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Solid waste technician education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a solid waste technician. Solid waste technicians usually study accounting, legal studies, or liberal arts. 44% of solid waste technicians hold a high school diploma, and 24% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 66 real solid waste technician resumes to see exactly what solid waste technician education sections show.
The most common colleges for solid waste technicians are the Seminole State College of Florida and the Seminole State College of Florida.
There are also many online solid waste technician courses to help get the education required to be a solid waste technician.
What education do you need to become a solid waste technician?
What degree do you need to be a solid waste technician?
- High School Diploma, 44%
- Associate, 24%
- Bachelor's, 16%
- Master's, 8%
- Other Degrees, 8%
What should I major in to become a solid waste technician?
- Accounting, 9%
- Legal Studies, 9%
- Liberal Arts, 9%
- Engineering, 9%
- Other Majors, 64%
Most common colleges for solid waste technicians
| Solid waste technician common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Seminole State College of Florida | 28.57% |
| Glenville State College | 14.29% |
| Michigan Technological University | 14.29% |
| Albany State University | 14.29% |
| College of Central Florida | 14.29% |
Best majors for solid waste technicians
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Accounting | 8.7% |
| 2 | Legal Studies | 8.7% |
| 3 | Liberal Arts | 8.7% |
| 4 | Engineering | 8.7% |
| 5 | Criminal Justice | 4.3% |
Best colleges for solid waste technicians
The best colleges for solid waste technicians are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and University of Southern California.
A solid waste technician with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for solid waste technicians. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become solid waste technicians.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Enrollment
9,394
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. SUNY College of Technology at Alfred
Alfred, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,570
Enrollment
3,721
4. SUNY College of Technology at Delhi
Delhi, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,360
Enrollment
3,142
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
6. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
7. University of Alaska Southeast
Juneau, AK • Private
In-state tuition
$7,092
Enrollment
1,216
8. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
9. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,308
Enrollment
6,819
10. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
20 best online courses for solid waste technicians
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A primer on the best practices for managing solid waste...
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Top 10 most affordable universities for solid waste technicians
The most affordable schools for solid waste technicians are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and california state university - dominguez hills.
If the best universities for solid waste technicians are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for solid waste technicians.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
2. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
3. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
6. SUNY Polytechnic Institute
Utica, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,238
Cost of attendance
21,567
7. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
8. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
9. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
10. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for solid waste technicians
The hardest universities for solid waste technicians to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for solid waste technicians are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for solid waste technicians based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
6. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
7. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
8. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
9. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
10. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for solid waste technicians
The easiest schools for solid waste technicians to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, d'youville college, and holy names university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a solid waste technician without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for solid waste technicians.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
3. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
4. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
5. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
6. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
7. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
8. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
9. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
10. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
Average solid waste technician salary by education level
| Solid waste technician education level | Solid waste technician salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $61,098 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $47,612 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $50,318 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $53,246 |
Solid waste technician education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025