Garbage collector driver vs garbage truck driver

The differences between garbage collector drivers and garbage truck drivers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a garbage collector driver and a garbage truck driver. Additionally, a garbage truck driver has an average salary of $38,257, which is higher than the $35,658 average annual salary of a garbage collector driver.

The top three skills for a garbage collector driver include hoisting, drive trucks and maintenance checks. The most important skills for a garbage truck driver are CDL, customer service, and post-trip inspections.

Garbage collector driver vs garbage truck driver overview

	Garbage Collector Driver	Garbage Truck Driver
Yearly salary	$35,658	$38,257
Hourly rate	$17.14	$18.39
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	625,137	626,774
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 50%	High School Diploma, 60%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	2	2

Garbage collector driver vs garbage truck driver salary

Garbage collector drivers and garbage truck drivers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Garbage Collector Driver	Garbage Truck Driver
Average salary	$35,658	$38,257
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $46,000	Between $28,000 And $50,000
Highest paying City	-	New York, NY
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Trucking Partners
Best paying industry	-	Insurance

Differences between garbage collector driver and garbage truck driver education

There are a few differences between a garbage collector driver and a garbage truck driver in terms of educational background:

	Garbage Collector Driver	Garbage Truck Driver
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 50%	High School Diploma, 60%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Garbage collector driver vs garbage truck driver demographics

Here are the differences between garbage collector drivers' and garbage truck drivers' demographics:

	Garbage Collector Driver	Garbage Truck Driver
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 91.5% Female, 8.5%	Male, 92.9% Female, 7.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 20.5% Asian, 3.7% White, 58.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 4.0% White, 60.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	4%	4%

Differences between garbage collector driver and garbage truck driver duties and responsibilities

Garbage collector driver example responsibilities.

Conduct deliveries of medical equipment throughout Florida, collect payments, and ensure proper cleanliness of medical equipment
Perform maintenance on heavy equipment, run backhoe and do interior painting.

Garbage truck driver example responsibilities.

Manage and expedite the secure transportation and accountability of logistic materials and HAZMAT chemicals to commercial, state and government facilities.
Operate automate or semi-automate hoisting devices that raise refuse bins and dump contents into openings in truck bodies.
Operate and run routes for garbage pickup.
Haul garbage and drive all CDL trucks they have.
Acquire CDL while working to be eligible for driver position.
Perform maintenance on heavy equipment, run backhoe and do interior painting.

Garbage collector driver vs garbage truck driver skills

Common garbage collector driver skills

Hoisting, 29%
Drive Trucks, 27%
Maintenance Checks, 24%
DOT, 20%

Common garbage truck driver skills

CDL, 47%
Customer Service, 31%
Post-Trip Inspections, 5%
Routine Maintenance, 4%
DOT, 3%
Safety Checks, 2%

Garbage Collector Driver vs. similar jobs

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Garbage Collector Driver
Garbage Collector Driver vs Garbage Truck Driver

Updated January 8, 2025

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