Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors Salary
Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors in Paducah, KY-IL make a median of $48,460 a year, or about $23.3 an hour. The range runs from $33K at the entry level to $54K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 86.08), which stretches that salary to about $56,296 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,058/month, about 32% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $48K get you in Paducah?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Paducah’s Regional Price Parity (86.08). 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 Paducah
Refuse and recyclable material collectors pay in Paducah tracks closely to the national median, $48K locally vs. $50K nationwide, a 2% difference. Rent runs $1,058/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 32.5% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 86.08 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 14% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for refuse and recyclable material collectors in metros near Paducah, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Louisville/Jefferson County | $51K | $55K |
| Lexington-Fayette | $48K | $52K |
| Bowling Green | $37K | $41K |
| Elizabethtown | $48K | $53K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Paducah, KY-IL
Entry-level refuse and recyclable material collectors (10th percentile) start around $33K. Mid-career wages sit at $48K. Top earners bring in $54K or more, a $21K 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 states
Track refuse and recyclable material collectors salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a refuse and recyclable material collector afford a 2BR apartment alone in Paducah?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $48K, rent takes 32.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,058/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/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 Paducah?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new refuse and recyclable material collectors typically earn — is $33K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,978/month. At HUD’s $1,058/month FMR, rent would take 53% 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 Paducah?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $48K locally vs. $50K nationally, a 2% difference.
How does Paducah compare to the national average for refuse and recyclable material collectors?
Paducah pays $48K median vs. the U.S. average of $50K — that’s -2%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 86.08), the purchasing-power equivalent is $56K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do refuse and recyclable material collectors make in Paducah, KY-IL?
The median is $48,460 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $32,970, and experienced refuse and recyclable material collectors can clear $53,540. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $48K enough to live in Paducah?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,253/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,058/month, which eats 32.5% 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 Paducah?
Paducah has a Regional Price Parity of 86.08 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median refuse and recyclable material collectors salary is worth about $56,296 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.