How To Become A Hazard Waste Handler: What It Is and Career Path

What is a hazard waste handler and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a hazard waste handler. For example, did you know that they make an average of $23.91 an hour? That's $49,743 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 0% and produce -100 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreHazard Waste HandlerUS Average

Salary

3.9

Avg. Salary $49,743

Avg. Salary $59,228

Diversity

9.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.22%

Asian 2.26%

Black or African American 11.21%

Hispanic or Latino 29.16%

Unknown 3.11%

White 51.03%

Gender

female 3.90%

male 96.10%

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

7.0

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.3

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

5.0

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a hazard waste handler

Explore hazard waste handler education requirements

Most common hazard waste handler degrees

High School Diploma

29.6 %

Associate

29.6 %

Diploma

22.2 %

Start to develop specific hazard waste handler skills

Skills	Percentages
Hazardous Materials	51.10%
Safety Procedures	48.90%

Complete relevant hazard waste handler training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New hazard waste handlers 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 hazard waste handler based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real hazard waste handler resumes.

Research hazard waste handler duties and responsibilities

Manage the logistics of incoming and outgoing shipments
Consult MSDS for accurate spill decontamination.
Consult MSDS for accurate spill decontamination.

Prepare your hazard waste handler resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your hazard waste handler 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 hazard waste handler resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable hazard waste handler resume templates

Build a professional hazard waste handler resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your hazard waste handler resume.