $48,600
San Jose, CA$50,196
San Francisco, CA$49,646
Oakland, CA$48,600
New York, NY$45,822
Paramus, NJ$45,264
Queens Village, NY$45,262
Passaic, NJ$45,225
Bergenfield, NJ$45,221
Stamford, CT$45,133
Huntington, NY$45,117
Newark, NJ$44,823
Bridgeport, CT$44,739
Vallejo, CA$44,660
New Brunswick, NJ$44,644
Petaluma, CA$44,620
Middlesex, NJ$44,544
Somerset, NJ$44,517
Santa Cruz, CA$44,465
Boston, MA$44,222
Monterey, CA$44,082
Seattle, WA$43,991
Santa Rosa, CA$43,983
Los Angeles, CA$43,971
Juneau, AK$43,868
Washington, DC$43,824
Orange, CA$43,682
Santa Ana, CA$43,577
Long Beach, CA$43,538
Anaheim, CA$43,530
Anchorage, AK$43,510
Santa Maria, CA$43,390
Everett, WA$43,382
Danbury, CT$43,242
Bremerton, WA$43,187
Tacoma, WA$43,044
New Suffolk, NY$43,043
Sacramento, CA$43,032
Santa Barbara, CA$42,988
Trenton, NJ$42,945
San Diego, CA$42,945
Brockton, MA$42,901
Fairbanks, AK$42,803
Lompoc, CA$42,702
Lowell, MA$42,670
Ventura, CA$42,662
Nashua, NH$42,654
Stockton, CA$42,650
Modesto, CA$42,360
Poughkeepsie, NY$42,272
Olympia, WA$42,196
Kennewick, WA$42,196
New Haven, CT$42,181
Lawrence, MA$42,037
Hartford, CT$41,997
Riverside, CA$41,989
New Bedford, MA$41,950
Richland, WA$41,950
Bakersfield, CA$41,894
San Bernardino, CA$41,878
New Britain, CT$41,874
Atlantic City, NJ$41,874
New London, CT$41,858
Norwich, CT$41,846
Portsmouth, NH$41,838
Boulder, CO$41,754
Portland, OR$41,699
Worcester, MA$41,695
Minneapolis, MN$41,572
Philadelphia, PA$41,516
Honolulu, HI$41,385
Saint Paul, MN$41,365
Vineland, NJ$41,357
Providence, RI$41,241
Chicago, IL$41,126
Bellingham, WA$41,078
Springfield, MA$41,046
Baltimore, MD$41,034
Chico, CA$40,935
Pittsfield, MA$40,827
Manchester, NH$40,752
Spokane, WA$40,577
Denver, CO$40,573
Albany, NY$40,386
Troy, NY$40,370
Nassau, NY$40,327
Schenectady, NY$40,286
Wilmington, DE$40,254
Burlington, VT$40,199
Salem, OR$40,183
Portland, ME$40,059
Yakima, WA$40,020
Rochester, MN$39,896
Reno, NV$39,876
Fresno, CA$39,876
Milwaukee, WI$39,840
Detroit, MI$39,801
Ann Arbor, MI$39,794
Allentown, PA$39,789
Colorado Springs, CO$39,721
Syracuse, NY$39,701
Carson City, NV$39,701
Houston, TX$39,645
Eugene, OR$39,626
Gary, IN$39,578
Springfield, OR$39,546
Bismarck, ND$39,538
Galveston, TX$39,510
Medford, OR$39,450
Fort Collins, CO$39,435
Concord, NH$39,415
Austin, TX$39,403
Mesa, AZ$39,319
Reading, PA$39,315
Phoenix, AZ$39,311
Dallas, TX$39,299
Saint Cloud, MN$39,261
Madison, WI$39,208
Utica, NY$39,100
Rochester, NY$39,037
Des Moines, IA$39,033
Raleigh, NC$39,029
Atlanta, GA$38,969
Battle Creek, MI$38,957
Salt Lake City, UT$38,945
Lancaster, PA$38,885
Harrisburg, PA$38,830
Kansas City, MO$38,790
Champaign, IL$38,782
Kansas City, KS$38,782
Fort Worth, TX$38,778
Columbus, OH$38,771
Boca Raton, FL$38,762
Pittsburgh, PA$38,746
Richmond, VA$38,730
Indianapolis, IN$38,722
Cleveland, OH$38,718
Las Vegas, NV$38,670
Cincinnati, OH$38,670
Petersburg, VA$38,611
Huntsville, AL$38,551
Lansing, MI$38,524
Lebanon, PA$38,519
Pueblo, CO$38,515
Appleton, WI$38,503
Buffalo, NY$38,487
Dayton, OH$38,475
Racine, WI$38,467
Charlotte, NC$38,464
Saint Louis, MO$38,452
York, PA$38,428
Elkhart, IN$38,428
Gastonia, NC$38,420
Billings, MT$38,411
Beaumont, TX$38,400
Lorain, OH$38,392
Benton Harbor, MI$38,384
Toledo, OH$38,376
Binghamton, NY$38,356
Rock Hill, SC$38,352
Rockford, IL$38,332
Springfield, IL$38,316
Elyria, OH$38,312
Fargo, ND$38,312
Flagstaff, AZ$38,284
Fort Lauderdale, FL$38,261
Duluth, MN$38,237
Miami, FL$38,237
Cheyenne, WY$38,209
Grand Forks, ND$38,209
Bangor, ME$38,121
Cedar Rapids, IA$38,077
Durham, NC$38,061
Louisville, KY$38,058
Grand Rapids, MI$38,050
Hialeah, FL$38,046
Casper, WY$37,990
Scranton, PA$37,942
New Orleans, LA$37,930
Virginia Beach, VA$37,926
Akron, OH$37,906
Peoria, IL$37,855
Sarasota, FL$37,847
Nashville, TN$37,819
Omaha, NE$37,819
Green Bay, WI$37,819
Baton Rouge, LA$37,799
Charleston, SC$37,791
Jamestown, NY$37,771
Davenport, IA$37,771
Tucson, AZ$37,751
Saint Petersburg, FL$37,727
Tampa, FL$37,719
Evansville, IN$37,695
Port Arthur, TX$37,695
Bradenton, FL$37,680
Santa Fe, NM$37,608
Orlando, FL$37,536
Clearwater, FL$37,524
Canton, OH$37,441
La Crosse, WI$37,441
Albuquerque, NM$37,417
Newport News, VA$37,413
High Point, NC$37,401
Ogden, UT$37,385
Corpus Christi, TX$37,353
Norfolk, VA$37,329
Laramie, WY$37,329
Rock Island, IL$37,305
Saginaw, MI$37,297
Jacksonville, FL$37,293
Salisbury, NC$37,286
Boise, ID$37,278
Moline, IL$37,258
Fort Myers, FL$37,246
Memphis, TN$37,238
Tulsa, OK$37,218
Waterloo, IA$37,194
Spartanburg, SC$37,154
Lincoln, NE$37,134
Fort Wayne, IN$37,126
Provo, UT$37,122
Cedar Falls, IA$37,075
San Antonio, TX$37,059
Greensboro, NC$37,043
South Bend, IN$37,039
Savannah, GA$36,995
Muskegon, MI$36,979
Birmingham, AL$36,975
Winston Salem, NC$36,956
Lake Charles, LA$36,860
Anderson, IN$36,852
Lexington, KY$36,840
Augusta, GA$36,828
Greenville, SC$36,828
Lima, OH$36,796
Wichita, KS$36,792
Tuscaloosa, AL$36,792
Columbia, SC$36,756
Springfield, OH$36,748
Asheville, NC$36,685
Bloomington, IN$36,657
Knoxville, TN$36,513
Shreveport, LA$36,509
Wilmington, NC$36,458
Roanoke, VA$36,458
Topeka, KS$36,386
Frankfort, KY$36,382
Oklahoma City, OK$36,354
Chillicothe, OH$36,338
Longview, TX$36,334
Melbourne, FL$36,330
Sioux Falls, SD$36,267
Mobile, AL$36,263
Terre Haute, IN$36,247
Altoona, PA$36,223
Amarillo, TX$36,195
Killeen, TX$36,183
Fayetteville, AR$36,151
Chattanooga, TN$36,139
Sioux City, IA$36,104
Idaho Falls, ID$36,096
Lynchburg, VA$36,064
Gainesville, FL$36,012
Portsmouth, OH$35,992
Little Rock, AR$35,984
Lafayette, LA$35,968
Youngstown, OH$35,968
Daytona Beach, FL$35,944
Clarksville, TN$35,940
Pensacola, FL$35,936
Temple, TX$35,934
Hopkinsville, KY$35,817
Erie, PA$35,809
Florence, SC$35,793
Charleston, WV$35,729
Great Falls, MT$35,710
Macon, GA$35,654
Tallahassee, FL$35,650
Fayetteville, NC$35,642
Waco, TX$35,634
Helena, MT$35,606
Pine Bluff, AR$35,591
Vincennes, IN$35,542
Lubbock, TX$35,527
Alamogordo, NM$35,503
Twin Falls, ID$35,467
Rapid City, SD$35,455
Jackson, MS$35,383
Huntington, WV$35,380
Greenville, MS$35,379
Parkersburg, WV$35,339
Montgomery, AL$35,332
Wichita Falls, TX$35,292
Springfield, MO$35,292
Biloxi, MS$35,272
Monroe, LA$35,232
Johnstown, PA$35,204
Sumter, SC$35,188
Columbus, GA$35,184
Pascagoula, MS$35,109
Abilene, TX$35,109
Kingsport, TN$35,005
Albany, GA$35,005
Gulfport, MS$34,993
Alexandria, LA$34,862
Fort Smith, AR$34,762
El Paso, TX$34,655
Las Cruces, NM$34,476
Harlingen, TX$34,375
Pocatello, ID$34,368
Florence, AL$34,317
Brownsville, TX$34,309
Mcallen, TX$34,225
Dothan, AL$34,169
Columbus, MS$33,933
Altus, OK$33,748
Lawton, OK$33,672
Pierre, SD$33,529
What Skills Can Increase a Waste Management Specialist's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Customer Service (Mentioned in 8.63% Job Postings): Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. The perception of success of such interactions is dependent on employees "who can adjust themselves to the personality of the guest". Customer service concerns the priority an organization assigns to customer service relative to components such as product innovation and pricing. In this sense, an organization that values good customer service may spend more money in training employees than the average organization or may proactively interview customers for feedback. From the point of view of an overall sales process engineering effort, customer service plays an important role in an organization's ability to generate income and revenue. From that perspective, customer service should be included as part of an overall approach to systematic improvement. One good customer service experience can change the entire perception a customer holds towards the organization.
Container (Mentioned in 2.28% Job Postings): Container is an object used for or capable of holding, esp for transport or storage, such as a carton, box, etc.
Housekeeping (Mentioned in 1.51% Job Postings): Housekeeping department is keeping the venue clean and sanitary as part of customer service. Cleaners vacuum rugs and furniture in hallways, rooms and public areas. They collect trash and empty wastebaskets, change the sheets and make the beds.
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay.
Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Waste Management Specialist's salary.
Store Operations: Can increase your salary by up to 24%.
Presentation: Can increase your salary by up to 16%.
Waste Management Specialist Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Waste Management Specialist roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 120% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Aerospace & Defense and Biotechnology
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 50% above the average.
In contrast, Waste Management Specialist positions in Chemicals or Business Services typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Waste Management Specialist as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for a Waste Management Specialist
Understanding how a Waste Management Specialist'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.
Hourly
Monthly
Weekly
Yearly
Table View
Last Updated on October 01, 2026
$36,706
Average$39,797/year
$43,239
$3,059
Average$3,316/month
$3,603
$706
Average$765/week
$832
$18
Average$19/hour
$21
Annual Salary
Monthly Pay
Weekly Pay
Hourly Wage
75th Percentile
$43,239
$3,603
$832
$21
Average
$39,797
$3,316
$765
$19
25th Percentile
$36,706
$3,059
$706
$18
Salaries of Jobs related to Waste Management Specialist
Salaries for a Waste Management Specialist can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $40,537 in 2023
to around $40,262 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Waste Management Specialist salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Waste Management Specialist Over Time
$???
$40,537
$40,553
$40,262
$???
$???
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$40,537
2024
$40,553
2025
$40,262
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Waste Management Specialist
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for Waste Management Specialist
Here are companies hiring for Waste Management Specialist and their salaries, click below for more details.
C$128,509/per year
C R Bard IncBiotechnologythe United States
H$124,697/per year
Henry Schein CanadaBiotechnologythe United States
N$123,899/per year
Nordex IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$120,416/per year
Nipro CorpBiotechnologythe United States
E$115,870/per year
EnovisBiotechnologythe United States
A$114,553/per year
Advanced Research Projects Agency - EnergyBiotechnologythe United States
M$112,110/per year
MiniMed IncBiotechnologythe United States
L$111,500/per year
Labcorp Drug DevelopmentBiotechnologythe United States
L$110,229/per year
Life Technologies CorpBiotechnologythe United States
Z$106,224/per year
Zimmer BiometBiotechnologythe United States
P$103,077/per year
Promontory TherapeuticsBiotechnologythe United States
S$102,181/per year
Steris PLCBiotechnologythe United States
G$97,274/per year
Gavin Conferences Pty LtdBiotechnologythe United States
E$94,764/per year
Endeavor BioMedicinesBiotechnologythe United States
R$94,402/per year
Replay Holdings LLCBiotechnologythe United States
P$94,235/per year
Pleno IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$93,666/per year
Simulaids IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$88,880/per year
NOIRLab/CASBiotechnologythe United States
O$86,468/per year
Onward TechnologyBiotechnologythe United States
L$84,895/per year
LED Medical Diagnostics IncBiotechnologythe United States
E$84,682/per year
Eyeco LtdBiotechnologythe United States
P$84,523/per year
PaerosolBiotechnologythe United States
I$83,525/per year
IONIQ Sciences IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$82,815/per year
Stateside PPEBiotechnologythe United States
D$82,041/per year
Digi BioBiotechnologythe United States
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FAQ about Waste Management Specialist
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Waste Management Specialist?
The Aerospace & Defense industry offers the highest average compensation for Waste Management Specialist roles,
with salaries approximately 50% above the market median.
Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?
Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.
