Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Recycling technician salary
Average recycling technician salary
$16.2
Understanding Recycling Technician Salaries
The average recycling technician earns approximately $33,687 annually, equating to about $16 per hour. Salaries can vary significantly based on a range of factors such as location, experience level, and specific job responsibilities. For instance, recycling technicians in states like California and New York typically command higher salaries due to the higher cost of living and demand for their services.
Factors Influencing Salary
Experience also plays a crucial role in salary determination. Entry-level positions may start at around $28,000 per year, while those with more years in the field can earn upwards of $40,000. Furthermore, specialized roles, such as those requiring technical expertise or supervisory responsibilities, generally offer higher pay.
Job Opportunities
Recycling technicians have various job opportunities available, ranging from municipal waste management facilities to private recycling companies. Exploring these roles can lead to both career satisfaction and financial stability in a field that is increasingly critical for environmental sustainability.
Let Zippia find your next recycling technician job
Let Zippia find your next recycling technician job
Where can a Recycling Technician earn more?
Recycling technician salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level recycling technician | $23,900 | $11.51 |
| Mid-level recycling technician | $26,400 | $12.71 |
| Senior-level recycling technician | $39,900 | $19.17 |
Recycling technician salary estimates from across the web
Average recycling technician salary by state
The highest-paying states for recycling technicians are Nebraska, Mississippi, and West Virginia. The lowest average recycling technician salary states are Georgia, Wyoming, and Iowa.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for recycling technicians
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Virginia | $38,807 | $18.66 |
| 2 | Missouri | $37,984 | $18.26 |
| 3 | Nebraska | $39,692 | $19.08 |
| 4 | Mississippi | $39,139 | $18.82 |
| 5 | Indiana | $36,063 | $17.34 |
| 6 | Kentucky | $38,059 | $18.30 |
| 7 | Michigan | $36,339 | $17.47 |
| 8 | Maine | $36,924 | $17.75 |
| 9 | Illinois | $37,174 | $17.87 |
| 10 | Colorado | $38,155 | $18.34 |
| 11 | Wisconsin | $36,108 | $17.36 |
| 12 | Alaska | $36,729 | $17.66 |
| 13 | Kansas | $36,469 | $17.53 |
| 14 | Ohio | $36,302 | $17.45 |
| 15 | New York | $36,671 | $17.63 |
| 16 | North Dakota | $36,477 | $17.54 |
| 17 | South Dakota | $35,850 | $17.24 |
| 18 | Vermont | $35,560 | $17.10 |
| 19 | Rhode Island | $35,845 | $17.23 |
| 20 | Utah | $35,456 | $17.05 |
| 21 | New Jersey | $36,568 | $17.58 |
| 22 | Idaho | $36,270 | $17.44 |
| 23 | Connecticut | $35,839 | $17.23 |
| 24 | South Carolina | $35,116 | $16.88 |
| 25 | Arizona | $36,213 | $17.41 |
| 26 | Massachusetts | $36,916 | $17.75 |
| 27 | Nevada | $35,052 | $16.85 |
| 28 | New Hampshire | $35,631 | $17.13 |
| 29 | Virginia | $36,672 | $17.63 |
| 30 | Delaware | $35,708 | $17.17 |
| 31 | Maryland | $36,737 | $17.66 |
| 32 | Montana | $35,817 | $17.22 |
| 33 | Washington | $37,008 | $17.79 |
| 34 | Tennessee | $33,578 | $16.14 |
| 35 | California | $38,316 | $18.42 |
| 36 | Arkansas | $34,916 | $16.79 |
| 37 | New Mexico | $35,171 | $16.91 |
| 38 | Louisiana | $34,779 | $16.72 |
| 39 | Oklahoma | $32,781 | $15.76 |
| 40 | Texas | $34,587 | $16.63 |
| 41 | North Carolina | $31,816 | $15.30 |
| 42 | District of Columbia | $35,459 | $17.05 |
| 43 | Iowa | $31,865 | $15.32 |
| 44 | Minnesota | $32,918 | $15.83 |
| 45 | Pennsylvania | $33,085 | $15.91 |
| 46 | Georgia | $32,583 | $15.66 |
| 47 | Florida | $30,303 | $14.57 |
| 48 | Alabama | $31,386 | $15.09 |
| 49 | Hawaii | $33,936 | $16.32 |
| 50 | Oregon | $33,090 | $15.91 |
| 51 | Wyoming | $31,920 | $15.35 |
Highest paying cities for recycling technicians
The highest-paying cities for recycling technicians are San Francisco, CA, Colorado Springs, CO, and Huntley, IL.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $38,863 | $18.68 |
| 2 | Colorado Springs, CO | $38,182 | $18.36 |
| 3 | Huntley, IL | $37,247 | $17.91 |
| 4 | Redmond, WA | $37,041 | $17.81 |
| 5 | Manassas, VA | $37,002 | $17.79 |
| 6 | Akron, OH | $36,627 | $17.61 |
| 7 | Lawrence, KS | $36,454 | $17.53 |
| 8 | Casa Grande, AZ | $36,230 | $17.42 |
| 9 | Indianapolis, IN | $35,941 | $17.28 |
| 10 | Columbia, SC | $35,127 | $16.89 |
| 11 | Plano, TX | $34,780 | $16.72 |
| 12 | Allentown, PA | $33,202 | $15.96 |
| 13 | Corvallis, OR | $33,186 | $15.95 |
| 14 | Atlanta, GA | $32,637 | $15.69 |
| 15 | Ames, IA | $31,814 | $15.30 |
| 16 | Concord, NC | $31,705 | $15.24 |
| 17 | Lakeland, FL | $30,401 | $14.62 |
Recycling technician salary details
A recycling technician's salary ranges from $27,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $41,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a recycling technician's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $41,000 | $3,417 | $20 |
| 75th Percentile | $37,000 | $3,083 | $18 |
| Average | $33,687 | $2,807 | $16 |
| 25th Percentile | $30,000 | $2,500 | $14 |
| 10th Percentile | $27,000 | $2,250 | $13 |
Highest paying recycling technician jobs
The highest paying types of recycling technicians are computer recycling worker, waste management recycling technician, and household hazardous waste recycling worker.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Technician | $38,045 | $3,170 | $18.29 | 596,842 |
Top companies hiring recycling technicians now:
Which companies pay recycling technicians the most?
Recycling technician salaries at SF-Marin Food Bank and Republic Services are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average recycling technician salary at companies like Harsco and Sonoco are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SF-Marin Food Bank | $42,222 | $20.30 |
| 2 | Republic Services | $39,750 | $19.11 |
| 3 | Harsco | $39,729 | $19.10 |
| 4 | Sonoco | $37,726 | $18.14 |
| 5 | First Solar | $36,963 | $17.77 |
| 6 | Parker Hannifin | $35,936 | $17.28 |
| 7 | The University of Kansas Health System | $35,807 | $17.21 |
| 8 | Quad | $35,449 | $17.04 |
| 9 | University of North Carolina | $35,402 | $17.02 |
| 10 | Dart Container | $34,215 | $16.45 |
| 11 | Blue Earth County | $33,356 | $16.04 |
| 12 | QPS | $32,420 | $15.59 |
| 13 | Vonachen Group | $32,274 | $15.52 |
| 14 | IH Services | $32,266 | $15.51 |
| 15 | ABM Industries | $32,250 | $15.50 |
| 16 | Neil Jones Food Company | $32,238 | $15.50 |
| 17 | Huntington Ingalls Industries | $32,236 | $15.50 |
| 18 | Planet Forward | $32,236 | $15.50 |
| 19 | SBM Management Services | $32,037 | $15.40 |
| 20 | The AZEK Company | $31,552 | $15.17 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Recycling Technician salary by industry
The average recycling technician salary varies across industries:
- The average recycling technician salary in the manufacturing industry is $34,303, the highest of any industry.
- The average recycling technician salary in the finance industry is $32,806.
- Recycling technicians in the telecommunication industry earn an average salary of $32,269, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for recycling technicians
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manufacturing | $34,303 | $16.49 |
| 2 | Construction | $32,806 | $15.77 |
| 3 | Government | $32,527 | $15.64 |
| 4 | Telecommunication | $32,269 | $15.51 |
High paying recycling technician jobs
Recycling technician salary trends
The average recycling technician salary has risen by $5,037 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average recycling technician earned $28,650 annually, but today, they earn $33,687 a year. That works out to a 9% change in pay for recycling technicians over the last decade.
Compare recycling technician salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average recycling technician salary over time
Compare recycling technician salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Recycling technician salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $33,700 | $16.20 | +5.2% |
| 2025 | $32,000 | $15.36 | -1.2% |
| 2024 | $32,300 | $15.55 | +4.2% |
| 2023 | $31,000 | $14.89 | +0.4% |
| 2022 | $30,800 | $14.83 | +2.9% |
Recently added recycling technician salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leupold | Recycling Technician 1 | Beaverton, OR | 06/26/2025 | $40,697 |
| Highlands County Board of County Commissioners | Recycling Technician | Sebring, FL | 06/25/2025 | $36,118 |
| WSI Trash & Recycling Valet | Trash & Recycling Valet Tech Sandy, UT Evenings-Monday Through Friday | Sandy, UT | 06/25/2025 | $37,566 |
| Enviri Corporation | Recycling Technician-2Nd Shift | Allentown, PA | 06/23/2025 | $40,697 |
| Interprint | Recycling Technician | Pittsfield, MA | 06/22/2025 | $37,566 |
| Clean Earth | Recycling Technician-2Nd Shift | Allentown, PA | 06/21/2025 | $40,697 |
| Interprint Inc. | Recycling Technician | Pittsfield, MA | 06/21/2025 | $37,566 |
| West Liberty Foods Jobs | Recycling Tech-2Nd Shift | Bolingbrook, IL | 06/19/2025 | $42,262 |
| SBM Management | Recycle Technician | Tualatin, OR | 06/18/2025 | $33,392 |
| SBM Management | Recycle Technician | Easley, SC | 06/18/2025 | $31,305 |
Recycling technician salary FAQs
Search for recycling technician jobs