Garbage Collector Job Overview | Best Jobs

Number of Jobs

21,600

Median Salary

$32,720

Unemployment Rate

8.1 percent

It is a hallmark of modern times that instead of dumping our garbage wherever we see fit – and spreading disease – we have garbage collectors pick up the trash and take it away from towns and cities to more remote waste-management facilities. Garbage collectors fall into two categories: the driver of the garbage truck and the helper, or “ground man,” who picks up the garbage cans and recyclables. The job can be physically demanding for helpers, since they pick up many cans of garbage each day in rain, snow, sleet and the summer heat. Garbage collectors also have to keep records of their garbage pickups, use hand signals to communicate with the helper or driver and walk a great deal in neighborhoods where residences are close together.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that employment in this industry will increase 16.2 percent, adding 21,600 new jobs, by 2022. The main drivers of this growth include a rise in population, individual income and more people choosing to recycle.

Salary

According to the BLS, garbage collectors earned a median salary of $32,720 in 2013. The highest-paid 10 percent of garbage collectors made $58,130, and the lowest-paid made $18,910. The highest-paying metropolitan areas for these workers are Merced, California; New York City; and Santa Cruz, California.

Salary Range
75th Percentile	$44,070
Median	$32,720
25th Percentile	$23,750

Training

If you’re a helper, the amount of time required for training varies from a few days to a month. If you’re a truck driver, you will need a commercial driver’s license. The trucks garbage collectors operate range from big Dumpster trucks to sideloader trucks, and drivers must know how to operate garbage-compressing equipment. Training for both drivers and helpers happens on the job and is led by more experienced workers.

Reviews and Advice

Much of the requirements depend on whether you’re a truck driver or helper. John Cali, operations manager of Cali Carting in Kearny, New Jersey, has more stringent requirements for his truck drivers and helpers because the coverage area is a transportation hub, making trash collector jobs more competitive. Cali says he looks for applicants with three years of experience driving trash collection trucks. For helpers, he prefers applicants who have previous experience collecting trash, but he will consider people with manual labor experience, like construction laborers. Cali’s company also conducts drug tests and background checks on prospective employees.

“It’s a physically demanding job. Sometimes we hire someone who worked at ShopRite or held a clerk position, and they don’t always make that transition,” Cali says. “From prior experience doing that, it generally doesn’t work out.” However, more goes into the helper job than exerting physical strength. “We want a certain personality. We look for friendliness. They need to be a people person,” Cali says.