How much does a garbage collector make?

The average garbage collector salary in the United States is $29,093. Garbage collector salaries typically range between $21,000 and $39,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for garbage collectors is $13.99 per hour. Garbage collector salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Garbage collectors earn the highest average salary in Alaska.

Garbage collector salary

Q: What state pays Garbage Collectors the most?

Alaska pays Garbage Collectors the most in the United States, with an average salary of $43,551 per year, or $20.94 per hour.

Q: How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as a garbage collector?

You know if you are being paid fairly as a garbage collector if your pay is close to the average pay for the state you live in. For example, if you live in California you should be paid close to $42,121 per year.

Q: How much do garbage men make?

Garbage men make an average annual salary of $44,608. However, the salaries of garbage can vary depending on location. Large cities often see garbage men having higher salaries. For example, the average salary of a garbage man in San Francisco is $66,846 per year. And the average salary of a garbage man in the state of California as a whole is $59,380.

Average garbage collector salary

$13.99

$29,093 yearly

Entry-level garbage collector salary

$21,000 yearly salary

Updated January 8, 2025

Average Garbage Collector Salary

The average salary for garbage collectors varies by state and experience. As of October 2025, the national average stands at $29,093 annually. Factors such as geographic location, years of experience, and specific job responsibilities can significantly influence earnings. For example, experienced garbage collectors in urban areas often receive higher compensation due to the increased demand for waste management services.

Highest Paying States

Some states offer notably higher salaries for this profession. States like California and New York typically provide better compensation due to higher living costs and demand for waste management services. It's crucial to research regional job markets to identify lucrative opportunities. Additionally, considering the potential for overtime and benefits can further enhance the overall compensation package for garbage collectors.

Opportunities for Advancement

Garbage collectors can pursue various pathways for career growth, including supervisory roles or specialized positions within the waste management sector. Continuing education and training in environmental management can also open doors to higher-paying roles in this field.

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Garbage collector salary by:

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Where can a Garbage Collector earn more?

Compare salary by location

61k

41k

21k

908

Columbus, OH$43,658

San Antonio, TX$30,908

Compare salary by company

57k

37k

17k

-3k

City of Charleston$30,877

PeopleReady$26,695

Garbage collector salaries by experience level

Experience level	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
Entry-level garbage collector	$21,400	$10.28
Mid-level garbage collector	$26,900	$12.92
Senior-level garbage collector	$33,200	$15.97

Garbage collector salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Glassdoor, Ziprecruiter, Comparably and CareerExplorer, the average salary for a garbage collector typically falls between $29,093 and $57,647.

zippia

$29,093yearly

glassdoor[1]

$41,430yearly

comparably[2]

$57,647yearly

ZipRecruiter[3]

$34,038yearly

CareerExplorer[4]

$38,500yearly

Average garbage collector salary by state

The average garbage collector salary in Alaska, California, and Washington are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average garbage collector salary states are Georgia, South Dakota, and North Carolina.

State view
County view

Average salary:

Highest paying states for garbage collectors

Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	Washington	$39,711	$19.09
2	California	$42,121	$20.25
3	Alaska	$43,551	$20.94
4	Utah	$34,955	$16.81
5	Oregon	$37,340	$17.95
6	Nevada	$32,819	$15.78
7	Wyoming	$36,982	$17.78
8	Texas	$30,729	$14.77
9	West Virginia	$30,106	$14.47
10	Colorado	$33,104	$15.92
11	Minnesota	$35,388	$17.01
12	North Dakota	$33,471	$16.09
13	Massachusetts	$34,611	$16.64
14	Vermont	$35,173	$16.91
15	Arizona	$30,500	$14.66
16	Maine	$32,935	$15.83
17	Florida	$27,256	$13.10
18	New Mexico	$30,322	$14.58
19	New Hampshire	$28,979	$13.93
20	Wisconsin	$30,777	$14.80
21	Idaho	$31,477	$15.13
22	New York	$29,441	$14.15
23	Indiana	$26,909	$12.94
24	Michigan	$27,804	$13.37
25	Oklahoma	$28,397	$13.65
26	Connecticut	$28,182	$13.55
27	Illinois	$29,346	$14.11
28	Ohio	$27,225	$13.09
29	Missouri	$26,365	$12.68
30	Arkansas	$26,678	$12.83
31	Alabama	$24,185	$11.63
32	Pennsylvania	$26,212	$12.60
33	Rhode Island	$23,472	$11.28
34	New Jersey	$27,224	$13.09
35	Louisiana	$23,818	$11.45
36	Montana	$24,687	$11.87
37	Delaware	$27,371	$13.16
38	Kentucky	$23,752	$11.42
39	Georgia	$22,439	$10.79
40	Iowa	$25,846	$12.43
41	Hawaii	$27,400	$13.17
42	Virginia	$24,208	$11.64
43	Kansas	$25,771	$12.39
44	Nebraska	$24,374	$11.72
45	South Carolina	$20,235	$9.73
46	North Carolina	$20,292	$9.76
47	Mississippi	$22,835	$10.98
48	Maryland	$18,420	$8.86
49	Tennessee	$17,937	$8.62
50	South Dakota	$22,404	$10.77
51	District of Columbia	$22,303	$10.72

Top garbage collector jobs near you

Highest paying cities for garbage collectors

The highest-paying cities for garbage collectors are Fairfield, CA, Hayward, CA, and Tracy, CA.

Rank	City	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	Fairfield, CA	$43,658	$20.99
2	Hayward, CA	$43,627	$20.97
3	Tracy, CA	$43,379	$20.86
4	El Dorado Hills, CA	$43,310	$20.82
5	Renton, WA	$39,979	$19.22
6	Beaverton, OR	$37,444	$18.00
7	Portland, OR	$37,394	$17.98
8	Ogden, UT	$35,003	$16.83
9	Taylorsville, UT	$34,933	$16.79
10	Salt Lake City, UT	$34,921	$16.79
11	Orem, UT	$34,787	$16.72
12	Dracut, MA	$34,764	$16.71
13	Canton, MA	$34,543	$16.61
14	Reno, NV	$34,449	$16.56
15	Nantucket, MA	$34,287	$16.48
16	Denver, CO	$33,131	$15.93
17	Centennial, CO	$33,113	$15.92
18	Helotes, TX	$30,940	$14.88
19	Boerne, TX	$30,931	$14.87
20	San Antonio, TX	$30,908	$14.86

Garbage collector salary details

A garbage collector's salary ranges from $21,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $39,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average garbage collector salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a garbage collector's salary?

Percentile	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate
90th Percentile	$39,000	$3,250	$19
75th Percentile	$34,000	$2,833	$16
Average	$29,093	$2,424	$14
25th Percentile	$24,000	$2,000	$12
10th Percentile	$21,000	$1,750	$10

Highest paying garbage collector jobs

The highest paying types of garbage collectors are commercial front load driver, residential recycle driver, and driver/refuse collector.

Job title	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
Trash Collector	$29,503	$2,459	$14.18	3,364
Collector	$34,872	$2,906	$16.77	23,948

Top companies hiring garbage collectors now:

Which companies pay garbage collectors the most?

Garbage collector salaries at City of Charleston and A+ Products are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average garbage collector salary at companies like Valet Living and FAST TRACK AGENCY LIMITED are highly competitive.

Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate
1	City of Charleston	$30,877	$14.84
2	A+ Products	$30,109	$14.48
3	Valet Living	$29,506	$14.19
4	FAST TRACK AGENCY LIMITED	$27,406	$13.18
5	PeopleReady	$26,695	$12.83

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$31,000$30,200$29,400$28,600$27,800$27,000

MaleFemale

Garbage collector salary trends

The average garbage collector salary has risen by $5,075 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average garbage collector earned $24,018 annually, but today, they earn $29,093 a year. That works out to a 11% change in pay for garbage collectors over the last decade.

Compare garbage collector salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average garbage collector salary over time

Compare garbage collector salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Garbage collector salary by year

Year	Avg. salary	Hourly rate	% Change
2025	$29,100	$13.99	+3.2%
2024	$28,200	$13.54	+1.5%
2023	$27,700	$13.33	+3.0%
2022	$26,900	$12.94	+2.5%
2021	$26,200	$12.62	+4.2%

Recently added garbage collector salaries

Company	Job	Location	Date added	Salary
Valet Living	Apartment Garbage Collector-Nights-Truck Required	West Des Moines, IA	05/28/2025	$33,392
Valet Living	Apartment Garbage Collector-Nights-Truck Required-Up To	Charlottesville, VA	05/28/2025	$43,827
Valet Living	Apartment Garbage Collector-Nights-Truck Required-Up To	Charlotte, NC	05/28/2025	$41,740
Valet Living	Apartment Garbage Collector-Nights-Truck Required	Omaha, NE	05/28/2025	$33,392
Valet Living	Apartment Garbage Collector-Nights-Truck Required	Tulsa, OK	05/28/2025	$33,392
Valet Living	Apartment Garbage Collector-Nights-Truck Required-From	Altamonte Springs, FL	05/27/2025	$37,566
Valet Living	Apartment Garbage Collector-Nights-Truck Required-From	State College, PA	05/27/2025	$43,827
Valet Living	Apartment Garbage Collector-Nights-Truck Required-From	Atlanta, GA	05/27/2025	$39,653
Valet Living	Apartment Garbage Collector-Nights-Truck Required-From	Louisville, KY	05/27/2025	$37,566
Valet Living	Apartment Garbage Collector-Nights-Truck Required-From	Franklin, TN	05/23/2025	$41,740

Garbage collector salary FAQs

What state pays Garbage Collectors the most?

How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as a garbage collector?

How much do garbage men make?

Have more questions? See all answers to common transportation questions.

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Updated January 8, 2025

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