Peernovo
Waste treatment workers

How to become a Refuse Collector

Also called: Garbage collector, Waste collection worker

Collects burnable, non-burnable and other rubbish, mainly from households, and takes it to waste treatment plants and other set places.

Main tasks

Workers in this job say high school is common. From job tag's survey of people in each job, who could give several answers. It shows what workers see as common, not how many workers hold each level.

How to become one

No particular education or qualification is required to start. Local governments sometimes set criteria such as age limits when hiring, and a standard car licence may be required. As well as new school leavers and graduates, many people come from other jobs. In local government, people who gain experience and become senior or chief operatives often take on work such as planning operations, guiding staff and explaining things to residents. The job calls for a spirit of service and a wish to help keep the town clean. It is outdoor work that involves piling rubbish into the truck and sometimes handling heavy bulky items, so a certain level of fitness is needed.

Pay · Job openings · AI and this job

Related jobs

Not sure this is for you? Take the 2-minute career quiz

Questions people ask

How do I become a Refuse Collector?

No particular education or qualification is required to start. Local governments sometimes set criteria such as age limits when hiring, and a standard car licence may be required. As well as new school leavers and graduates, many people come from other jobs. In local government, people who gain experience and become senior or chief operatives often take on work such as planning operations, guiding staff and explaining things to residents. The job calls for a spirit of service and a wish to help keep the town clean. It is outdoor work that involves piling rubbish into the truck and sometimes handling heavy bulky items, so a certain level of fitness is needed.

How much does a Refuse Collector earn in Japan?

Average annual income in the private sector, bonus included, is ¥3,986,000 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). The figure is for the wage survey group Cleaners (except buildings) and waste workers, which covers several jobs.

Do you need a degree to become a Refuse Collector?

Usually not. In this job's census occupation group, only 11% of workers are university graduates.

Will AI change the work of a Refuse Collector?

Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 解説系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_description_7_01.xlsx）ver.7.01 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 簡易版数値系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_numeric_7_00.xlsx）ver.7.00 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

Sources: JILPT Occupational Information Database download data via job tag (解説系 ver.7.01 and 簡易版数値系 ver.7.00, downloaded 4 October 2026), processed by Peernovo; MHLW, Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025; Statistics Bureau of Japan, 2020 Population Census; MEXT, School Basic Survey 2025; MHLW, Employment Referrals for General Workers (Hello Work statistics). Figures processed by Peernovo. English job names, translations and the matching of jobs to statistical groups, schools and degree fields by Peernovo.

Updated 4 October 2026