Recycling technician vs metal sorter

The differences between recycling technicians and metal sorters can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a recycling technician and a metal sorter. Additionally, a recycling technician has an average salary of $33,687, which is higher than the $29,488 average annual salary of a metal sorter.

The top three skills for a recycling technician include recyclable materials, pallets and pallet jack. The most important skills for a metal sorter are stainless steel, sort metals, and non-ferrous metals.

Recycling technician vs metal sorter overview

	Recycling Technician	Metal Sorter
Yearly salary	$33,687	$29,488
Hourly rate	$16.20	$14.18
Growth rate	1%	6%
Number of jobs	26,197	20,964
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 44%	High School Diploma, 57%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	12	12

Recycling technician vs metal sorter salary

Recycling technicians and metal sorters have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Recycling Technician	Metal Sorter
Average salary	$33,687	$29,488
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $41,000	Between $22,000 And $38,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	-
Highest paying state	Nebraska	-
Best paying company	SF-Marin Food Bank	-
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	-

Differences between recycling technician and metal sorter education

There are a few differences between a recycling technician and a metal sorter in terms of educational background:

	Recycling Technician	Metal Sorter
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 44%	High School Diploma, 57%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Recycling technician vs metal sorter demographics

Here are the differences between recycling technicians' and metal sorters' demographics:

	Recycling Technician	Metal Sorter
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 86.2% Female, 13.8%	Male, 86.8% Female, 13.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.5% Asian, 6.6% White, 58.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 7.4% White, 62.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between recycling technician and metal sorter duties and responsibilities

Recycling technician example responsibilities.

Handle hazardous materials according to OSHA standards.
Sort a variety of recycle materials such as concrete, drywall, plastics and wood into containers or bucket loaders.
Bale cardboard in baling machine.
Experience with torches, saws, shredders and balers.
Handle groundskeeper duties including mowing grass, removing weeds, and other landscaping.
Work independently, using judgment and discretion in making decisions that directly impact facility compliance.

Metal sorter example responsibilities.

Operate a forklift and other equipment such as shears, blow torches, chop see, and shaker tables.
Manufacture extruded aluminum evaporator coils, condenser coils, and other products for heat transfer applications.
Process mail using automate mail processing equipment or manual methods of sortation and distribution.

Recycling technician vs metal sorter skills

Common recycling technician skills

Recyclable Materials, 18%
Pallets, 13%
Pallet Jack, 10%
Routine Maintenance, 10%
Hazardous Waste, 9%
Troubleshoot, 8%

Common metal sorter skills

Stainless Steel, 38%
Sort Metals, 23%
Non-Ferrous Metals, 18%
Torches, 11%
Unload Trucks, 10%