How To Become A Recycle Driver: What It Is and Career Path

What is a recycle driver and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

The average recycle driver salary is $38,635. The most common degree is a high school diploma degree with an criminal justice major. It usually takes 1-2 years of experience to become a recycle driver. Recycle drivers with a Commercial Driver License (CDL) certification earn more money. Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 4% and produce 90,900 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreRecycle DriverUS Average

Salary

3.0

Avg. Salary $38,635

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.3

Growth rate 4%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.2

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.85%

Asian 4.05%

Black or African American 12.10%

Hispanic or Latino 18.58%

Unknown 4.80%

White 59.62%

Gender

female 9.97%

male 90.03%

Age - 49

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 - 49

Stress level

7.3

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

4.6

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

1.4

Work life balance is very poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a recycle driver

Explore recycle driver education requirements

Most common recycle driver degrees

High School Diploma

43.8 %

Diploma

18.5 %

Associate

16.2 %

Start to develop specific recycle driver skills

Skills	Percentages
CDL	22.79%
DOT	20.43%
Pre-trip	18.53%
Safety Equipment	9.80%
Safety Policies	9.56%

Complete relevant recycle driver training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New recycle drivers 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 recycle driver based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real recycle driver resumes.

Research recycle driver duties and responsibilities

Refuel trucks, dismount truck to collect garbage.
Coordinate delivery and pickup up times to maintain continuous business operations.
Return to shop, perform post trip inspection, turn in all company tools require for the job.

Prepare your recycle driver resume

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

Choose from 10+ customizable recycle driver resume templates

Build a professional recycle driver 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 recycle driver resume.

Apply for recycle driver jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a recycle driver job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do recycle drivers rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Recycle driver reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on May 2020

Cons

You can make enough money to support your family but you will not be a very big part of that family. Not family oriented, always gone. Missing out on your family's life.

A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2019

Pros

Independent. I'm my own boss.

A zippia user wrote a review on May 2019