Pay distribution $39,880 10th $45,040 25th $62,360 75th $65,340 90th
Half of Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors in the Boston metro area earn more than $50,210 per year, half earn less; the middle half earn between $45,040 and $62,360.
Wage percentiles (BLS OEWS) Wage 10th 25th Median 75th 90th Annual $39,880 $45,040 $50,210 $62,360 $65,340 Hourly $19.17 $21.65 $24.14 $29.98 $31.41
A percentile is a cut point: 25% of workers in this occupation and area earn less than the 25th-percentile wage. The median is the 50th percentile — half earn less, half earn more.
How this area compares Boston metro areathis metro area
$50,210 median for Boston metro area; middle half earns $45,040 to $62,360
$50,310 median for Massachusetts; middle half earns $45,040 to $62,360
$49,690 median for United States; middle half earns $39,080 to $62,020
Bars span the 25th–75th percentile (the middle half of workers); the tick marks the median.
The median here is about the same vs Massachusetts overall and +1% vs the U.S. median for this occupation.
Where this metro sits nationally $21,840 $43,703 $65,567 $87,430 Aguadilla, PR — $21,840 Guayama, PR — $21,840 Mayaguez, PR — $21,840 San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR — $21,840 Ponce, PR — $21,910 Arecibo, PR — $21,970 Rocky Mount, NC — $26,580 Johnson City, TN — $28,880 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX — $29,140 Rapid City, SD — $29,960 Hot Springs, AR — $30,460 Sioux Falls, SD-MN — $31,390 Lubbock, TX — $32,510 Florence, SC — $32,540 Columbia, SC — $34,800 Springfield, OH — $35,080 Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC — $35,190 Jonesboro, AR — $35,330 Alexandria, LA — $35,500 Beckley, WV — $35,710 Eagle Pass, TX — $35,710 Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT — $35,830 Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC — $35,840 Altoona, PA — $35,930 Anchorage, AK — $36,030 Chattanooga, TN-GA — $36,090 Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA — $36,160 Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL — $36,280 Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH — $36,380 Lafayette, LA — $36,470 Las Cruces, NM — $36,640 Wheeling, WV-OH — $36,650 Bowling Green, KY — $36,810 El Paso, TX — $36,850 Spartanburg, SC — $36,880 Texarkana, TX-AR — $36,890 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC — $36,960 Jacksonville, NC — $37,020 Hattiesburg, MS — $37,070 Columbus, GA-AL — $37,090 Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC — $37,160 Monroe, LA — $37,190 Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ — $37,320 Lawton, OK — $37,490 Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT — $37,510 Charlottesville, VA — $37,540 Cleveland, TN — $37,540 Montgomery, AL — $37,630 Charleston, WV — $37,850 Charleston-North Charleston, SC — $37,890 Hammond, LA — $37,920 Morristown, TN — $38,020 Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR — $38,200 Parkersburg-Vienna, WV — $38,250 Lake Charles, LA — $38,330 Tulsa, OK — $38,330 Bangor, ME — $38,570 Tucson, AZ — $38,630 Reading, PA — $38,760 New Orleans-Metairie, LA — $39,040 Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT — $39,070 Roanoke, VA — $39,070 Dothan, AL — $39,350 Brownsville-Harlingen, TX — $39,670 Victoria, TX — $39,860 Jackson, MS — $39,900 Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA — $39,900 Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH — $39,930 Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV — $39,950 Lewiston-Auburn, ME — $40,370 Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR — $40,540 Champaign-Urbana, IL — $40,650 Killeen-Temple, TX — $40,830 Burlington, NC — $41,030 Fort Smith, AR-OK — $41,420 Shreveport-Bossier City, LA — $42,120 Greensboro-High Point, NC — $43,160 Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC — $43,250 Kansas City, MO-KS — $43,400 Homosassa Springs, FL — $43,510 Topeka, KS — $43,580 Amarillo, TX — $43,840 Decatur, AL — $44,020 Manchester-Nashua, NH — $44,120 Baton Rouge, LA — $44,300 Tyler, TX — $44,380 Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA — $44,450 Memphis, TN-MS-AR — $44,470 Winston-Salem, NC — $44,670 Sebring, FL — $44,800 Gainesville, FL — $44,880 Wilmington, NC — $45,270 Toledo, OH — $45,500 Asheville, NC — $45,520 Lancaster, PA — $45,540 Lima, OH — $45,600 Ocala, FL — $45,670 College Station-Bryan, TX — $45,820 Harrisonburg, VA — $45,850 Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL — $45,940 Albuquerque, NM — $45,960 Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA — $45,960 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD — $46,040 Visalia, CA — $46,090 Durham-Chapel Hill, NC — $46,160 Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ — $46,160 Odessa, TX — $46,180 Youngstown-Warren, OH — $46,210 Punta Gorda, FL — $46,280 Winchester, VA-WV — $46,280 Redding, CA — $46,290 Ann Arbor, MI — $46,310 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX — $46,320 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC — $46,340 Erie, PA — $46,380 Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ — $46,400 Port St. Lucie, FL — $46,430 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV — $46,530 Athens-Clarke County, GA — $46,560 Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI — $46,640 Valdosta, GA — $46,640 Worcester, MA — $46,740 Pueblo, CO — $46,750 Anniston-Oxford, AL — $46,770 Springfield, MO — $46,790 New Haven, CT — $46,900 Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA — $46,910 Tallahassee, FL — $46,930 Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL — $47,040 York-Hanover, PA — $47,040 Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL — $47,150 Raleigh-Cary, NC — $47,170 Fayetteville, NC — $47,220 Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL — $47,230 Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ — $47,320 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ — $47,460 North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL — $47,490 Coeur d'Alene, ID — $47,550 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL — $47,620 Santa Fe, NM — $47,660 Lynchburg, VA — $47,670 Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL — $47,690 Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL — $47,700 Elizabethtown, KY — $47,700 Utica-Rome, NY — $47,700 Ames, IA — $47,810 Akron, OH — $47,830 Greenville, NC — $47,830 Sioux City, IA-NE-SD — $47,830 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA — $47,840 Tuscaloosa, AL — $47,920 Birmingham, AL — $47,930 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX — $47,960 Green Bay, WI — $48,000 Billings, MT — $48,010 Sherman-Denison, TX — $48,030 Naples-Marco Island, FL — $48,100 Wichita, KS — $48,120 Lexington-Fayette, KY — $48,140 Jacksonville, FL — $48,150 Monroe, MI — $48,160 Sumter, SC — $48,160 Lincoln, NE — $48,190 Flint, MI — $48,270 Dalton, GA — $48,420 Portland-South Portland, ME — $48,430 Mobile, AL — $48,460 Paducah, KY-IL — $48,460 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC — $48,570 Pocatello, ID — $48,580 Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX — $48,650 Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL — $48,760 Savannah, GA — $48,770 Gulfport-Biloxi, MS — $48,850 Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL — $48,870 Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL — $48,920 Corpus Christi, TX — $48,940 State College, PA — $48,940 Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH — $49,010 Macon-Bibb County, GA — $49,020 Richmond, VA — $49,150 Joplin, MO-KS — $49,250 Lansing-East Lansing, MI — $49,440 Traverse City, MI — $49,450 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC — $49,470 Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX — $49,560 Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY — $49,580 Gainesville, GA — $49,580 Auburn-Opelika, AL — $49,620 Clarksville, TN-KY — $49,670 Pittsburgh, PA — $49,730 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL — $49,770 Syracuse, NY — $49,810 Canton-Massillon, OH — $49,920 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN — $49,940 Albany, GA — $50,010 La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN — $50,030 San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX — $50,040 Jackson, TN — $50,050 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH — $50,210 Mansfield, OH — $50,210 Oklahoma City, OK — $50,540 Boise City, ID — $50,740 Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA — $50,770 Cedar Rapids, IA — $50,820 Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI — $50,980 Barnstable Town, MA — $50,990 Knoxville, TN — $51,030 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI — $51,070 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN — $51,080 Waterbury-Shelton, CT — $51,080 Huntsville, AL — $51,090 Hanford-Corcoran, CA — $51,110 Ithaca, NY — $51,320 Watertown-Fort Drum, NY — $51,490 Omaha, NE-IA — $51,530 Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ — $51,610 Burlington-South Burlington, VT — $51,960 Wildwood-The Villages, FL — $52,060 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY — $52,340 Springfield, MA — $52,450 Helena, MT — $52,800 Providence-Warwick, RI-MA — $53,510 Grand Junction, CO — $54,930 Idaho Falls, ID — $55,080 Cleveland, OH — $55,090 Lewiston, ID-WA — $55,130 Kahului-Wailuku, HI — $55,620 Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA — $55,810 Fort Collins-Loveland, CO — $56,020 Rochester, NY — $56,080 Greeley, CO — $56,160 Stockton-Lodi, CA — $56,280 Minot, ND — $56,340 Midland, TX — $56,660 Iowa City, IA — $56,810 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA — $56,990 Terre Haute, IN — $57,010 Bakersfield-Delano, CA — $57,490 Columbus, OH — $57,510 Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA — $57,560 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN — $57,650 Evansville, IN — $57,750 Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY — $58,320 Colorado Springs, CO — $58,530 Fort Wayne, IN — $58,650 Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA — $58,680 Grand Forks, ND-MN — $58,810 Eau Claire, WI — $58,880 St. Cloud, MN — $58,980 Ogden, UT — $59,060 Peoria, IL — $59,070 Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT — $59,140 Chambersburg, PA — $59,380 Saginaw, MI — $59,620 Bozeman, MT — $59,660 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN — $59,710 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD — $59,730 Trenton-Princeton, NJ — $59,760 Madison, WI — $59,810 Eugene-Springfield, OR — $59,830 South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI — $60,080 Modesto, CA — $60,110 Walla Walla, WA — $60,330 Kenosha, WI — $60,400 Springfield, IL — $60,570 Bismarck, ND — $60,640 St. Louis, MO-IL — $60,750 Fargo, ND-MN — $60,840 Muncie, IN — $60,940 Duluth, MN-WI — $61,020 Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV — $61,140 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO — $61,190 Chico, CA — $61,250 Salt Lake City-Murray, UT — $61,320 Yakima, WA — $61,370 Mankato, MN — $61,440 Janesville-Beloit, WI — $61,680 Reno, NV — $61,740 Amherst Town-Northampton, MA — $61,800 Vallejo, CA — $61,930 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA — $61,940 Salem, OR — $62,020 Bend, OR — $62,330 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA — $62,490 Rochester, MN — $62,500 Medford, OR — $62,730 Albany, OR — $63,210 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI — $63,640 Urban Honolulu, HI — $64,080 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI — $64,410 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA — $64,440 Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA — $65,270 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ — $65,310 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA — $65,920 Fresno, CA — $65,950 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA — $65,950 Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA — $66,230 Boulder, CO — $66,610 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA — $66,900 Merced, CA — $68,530 Salinas, CA — $69,210 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA — $69,300 Napa, CA — $72,450 Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA — $73,110 Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA — $73,770 Kennewick-Richland, WA — $74,180 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA — $75,090 Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL — $75,440 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA — $76,340 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN — $77,470 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA — $77,570 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA — $87,430 Boston metro area Each dot is one metro area with a published median — hover any dot for the name and figure. Metros without published estimates are not drawn.
The Boston metro area has the 113th-highest published median for this occupation among the 313 metro areas where BLS publishes it. Higher medians often track higher living costs — this is a pay comparison, not a ranking of where the job is “best”.
Other metro areas in Massachusetts Metro areas in the same state with published May 2025 medians for refuse and recyclable material collectors, highest first. Areas without published estimates are not listed.
Boston metro areathis page
$50,210 median for Boston metro area; middle half earns $45,040 to $62,360
$61,800 median for Amherst Town metro area; middle half earns $53,580 to $62,630
$52,450 median for Springfield metro area; middle half earns $41,620 to $54,630
$50,990 median for Barnstable Town metro area; middle half earns $45,760 to $60,740
$46,740 median for Worcester metro area; middle half earns $40,990 to $58,750
Bars span the 25th–75th percentile (the middle half of workers); the tick marks the median.
Keep exploring Other occupations in the same SOC group with published medians here, largest employment first:
Stockers and Order Fillers $37,700 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand $45,600 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $64,010 Light Truck Drivers $49,630 Packers and Packagers, Hand $33,740 Shuttle Drivers and Chauffeurs $43,590 Highest-paying metro areas for refuse and recyclable material collectorss · Highest-paying occupations in Boston Metro
About this estimate These figures are survey estimates from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program — modeled from employer reports collected over three years and benchmarked to May 2025. They describe what employers in this area currently pay across all industries, not what any individual worker will be offered.
Employment counts wage-and-salary jobs in the occupation (self-employed workers are excluded). Estimates carry sampling error; percentile wages are rounded by BLS. Some values are suppressed by BLS for confidentiality or quality — suppressed values appear here as “not published”, never as zero. Read the full methodology .