Waste collector demographics and statistics in the US
Waste collector demographics research summary. Zippia estimates waste collector demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our waste collector estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about waste collectors after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 60,145 waste collectors currently employed in the United States.
- 10.0% of all waste collectors are women, while 90.0% are men.
- The average waste collector age is 42 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of waste collectors is White (60.7%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (17.7%), Black or African American (13.3%) and Unknown (3.5%).
- Waste collectors are most in-demand in Wheatland, CA.
- El Dorado Hills, CA pays an annual average wage of $44,280, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women waste collectors earned 91% of what men earned.
- Washington is the best state for waste collectors to live.
- Waste collectors are 49% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to government companies.
On this page
Waste collector demographics by:
Waste collector gender statistics
10.0% of waste collectors are women and 90.0% of waste collectors are men.
- Male, 90.0%
- Female, 10.0%
Waste collector gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 90.0% |
| Female | 10.0% |
Waste collector gender pay gap
Women earn 91¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$30,707
Female income
$27,996
Waste collector gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in waste collector positions over time. Currently, 10.0% of waste collectors are female.
Waste collector gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 94.79% | 5.21% |
| 2011 | 93.67% | 6.33% |
| 2012 | 93.59% | 6.41% |
| 2013 | 90.66% | 9.34% |
| 2014 | 91.97% | 8.03% |
| 2015 | 92.73% | 7.27% |
| 2016 | 92.62% | 7.38% |
| 2017 | 94.31% | 5.69% |
| 2018 | 91.66% | 8.34% |
| 2019 | 92.30% | 7.70% |
| 2020 | 92.25% | 7.75% |
| 2021 | 89.97% | 10.03% |
Waste collector related jobs gender ratio
We compared waste collectors with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, dredge operator and tower crane operator have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Gift Wrapper | 12% | 88% |
| Gift Packer | 18% | 82% |
| Pill Packer | 19% | 81% |
| Waste Collector | 90% | 10% |
| Green Chain Operator | 99% | 1% |
| Tower Crane Operator | 99% | 1% |
| Dredge Operator | 99% | 1% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Waste collector demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among waste collectors is White, which makes up 60.7% of all waste collectors. Comparatively, 17.7% of waste collectors are Hispanic or Latino and 13.3% of waste collectors are Black or African American.
- White, 60.7%
- Hispanic or Latino, 17.7%
- Black or African American, 13.3%
- Unknown, 3.5%
- Asian, 2.8%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.0%
Waste collector race
| Waste collector race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 60.7% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 17.7% |
| Black or African American | 13.3% |
| Unknown | 3.5% |
| Asian | 2.8% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 2.0% |
Waste collector race and ethnicity over time
See how waste collector racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Waste collector race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 62.02% | 16.44% | 2.09% | 16.16% |
| 2011 | 62.49% | 15.90% | 1.95% | 15.74% |
| 2012 | 60.36% | 16.15% | 1.69% | 18.14% |
| 2013 | 62.71% | 14.99% | 1.89% | 15.09% |
| 2014 | 62.10% | 15.48% | 3.01% | 15.08% |
| 2015 | 64.58% | 15.18% | 1.93% | 14.60% |
| 2016 | 62.26% | 14.45% | 2.00% | 15.38% |
| 2017 | 62.85% | 15.06% | 1.94% | 16.32% |
| 2018 | 64.94% | 12.73% | 2.08% | 15.38% |
| 2019 | 66.26% | 13.18% | 2.91% | 13.83% |
| 2020 | 61.51% | 14.59% | 2.65% | 15.52% |
| 2021 | 60.73% | 13.31% | 2.78% | 17.68% |
Waste collector wage gap by race
According to our data, unknown waste collectors have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Hispanic or latino waste collectors have the lowest average salary at $30,029.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $31,200 |
| White | $30,883 |
| Black or African American | $30,848 |
| Asian | $30,590 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $30,029 |
Average waste collector age
See how the average age of waste collectors varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Waste collector age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 39 | |
| White | 44.5 | 50 |
| Black or African American | 41 | 36 |
| Asian | 43 | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 39 | 49 |
Waste collector age breakdown
The average age of waste collectors is 40+ years years old, representing 57% of the waste collector population.
Waste collector age breakdown
| Waste Collector Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 57% |
| 30-40 years | 24% |
| 20-30 years | 18% |
Waste collector educational attainment
The most common degree for waste collectors is high school diploma, with 56% of waste collectors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 16% and associate degree degree at 14%.
- High School Diploma, 56%
- Associate, 16%
- Diploma, 14%
- Bachelor's, 9%
- Other Degrees, 5%
Waste collectors by degree level
| Waste collector degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma | 56% |
| Associate | 16% |
| Diploma | 14% |
| Bachelor's | 9% |
| Other Degrees | 5% |
Waste collector jobs you might like
Waste collector employment statistics
Most waste collectors work for a private in the government industry.
Company size where waste collectors work
Below, you can see the size of companies where waste collectors work.
Waste collector jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 7% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 16% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 27% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 10% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 25% |
| > 10,000 employees | 15% |
Waste collector jobs by company type
Employees with the waste collector job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most waste collectors prefer to work at private companies over government companies.
Waste collector jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 6% |
| Public | 13% |
| Private | 49% |
| Government | 32% |
Waste collector jobs by industry
The most common industries for waste collectors are government, utilities and professional.
Waste collector industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Government | 29% |
| Utilities | 12% |
| Professional | 9% |
| Education | 5% |
| Media | 5% |
| Fortune 500 | 5% |
| Retail | 5% |
| Manufacturing | 5% |
| Technology | 5% |
| Energy | 4% |
| Transportation | 3% |
| Finance | 3% |
| Construction | 3% |
| Non Profits | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Hospitality | 1% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
Waste collector turnover and employment statistics
Waste collector unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for waste collectors between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Waste collector unemployment rate by year
| Year | Waste collector unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 11.86% |
| 2011 | 13.02% |
| 2012 | 10.45% |
| 2013 | 9.55% |
| 2014 | 11.66% |
| 2015 | 7.84% |
| 2016 | 9.06% |
| 2017 | 8.84% |
| 2018 | 7.88% |
| 2019 | 6.60% |
| 2020 | 6.85% |
| 2021 | 6.69% |
Average waste collector tenure
The average waste collector stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 346 waste collectors resumes in Zippia's database.
Waste collector tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 33% |
| 1-2 years | 31% |
| 3-4 years | 13% |
| 5-7 years | 14% |
| 8-10 years | 2% |
| 11+ years | 7% |
Waste collector LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of waste collectors that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Wrecking Crane Engine Operator | 1.94% | 27,915 |
| Palletizer Operator | 3.85% | 57,887 |
| Waste Collector | 4.14% | - |
| Stone Cleaner | 4.59% | 35,567 |
| Lug Loader | 4.67% | 3,004 |
| Pill Packer | 6.68% | 16,035 |
| Offbearer | 10.43% | 16 |
Similar waste collector jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Wrecking Crane Engine Operator | 1.94% | 27,915 |
| Palletizer Operator | 3.85% | 57,887 |
| Stone Cleaner | 4.59% | 35,567 |
| Lug Loader | 4.67% | 3,004 |
| Pill Packer | 6.68% | 16,035 |
| Offbearer | 10.43% | 16 |
Foreign languages spoken by waste collectors
The most common foreign language among waste collectors is Spanish at 70.0%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is Shona at 10.0% and French is the third-most popular at 10.0%.
- Spanish, 70.0%
- Shona, 10.0%
- French, 10.0%
- Italian, 10.0%
Waste collector languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 70.0% |
| Shona | 10.0% |
| French | 10.0% |
| Italian | 10.0% |
