Recycling technician vs transfer station operator

The differences between recycling technicians and transfer station operators 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 transfer station operator. Additionally, a transfer station operator has an average salary of $38,127, which is higher than the $33,687 average annual salary of a recycling technician.

The top three skills for a recycling technician include recyclable materials, pallets and pallet jack. The most important skills for a transfer station operator are end loaders, equipment maintenance, and landfill.

Recycling technician vs transfer station operator overview

	Recycling Technician	Transfer Station Operator
Yearly salary	$33,687	$38,127
Hourly rate	$16.20	$18.33
Growth rate	1%	-3%
Number of jobs	26,197	31,100
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 44%	High School Diploma, 32%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	12	12

Recycling technician vs transfer station operator salary

Recycling technicians and transfer station operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Recycling Technician	Transfer Station Operator
Average salary	$33,687	$38,127
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $41,000	Between $26,000 And $55,000
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 transfer station operator education

There are a few differences between a recycling technician and a transfer station operator in terms of educational background:

	Recycling Technician	Transfer Station Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 44%	High School Diploma, 32%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	Stanford University

Recycling technician vs transfer station operator demographics

Here are the differences between recycling technicians' and transfer station operators' demographics:

	Recycling Technician	Transfer Station Operator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 86.2% Female, 13.8%	Male, 92.3% Female, 7.7%
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, 10.7% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 16.1% Asian, 6.0% White, 62.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between recycling technician and transfer station operator 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.

Transfer station operator example responsibilities.

Operate heavy machinery such as bobcat equipment and also operate and pave asphalt perform demolition work.
Review, complete and file necessary documents to reserve training locations and ammunition requests.

Recycling technician vs transfer station operator skills

Common recycling technician skills

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

Common transfer station operator skills

End Loaders, 37%
Equipment Maintenance, 22%
Landfill, 21%
Hazardous Materials, 15%
Roll-Off Truck, 3%
DOT, 2%

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Recycling Technician
Recycling Technician vs Transfer Station Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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