What does a garbage collector do?
Garbage collector responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real garbage collector resumes:
- Start hoisting device that raises refuse bin attach to rear of truck and dumps contents onto opening in enclose truck body.
- Used pitch forks, shovels and similar hand tools to pick up general refuse and trash from curbside and other areas.
- Return products to Comcast corporate locations
Garbage collector skills and personality traits
We calculated that 26% of Garbage Collectors are proficient in Hoisting, Recyclable Materials, and Maintenance Checks. They’re also known for soft skills such as Customer-service skills, Listening skills, and Physical strength.
We break down the percentage of Garbage Collectors that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Hoisting, 26%
Operate automatic or semi-automatic hydraulic hoisting devices to dump refuse bin contents into truck body.
- Recyclable Materials, 24%
Collect garbage from residential buildings, businesses and other facilities, Dump refuse or recyclable materials at disposal sites.
- Maintenance Checks, 7%
Assisted and helped with the operations of garbage trucks Executed and performed daily safety and maintenance checks.
- Residential Buildings, 7%
Collected garbage from residential buildings and independent houses daily.
- Drive Trucks, 7%
pick up trash and drive truck
- Property Damage, 6%
Controlled and managed all equipment in a safe and effective manner, minimizing risk of injury or property damage.
Most garbage collectors use their skills in "hoisting," "recyclable materials," and "maintenance checks" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential garbage collector responsibilities here:
Customer-service skills. One of the key soft skills for a garbage collector to have is customer-service skills. You can see how this relates to what garbage collectors do because "hand laborers and material movers who work with the public, such as grocery baggers or carwash attendants, must be pleasant and courteous to customers." Additionally, a garbage collector resume shows how garbage collectors use customer-service skills: "annotated all customer complaints regarding service quality and times of service by and reported the same to management for consideration. "
Listening skills. Many garbage collector duties rely on listening skills. "hand laborers and material movers follow instructions that a supervisor gives them.," so a garbage collector will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways garbage collector responsibilities rely on listening skills: "communicated with dispatchers concerning delays, unsafe sites, accidents, equipment breakdowns, and trash removal. "
Physical strength. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of garbage collectors is physical strength. This skill is critical to many everyday garbage collector duties, as "some hand laborers and material movers must be able to lift and carry heavy objects." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "cycle counts/physical inventory * stocking and selecting * customer service"
The three companies that hire the most garbage collectors are:
- Valet Living328 garbage collectors jobs
- Reed's
1 garbage collectors jobs
- A+ Products1 garbage collectors jobs
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Compare different garbage collectors
Garbage collector vs. Front loader residential driver
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between garbage collectors and front loader residential driver. For instance, garbage collector responsibilities require skills such as "hoisting," "recyclable materials," "maintenance checks," and "residential buildings." Whereas a front loader residential driver is skilled in "post-trip inspections," "dot," "cdl," and "safety hazards." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Front loader residential drivers tend to reach similar levels of education than garbage collectors. In fact, front loader residential drivers are 1.8% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.6% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Garbage collector vs. Commercial front load driver
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, garbage collector responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "recyclable materials," "maintenance checks," "residential buildings," and "drive trucks." Meanwhile, a commercial front load driver has duties that require skills in areas such as "post-trip inspections," "safety policies," "dot," and "federal laws." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Average education levels between the two professions vary. Commercial front load drivers tend to reach similar levels of education than garbage collectors. In fact, they're 1.8% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.6% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Garbage collector vs. Residential recycle driver
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from garbage collector resumes include skills like "recyclable materials," "maintenance checks," "residential buildings," and "drive trucks," whereas a residential recycle driver is more likely to list skills in "pre," "mechanical problems," "safety standards," and "equipment checks. "
When it comes to education, residential recycle drivers tend to earn similar degree levels compared to garbage collectors. In fact, they're 1.8% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.6% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Garbage collector vs. Disposal worker
Types of garbage collector
Updated January 8, 2025
