The median annual wage for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors in California is $61,650 (May 2024 BLS OES). The mean (average) is $64,290.
Pay spans roughly $41,600 at the 10th percentile to $93,900 at the 90th, so experience and specialisation move this figure a lot. At the median that is about $29.64 per hour. An estimated 13,240 people work as refuse and recyclable material collectors in California.
| Median (annual) | $61,650 |
| Mean (annual) | $64,290 |
| Median (hourly) | $29.64 |
| 10th percentile | $41,600 |
| 90th percentile | $93,900 |
| Employment | 13,240 |
Updated 2026-07-23.
Source: BLS OES May 2024 — bls.gov/oes. Checked 2026-07-23.