Waste management recycling technician education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a waste management recycling technician. Waste management recycling technicians usually study biology, management, or animal science. 41% of waste management recycling technicians hold a bachelor's degree, and 31% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 57 real waste management recycling technician resumes to see exactly what waste management recycling technician education sections show.

The most common colleges for waste management recycling technicians are the University of Iowa and the University of Iowa.

There are also many online waste management recycling technician courses to help get the education required to be a waste management recycling technician.

What education do you need to become a waste management recycling technician?

What degree do you need to be a waste management recycling technician?

The most common degree for waste management recycling technicians is bachelor's degree, with 41% of waste management recycling technicians earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 31% and high school diploma degree at 14%.

Bachelor's, 41%

High School Diploma, 31%

Diploma, 14%

Associate, 10%

Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a waste management recycling technician?

You should major in biology to become a waste management recycling technician. 13% of waste management recycling technicians major in biology. Other common majors for a waste management recycling technician include management and animal science.

Biology, 13%

Management, 8%

Animal Science, 8%

Criminal Justice, 4%

Other Majors, 67%

Most common colleges for waste management recycling technicians

Waste management recycling technicians often get their degrees at University of Iowa, Lincoln, and Carson-Newman University. Here are the most common colleges for waste management recycling technicians in the US based on their resumes.

Waste management recycling technician common college	Percentages
University of Iowa	14.29%
Lincoln	7.14%
Carson-Newman University	7.14%
University of New Orleans	7.14%
Marshall University	7.14%

Show more common waste management recycling technician colleges

Best majors for waste management recycling technicians

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Biology	12.5%
2	Management	8.3%
3	Animal Science	8.3%
4	Criminal Justice	4.2%
5	Electrical Engineering Technology	4.2%

Show more common waste management recycling technician majors

Best colleges for waste management recycling technicians

The best colleges for waste management recycling technicians are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Harvard University.

A waste management recycling 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 waste management recycling 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 waste management recycling technicians.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

4. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

5. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

6. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

7. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

8. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$54,104

Enrollment

7,089

9. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

10. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

20 best online courses for waste management recycling technicians

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Top 10 most affordable universities for waste management recycling technicians

The most affordable schools for waste management recycling technicians are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for waste management recycling 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 waste management recycling technicians.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

5. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

6. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

7. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

8. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Cost of attendance

16,915

9. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

10. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for waste management recycling technicians

The hardest universities for waste management recycling technicians to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Harvard University.

Some great schools for waste management recycling 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 waste management recycling 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

3. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

4. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

6. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

7. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

8. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

9. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,456

10. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for waste management recycling technicians

The easiest schools for waste management recycling technicians to get into are AdventHealth University, barry university, and notre dame de namur university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a waste management recycling 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 waste management recycling technicians.

1. AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,016

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

6. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

7. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

8. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

9. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

10. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

Average waste management recycling technician salary by education level

According to our data, waste management recycling technicians with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $67,060 annually. Waste management recycling technicians with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $59,957.

Waste management recycling technician education level	Waste management recycling technician salary
Master's Degree	$67,060
High School Diploma or Less	$51,061
Bachelor's Degree	$59,957
Some College/ Associate Degree	$57,968

Waste management recycling technician education FAQs

What is the best college for Waste Management Recycling Technicians?

Have more questions? See all answers to common production and manufacturing questions.

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Updated January 8, 2025

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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