Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors build operation and control, operations monitoring and equipment maintenance skills that carry over to other work. Below are 25 careers ranked by how closely their skills match, with pay from BLS May 2025. The closest match is Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers (91%).
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Sorted by skill match.
| # | Career | Skill match | Median pay | Pay change | Extra education |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 91% | $58,640 | +18% | None |
| 2 | Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners | 86% | $49,880 | 0% | None |
| 3 | Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators | 84% | $59,850 | +20% | None |
| 4 | Hazardous Materials Removal Workers | 83% | $49,450 | 0% | None |
| 5 | Transportation Vehicle, Equipment and Systems Inspectors, Except Aviation | 82% | $92,100Pay for the broader BLS group “Transportation Inspectors” | Not compared | None |
| 6 | Light Truck Drivers | 82% | $44,860 | −10% | None |
| 7 | Helpers--Extraction Workers | 82% | $47,730 | −4% | None |
| 8 | Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining | 79% | $74,500 | +50% | None |
| 9 | Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers | 79% | $60,600 | +22% | None |
| 10 | Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining | 79% | $57,430 | +16% | None |
Compared with Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors, median $49,690. Skill match is our estimate (0–99) from O*NET 31.0 skills, knowledge, work activities and interests, adjusted for preparation and big pay drops. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025, national median.
How important each skill is in work as refuse and recyclable material collectors (O*NET importance, scale 1–5).
The gaps that show up most often across your top 10 matches.
Free and low-cost training: use the CareerOneStop training finder below.
A concrete first step, the skills to add, and the hard parts of each job, from O*NET 31.0 education, training and work context data.
91% skill match · $58,640 · +18% pay
Management of Material Resources · Management of Financial Resources · Installation
86% skill match · $49,880 · 0% pay
Installation · Management of Financial Resources · Management of Material Resources
84% skill match · $59,850 · +20% pay
Operation and Control · Management of Material Resources · Management of Financial Resources
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers (91% skill match, median $58,640), Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners (86% skill match, median $49,880) and Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators (84% skill match, median $59,850), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
Among the 25 matches, 15 pay more than refuse and recyclable material collectors at the median. The biggest increases: Locomotive Engineers (+64%, $81,410), Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining (+50%, $74,500) and Pile Driver Operators (+48%, $73,300).
25 of the 25 matches usually need no more education than you have now, based on O*NET Job Zones.
We compare the importance of skills, knowledge, work activities and interests in O*NET 31.0 for your job and every other career, then adjust for extra preparation and big pay drops. The full method is on our Methodology page.