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Waste collector education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
2 min read
Usually, waste collectors don't need a college education. The most common degree for waste collectors is high school diploma with 56% graduates, with only 16% waste collector graduates earning associate degree. Waste collectors who decided to graduate from college often finish Miami Dade College or Alabama State University. Some good skills to have in this position include waste containers, hoisting and federal laws.

What education do you need to become a waste collector?

What degree do you need to be a waste collector?

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%

What should I major in to become a waste collector?

You should major in criminal justice to become a waste collector. 16% of waste collectors major in criminal justice. Other common majors for a waste collector include business and general studies.

Best majors for waste collectors

RankMajorPercentages
1Criminal Justice15.5%
2Business13.8%
3General Studies10.3%
4Accounting8.6%
5Precision Metal Working5.2%

20 best online courses for waste collectors

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1. Municipal Solid Waste Management in Developing Countries

coursera

Have you come across large piles of garbage in neighbourhoods and streets and smelly waste disposal sites polluting the environment of low- and middle-income countries? Do you want to know what kind of sustainable solutions are appropriate to better manage waste and enhance recycling and recovery? If yes, this course is for you! This course provides you with an overview of the municipal solid waste management situation in low- and middle-income countries. It covers key elements of the waste...

2. Impacts of the Environment on Global Public Health

coursera

In this specialization, you will explore how many public health outcomes are directly influenced by human contact with the environment. The four courses in this series will introduce you to the environmental health sciences (EHS) discipline; you'll examine the hazards of air pollution, water pollution, solid and hazardous waste, radon, and noise; identify the major challenges posed by climate change and unsustainable practices; and use risk assessment to evaluate the health of population,...

3. Solid Waste Mangement

udemy
4.5
(398)

A primer on the best practices for managing solid waste...

4. Eliminate waste by implementing 5S

udemy
4.5
(2,086)

Learn how to remove waste from your processes with real implementers...

5. Deploying the circular economy within organisations

coursera

How can companies act in the fight against global warming? This is an increasingly pressing question for all actors of our society. Big companies, SMEs, start-ups but also charities and public actors, the circular economy is part of solutions to be deployed at a large scale by all these actors, to promote an economy that respects planet boundaries, consumes less natural resources, emits less greenhouse gases and produces less waste. With this MOOC, you will understand the limits of the linear...

6. Lean Management: Reduce waste and boost efficiency

udemy
4.4
(2,869)

Learn how to use the principles of lean management to optimize production, eliminate waste, and maximize customer value...

7. Fundamentals of Residential Property Management

udemy
4
(490)

Understand the foundation of residential property management as a property manager or landlord...

8. U.S. Residential Real Estate, Property & Mortgage Business

udemy
4.6
(2,324)

Property & Mortgage Underwriting Loan Processing Financial Analysis Mortgage Operations Origination...

9. Certified Web Application Security Tester (C-WAST)

udemy
4
(349)

webportal security, webportal testing, webportal design, web apps security, ethical hacking, webportal hacking...

10. ISO 22000:2018. Food Safety Management System

udemy
4.4
(976)

Understand the requirements for a food safety management system applicable for any organization in the food chain...

11. Truck Dispatcher - Working with owner operators

udemy
4.6
(724)

Work and earn...

12. Introduction to Circular Economy

udemy
4.5
(380)

It's about time we design waste out of the system...

13. An Introduction to the Controller Area Network (CAN) Bus

udemy
4.5
(1,732)

Learn the fundamentals of the Controller Area Network (CAN) Bus using both a theoretical and practical approach...

14. Lean BPM - Lean Business Process Management Change Skills

udemy
4.5
(553)

Lean BPM - learn how to use lean business management techniques to reduce waste and improve your business efficiency...

15. Kaizen Practitioner Masterclass for Quality Management.

udemy
4.5
(2,289)

Structured Approach to identify and Eliminate waste in Business for Continuous Improvement & Quality Management...

16. Excel 2016: Customize Excel - Save Time & Be More Productive

udemy
4.6
(718)

Quickly learn how to customize Excel 2016 so that you don't have to waste time when creating new workbooks!...

17. German Exam Preparation - B1 Telc, Goethe, ÖSD

udemy
4.6
(265)

Don´t practice and repeat for 100h! It´s a waste of time! Learn strategies that help you pass your B1 exam...

18. OSHA Workplace Safety (General Industry 6 Hr Class)

udemy
4.5
(2,583)

Learn the requirements and standards associated with OSHA and workplace safety. Safety best practices for the workplace...

19. The Customer: Build a Customer Service Strategy (BITE SIZE)

udemy
4.5
(10,168)

For you and your team to be successful in providing great customer service, start by putting your customer first...

20. Constructing a Website With Google Sites

udemy
4.4
(492)

For Teachers and Students...

Average waste collector salary by education level

Waste collector education levelWaste collector salary
High School Diploma or Less$30,352

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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