Sort by any column. Employment is the number of refuse and recyclable material collectors OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
Refuse and Recyclable Material Collector Salary by State (2026)
Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors earn the most in Illinois at $75,050 a year and the least in Puerto Rico at $21,840 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $49,690. All 53 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $75,050
- National median
- $49,690
- Lowest median
- $21,840
- States reporting
- 53
Illinois
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Puerto Rico
of 54 OEWS areas
Top 5 states for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors
- 1. Illinois$75,050 median · $75,082 adjusted · 4,910 employed
- 2. Washington$74,620 median · $69,730 adjusted · 3,750 employed
- 3. New York$64,950 median · $60,183 adjusted · 11,630 employed
- 4. California$64,890 median · $58,607 adjusted · 13,930 employed
- 5. Oregon$63,210 median · $61,155 adjusted · 2,500 employed
Lowest-paying states for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors
- 53. Puerto Rico$21,840 median · no price parity · 1,800 employed
- 52. Guam$32,520 median · no price parity · 40 employed
- 51. South Dakota$32,950 median · $37,195 adjusted · 340 employed
- 50. South Carolina$34,880 median · $37,206 adjusted · 2,020 employed
- 49. Arkansas$35,640 median · $40,995 adjusted · 1,600 employed
Refuse and Recyclable Material Collector salary in every state
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Illinois | $75,050 | $58,750 | $84,300 | 4,910 | $75,082 |
| 2 | Washington | $74,620 | $61,700 | $80,750 | 3,750 | $69,730 |
| 3 | New York | $64,950 | $47,020 | $86,310 | 11,630 | $60,183 |
| 4 | California | $64,890 | $55,420 | $75,070 | 13,930 | $58,607 |
| 5 | Oregon | $63,210 | $59,960 | $66,180 | 2,500 | $61,155 |
| 6 | Minnesota | $62,570 | $52,030 | $65,980 | 2,500 | $63,445 |
| 7 | Nevada | $61,310 | $50,490 | $79,860 | 770 | $61,323 |
| 8 | Delaware | $61,290 | $48,130 | $63,290 | 600 | $61,408 |
| 9 | Colorado | $60,310 | $46,770 | $64,410 | 3,700 | $58,524 |
| 10 | Wisconsin | $59,810 | $48,440 | $63,430 | 1,550 | $63,563 |
| 11 | Utah | $59,310 | $48,010 | $61,640 | 960 | $59,992 |
| 12 | North Dakota | $59,000 | $47,770 | $61,640 | 360 | $66,323 |
| 13 | Indiana | $58,900 | $49,840 | $61,210 | 3,180 | $63,110 |
| 14 | Hawaii | $56,270 | $39,150 | $64,080 | 770 | $51,177 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | $55,970 | $47,790 | $59,970 | 470 | $54,722 |
| 16 | District of Columbia | $55,490 | $45,740 | $63,710 | 540 | $50,491 |
| 17 | New Jersey | $54,630 | $41,920 | $65,370 | 4,330 | $50,209 |
| 18 | Vermont | $51,960 | $49,780 | $60,460 | 160 | $53,043 |
| 19 | Michigan | $51,030 | $37,510 | $61,460 | 4,020 | $53,036 |
| 20 | Massachusetts | $50,310 | $45,040 | $62,360 | 1,010 | $47,571 |
| 21 | Missouri | $50,010 | $36,420 | $61,360 | 1,930 | $55,067 |
| 22 | Idaho | $49,880 | $46,350 | $55,270 | 730 | $52,234 |
| 23 | Iowa | $49,850 | $46,190 | $58,050 | 1,780 | $56,801 |
| 24 | Montana | $49,420 | $45,330 | $58,090 | 370 | $52,216 |
| 25 | Nebraska | $49,390 | $39,450 | $54,140 | 910 | $54,815 |
| 26 | Ohio | $49,330 | $42,610 | $59,250 | 4,710 | $53,172 |
| 27 | Wyoming | $48,820 | $42,850 | $52,530 | 280 | $52,670 |
| 28 | Pennsylvania | $48,240 | $37,440 | $61,960 | 6,220 | $49,440 |
| 29 | Florida | $47,820 | $39,400 | $58,090 | 11,650 | $46,241 |
| 30 | New Mexico | $47,660 | $41,870 | $50,140 | 1,070 | $51,685 |
| 31 | Georgia | $46,960 | $37,220 | $55,990 | 4,830 | $48,768 |
| 32 | Arizona | $46,910 | $34,860 | $60,010 | 2,380 | $46,595 |
| 33 | New Hampshire | $46,580 | $40,420 | $53,890 | 340 | $44,718 |
| 34 | Virginia | $46,530 | $34,230 | $57,430 | 4,330 | $46,022 |
| 35 | Texas | $46,330 | $35,880 | $50,040 | 12,860 | $47,735 |
| 36 | Alabama | $46,240 | $36,280 | $54,910 | 2,790 | $52,059 |
| 37 | Alaska | $45,740 | $36,030 | $71,840 | 250 | $44,686 |
| 38 | Kansas | $45,510 | $35,020 | $48,120 | 910 | $50,528 |
| 39 | North Carolina | $44,670 | $34,650 | $49,030 | 7,250 | $47,357 |
| 40 | Maine | $43,360 | $37,170 | $48,780 | 770 | $44,678 |
| 41 | Tennessee | $43,270 | $35,410 | $57,330 | 2,550 | $47,099 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $43,100 | $34,710 | $48,870 | 1,580 | $47,804 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $43,060 | $36,300 | $48,900 | 2,030 | $49,019 |
| 44 | Maryland | $41,870 | $38,290 | $51,190 | 3,120 | $39,892 |
| 45 | Mississippi | $39,170 | $35,530 | $48,100 | 1,970 | $45,047 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $38,810 | $34,110 | $49,270 | 2,200 | $43,999 |
| 47 | Connecticut | $38,220 | $35,480 | $51,080 | 810 | $36,888 |
| 48 | West Virginia | $35,840 | $29,430 | $43,460 | 1,000 | $40,046 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $35,640 | $29,320 | $41,420 | 1,600 | $40,995 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $34,880 | $27,850 | $42,150 | 2,020 | $37,206 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $32,950 | $29,620 | $37,820 | 340 | $37,195 |
| 52 | Guam | $32,520 | $28,270 | $38,810 | 40 | N/A |
| 53 | Puerto Rico | $21,840 | $21,840 | $22,230 | 1,800 | N/A |
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 Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors, that changes the ranking: Illinois leads on raw pay at $75,050, while Illinois leads once prices are taken into account at $75,082.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Refuse and Recyclable Material Collector pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors the most?
Illinois reports the highest median wage for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors at $75,050 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by Washington ($74,620) and New York ($64,950).
Which state pays Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors the least?
Puerto Rico reports the lowest median for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors at $21,840 a year, $53,210 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts Illinois first at $75,082 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $75,050. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
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