Material Moving Workers

How to become a Refuse and Recyclable Material Collector

Official title: Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors

Also called: Front Load Trash Truck Driver, Garbage Man, Recycle Driver, Refuse Collector, Roll Off Container Truck Driver, Roll Off Truck Driver, Sanitation Laborer, Swamper, Trash Collector, Truck Driver

Collect and dump refuse or recyclable materials from containers into truck. May drive truck.

Main tasks

Inspect trucks prior to beginning routes to ensure safe operating condition.
Drive trucks, following established routes, through residential streets or alleys or through business or industrial areas.
Refuel trucks or add other fluids, such as oil or brake fluid.
Dump refuse or recyclable materials at disposal sites.
Fill out defective equipment reports.
Operate automated or semi-automated hoisting devices that raise refuse bins and dump contents into openings in truck bodies.
Dismount garbage trucks to collect garbage and remount trucks to ride to the next collection point.
Operate equipment that compresses collected refuse.

How to become one

There are usually no formal educational requirements to become a hand laborer or material mover. They typically learn through on-the-job training that lasts 1 month or less.

Typical education to start: No formal educational credential

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

Licence: A licence is required in 5 states.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: $49,690 a year The middle half earn $39,080 to $62,020.
About 156,400 people work in this job now, and about 159,600 are projected by 2035. (+2.1%)
People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Questions people ask

How do I become a Refuse and Recyclable Material Collector?

There are usually no formal educational requirements to become a hand laborer or material mover. They typically learn through on-the-job training that lasts 1 month or less.

How much does a Refuse and Recyclable Material Collector earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $49,690 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $39,080 to $62,020.

Is a Refuse and Recyclable Material Collector a growing career in the US?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 2% by 2035, from about 156,400 to about 159,600 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Refuse and Recyclable Material Collector?

Usually not. Only 7% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Will AI change the work of a Refuse and Recyclable Material Collector?

People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Sources

Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.