Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors Salary
Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors in Burlington-South Burlington, VT make a median of $51,960 a year, or about $24.98 an hour. The range runs from $45K at the entry level to $64K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100.95), that's roughly $51,471 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,140/month, about 63.1% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $52K get you in Burlington-South Burlington?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Burlington-South Burlington’s Regional Price Parity (100.95). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About refuse and recyclable material collectors
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What this looks like in Burlington-South Burlington
Refuse and recyclable material collectors pay in Burlington-South Burlington tracks closely to the national median, $52K locally vs. $50K nationwide, a 5% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,140/month, which is 60.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 100.95) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for refuse and recyclable material collectors in metros near Burlington-South Burlington, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $65K | $58K |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton | $50K | $46K |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga | $52K | $55K |
| Rochester | $56K | $58K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Burlington-South Burlington, VT
Entry-level refuse and recyclable material collectors (10th percentile) start around $45K. Mid-career wages sit at $52K. Top earners bring in $64K or more, a $19K spread from bottom to top.
Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | $75K | +51% | 4,910 |
| Washington | $75K | +50% | 3,750 |
| New York | $65K | +31% | 11,630 |
| California | $65K | +31% | 13,930 |
| Oregon | $63K | +27% | 2,500 |
| Minnesota | $63K | +26% | 2,500 |
| Nevada | $61K | +23% | 770 |
| Delaware | $61K | +23% | 600 |
| Colorado | $60K | +21% | 3,700 |
| Wisconsin | $60K | +20% | 1,550 |
| Utah | $59K | +19% | 960 |
| North Dakota | $59K | +19% | 360 |
| Indiana | $59K | +19% | 3,180 |
| Hawaii | $56K | +13% | 770 |
| Rhode Island | $56K | +13% | 470 |
| District of Columbia | $55K | +12% | 540 |
| New Jersey | $55K | +10% | 4,330 |
| Vermont | $52K | +5% | 160 |
| Michigan | $51K | +3% | 4,020 |
| Massachusetts | $50K | +1% | 1,010 |
| Missouri | $50K | +1% | 1,930 |
| Idaho | $50K | +0% | 730 |
| Iowa | $50K | +0% | 1,780 |
| Montana | $49K | -1% | 370 |
| Nebraska | $49K | -1% | 910 |
| Ohio | $49K | -1% | 4,710 |
| Wyoming | $49K | -2% | 280 |
| Pennsylvania | $48K | -3% | 6,220 |
| Florida | $48K | -4% | 11,650 |
| New Mexico | $48K | -4% | 1,070 |
| Georgia | $47K | -5% | 4,830 |
| Arizona | $47K | -6% | 2,380 |
| New Hampshire | $47K | -6% | 340 |
| Virginia | $47K | -6% | 4,330 |
| Texas | $46K | -7% | 12,860 |
| Alabama | $46K | -7% | 2,790 |
| Alaska | $46K | -8% | 250 |
| Kansas | $46K | -8% | 910 |
| North Carolina | $45K | -10% | 7,250 |
| Maine | $43K | -13% | 770 |
| Tennessee | $43K | -13% | 2,550 |
| Kentucky | $43K | -13% | 1,580 |
| Oklahoma | $43K | -13% | 2,030 |
| Maryland | $42K | -16% | 3,120 |
| Mississippi | $39K | -21% | 1,970 |
| Louisiana | $39K | -22% | 2,200 |
| Connecticut | $38K | -23% | 810 |
| West Virginia | $36K | -28% | 1,000 |
| Arkansas | $36K | -28% | 1,600 |
| South Carolina | $35K | -30% | 2,020 |
| South Dakota | $33K | -34% | 340 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
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Frequently asked questions
Can a refuse and recyclable material collector afford a 2BR apartment alone in Burlington-South Burlington?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $52K, rent takes 60.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,140/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for refuse and recyclable material collectors in Burlington-South Burlington?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new refuse and recyclable material collectors typically earn — is $45K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,695/month. At HUD’s $2,140/month FMR, rent would take 79% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is refuse and recyclable material collector a high-paying job in Burlington-South Burlington?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $52K locally vs. $50K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does Burlington-South Burlington compare to the national average for refuse and recyclable material collectors?
Burlington-South Burlington pays $52K median vs. the U.S. average of $50K — that’s +5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.95), the purchasing-power equivalent is $51K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do refuse and recyclable material collectors make in Burlington-South Burlington, VT?
The median is $51,960 a year, that works out to about $25 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $44,920, and experienced refuse and recyclable material collectors can clear $63,510. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $52K enough to live in Burlington-South Burlington?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,545/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,140/month, which eats 60.4% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a refuse and recyclable material collectors salary go in Burlington-South Burlington?
Burlington-South Burlington has a Regional Price Parity of 100.95 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median refuse and recyclable material collectors salary is worth about $51,471 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do refuse and recyclable material collectors get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.