How To Become A Driver/Refuse Collector: What It Is and Career Path

What is a driver/refuse collector and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

The average driver/refuse collector salary is $37,419. The most common degree is a high school diploma degree with an business major. It usually takes 6-12 months of experience to become a driver/refuse collector. Driver/refuse collectors with a Commercial Driver License (CDL) certification earn more money. Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 6% and produce 358,300 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreDriver/Refuse CollectorUS Average

Salary

2.9

Avg. Salary $37,419

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.2

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

10.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.99%

Asian 3.03%

Black or African American 12.32%

Hispanic or Latino 19.38%

Unknown 3.48%

White 59.80%

Gender

female 13.69%

male 86.31%

Age - 43

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43

Stress level

8.2

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.5

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

5.8

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a driver/refuse collector

Explore driver/refuse collector education requirements

Most common driver/refuse collector degrees

High School Diploma

47.4 %

Associate

19.0 %

Bachelor's

17.2 %

Start to develop specific driver/refuse collector skills

Skills	Percentages
CDL	21.37%
Safety Equipment	19.38%
Safety Issues	19.26%
Route Sheet	9.75%
Disposal Site	5.13%

Complete relevant driver/refuse collector training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New driver/refuse collectors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a driver/refuse collector based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real driver/refuse collector resumes.

Research driver/refuse collector duties and responsibilities

Operate automate and semi-automate hoisting devices to raise refuse bins and empty contents into compactor.
Preform complete pre-trip inspections including driver check-in procedures upon vehicle return.
Scan every package after load with DIAD board and gain when delivering the package.
Deliver packages, able to drive a manual transmission, data entry and able to use scanner (DIAD )

Prepare your driver/refuse collector resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your driver/refuse collector resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a driver/refuse collector resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable driver/refuse collector resume templates

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