Pay by state · 54 areas
Recycling and Reclamation Worker Salary by State (2026)
Recycling and Reclamation Workers earn the most in Minnesota at $46,280 a year and the least in Louisiana at $35,340 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $40,240. The table below covers all 50 states, DC, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $46,280Minnesota
- National median
- $40,240BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $35,340Louisiana
- Areas reporting
- 54of 54 OEWS areas
Top and bottom
Highest- and lowest-paying states for recycling and reclamation workers
Ranked on the state median among the 50 states and DC. After cost of living, North Dakota comes out ahead instead. Territories are in the full table but not ranked here.
Highest median pay
- 1Minnesota$46,280
- 2Washington$46,190
- 3District of Columbia$45,740
- 4North Dakota$45,690
- 5Colorado$45,370
Lowest median pay
- 1Louisiana$35,340
- 2Arkansas$35,920
- 3Mississippi$36,400
- 4Alabama$36,670
- 5West Virginia$36,990
All states
Recycling and Reclamation Worker salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of recycling and reclamation workers OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MNMinnesota | $46,280 | $39,110 | $52,070 | 54,480 | $46,927 |
| 2 | WAWashington | $46,190 | $40,300 | $51,230 | 49,450 | $43,163 |
| 3 | DCDistrict of Columbia | $45,740 | $40,200 | $52,000 | 1,200 | $41,619 |
| 4 | NDNorth Dakota | $45,690 | $38,470 | $49,580 | 9,990 | $51,361 |
| 5 | COColorado | $45,370 | $39,610 | $48,770 | 31,140 | $44,026 |
| 6 | MAMassachusetts | $44,920 | $38,920 | $49,190 | 34,700 | $42,475 |
| 7 | OROregon | $44,750 | $37,840 | $49,300 | 27,720 | $43,295 |
| 8 | CACalifornia | $44,710 | $37,890 | $48,950 | 355,500 | $40,381 |
| 9 | NYNew York | $44,630 | $38,450 | $49,200 | 100,950 | $41,354 |
| 10 | WIWisconsin | $44,610 | $37,510 | $48,500 | 70,520 | $47,410 |
| 11 | AKAlaska | $44,510 | $39,000 | $54,860 | 4,250 | $43,484 |
| 12 | AZArizona | $44,290 | $37,280 | $48,170 | 71,090 | $43,992 |
| 13 | HIHawaii | $44,120 | $37,830 | $50,630 | 9,490 | $40,127 |
| 14 | MTMontana | $43,840 | $36,610 | $46,670 | 3,870 | $46,320 |
| 15 | CTConnecticut | $43,640 | $37,810 | $48,060 | 23,970 | $42,119 |
| 16 | IAIowa | $43,490 | $37,420 | $48,390 | 30,890 | $49,554 |
| 17 | NENebraska | $42,910 | $37,440 | $46,610 | 13,870 | $47,623 |
| 18 | KYKentucky | $42,770 | $35,510 | $46,830 | 57,930 | $47,438 |
| 19 | MEMaine | $42,640 | $36,690 | $46,720 | 6,120 | $43,936 |
| 20 | PAPennsylvania | $42,480 | $36,620 | $47,690 | 131,050 | $43,537 |
| 21 | UTUtah | $42,370 | $36,880 | $47,060 | 29,670 | $42,857 |
| 22 | NHNew Hampshire | $42,110 | $36,770 | $46,570 | 8,340 | $40,426 |
| 23 | RIRhode Island | $41,690 | $36,050 | $48,250 | 6,760 | $40,761 |
| 24 | MDMaryland | $41,600 | $36,960 | $45,760 | 47,710 | $39,635 |
| 25 | INIndiana | $41,340 | $36,390 | $46,910 | 103,200 | $44,295 |
| 26 | ILIllinois | $40,550 | $35,890 | $47,560 | 195,390 | $40,567 |
| 27 | KSKansas | $40,250 | $35,580 | $46,300 | 23,270 | $44,688 |
| 28 | IDIdaho | $39,900 | $35,160 | $45,400 | 15,610 | $41,783 |
| 29 | NJNew Jersey | $39,540 | $35,910 | $46,770 | 97,230 | $36,340 |
| 30 | OHOhio | $39,460 | $35,770 | $45,230 | 108,830 | $42,533 |
| 31 | VTVermont | $39,390 | $35,480 | $46,370 | 3,060 | $40,211 |
| 32 | VAVirginia | $39,380 | $35,870 | $47,210 | 58,000 | $38,950 |
| 33 | NVNevada | $39,350 | $37,010 | $45,820 | 40,850 | $39,358 |
| 34 | MOMissouri | $39,080 | $35,080 | $45,730 | 43,050 | $43,032 |
| 35 | SDSouth Dakota | $38,980 | $35,200 | $46,380 | 3,820 | $44,002 |
| 36 | MIMichigan | $38,860 | $35,730 | $46,390 | 79,410 | $40,388 |
| 37 | GAGeorgia | $38,480 | $34,970 | $46,100 | 137,580 | $39,961 |
| 38 | WYWyoming | $38,330 | $35,670 | $46,230 | 2,700 | $41,352 |
| 39 | NCNorth Carolina | $38,230 | $35,030 | $44,470 | 116,720 | $40,530 |
| 40 | FLFlorida | $38,160 | $34,710 | $45,390 | 164,400 | $36,900 |
| 41 | TNTennessee | $38,160 | $35,550 | $44,920 | 105,870 | $41,537 |
| 42 | GUGuam | $37,670 | $26,410 | $41,950 | 460 | N/A |
| 43 | TXTexas | $37,540 | $33,280 | $45,200 | 216,970 | $38,678 |
| 44 | SCSouth Carolina | $37,530 | $34,760 | $44,480 | 56,700 | $40,032 |
| 45 | DEDelaware | $37,320 | $34,920 | $44,960 | 5,220 | $37,392 |
| 46 | NMNew Mexico | $37,230 | $31,790 | $43,800 | 10,200 | $40,374 |
| 47 | OKOklahoma | $36,990 | $32,250 | $41,420 | 38,210 | $42,109 |
| 48 | WVWest Virginia | $36,990 | $31,150 | $44,540 | 11,300 | $41,331 |
| 49 | ALAlabama | $36,670 | $30,700 | $44,170 | 36,140 | $41,284 |
| 50 | MSMississippi | $36,400 | $30,830 | $43,750 | 30,750 | $41,862 |
| 51 | ARArkansas | $35,920 | $30,280 | $41,750 | 21,430 | $41,317 |
| 52 | LALouisiana | $35,340 | $29,350 | $41,870 | 43,730 | $40,065 |
| 53 | VIU.S. Virgin Islands | $31,810 | $28,150 | $37,410 | 520 | N/A |
| 54 | PRPuerto Rico | $24,560 | $22,370 | $29,100 | 10,410 | N/A |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For recycling and reclamation workers, that changes the ranking: Minnesota leads on raw pay at $46,280, while North Dakota leads once prices are taken into account at $51,361.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Recycling and Reclamation Worker pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays recycling and reclamation workers the most?
Minnesota reports the highest median wage for recycling and reclamation workers at $46,280 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by Washington ($46,190) and District of Columbia ($45,740).
Which state pays recycling and reclamation workers the least?
Among the 50 states and DC, Louisiana reports the lowest median for recycling and reclamation workers at $35,340 a year, $10,940 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Among the territories, Guam reports $37,670, U.S. Virgin Islands reports $31,810 and Puerto Rico reports $24,560.
Is the highest-paying state the best for recycling and reclamation workers after cost of living?
Not on this data. Minnesota pays the most on paper ($46,280) but ranks 6th of 51 once each median is divided by the state's BEA Regional Price Parity ($46,927). North Dakota leads after that adjustment at $51,361, from a raw median of $45,690. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024; the adjustment is NueCareer's calculation.