Find a job

Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors pay in North Carolina

$42,590avg. a year
$20.47 an hour · 7,250 employed

Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors in North Carolina earn an average of $42,590 a year. That is $10,230 (19%) less than the U.S. average of $52,820. The best-paying metro area is Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC at $49,180.

Pay by cityCompare states
$44,670Median pay
$20.47Average hourly
+35%Avg. pay since 2020
#45Of 50 states + D.C.

Top-paying North Carolina metro areas

Average pay for refuse and recyclable material collectors by metro area. Swipe to see all 15.

11,840 jobs
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC
$49,180
$23.65 an hour
2640 jobs
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC
$48,330
$23.24 an hour
3230 jobs
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
$47,220
$22.70 an hour
4820 jobs
Raleigh-Cary, NC
$46,410
$22.31 an hour
5180 jobs
Fayetteville, NC
$45,660
$21.95 an hour
6440 jobs
Greensboro-High Point, NC
$44,730
$21.51 an hour
780 jobs
Greenville, NC
$43,710
$21.02 an hour
8100 jobs
Burlington, NC
$43,370
$20.85 an hour
9220 jobs
Asheville, NC
$43,010
$20.68 an hour
10260 jobs
Wilmington, NC
$43,000
$20.67 an hour
11420 jobs
Winston-Salem, NC
$41,770
$20.08 an hour
1250 jobs
Jacksonville, NC
$37,690
$18.12 an hour
13210 jobs
Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC
$37,400
$17.98 an hour
1470 jobs
Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC
$36,810
$17.70 an hour
15150 jobs
Rocky Mount, NC
$34,470
$16.57 an hour

Why people trust JobPayFacts

Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Browse all jobs

Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors pay in North Carolina, charted

Pay over time

North Carolina, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian

Where North Carolina refuse and recyclable material collectors work

Employment by metro area, May 2025

Average pay by state

May 2025 · North Carolina highlighted · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $45k$45k–$50k$50k–$55k$55k+North Carolina

North Carolina vs. neighbors

Average pay, May 2025
AreaAvg. payHourly
United States$52,820$25.39
North Carolina$42,590$20.47
Georgia$46,150$22.19
Virginia$46,100$22.16
Tennessee$44,320$21.31
South Carolina$35,690$17.16

Related jobs in North Carolina

All jobs in North Carolina

Average pay, North Carolina, May 2025

Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS

Questions and answers

How much do refuse and recyclable material collectors make in North Carolina?

The average is $42,590 a year, and the median is $44,670. That is $10,230 (19%) less than the U.S. average of $52,820.

What is the hourly wage in North Carolina?

$20.47 an hour on average; the median is $21.48.

Where in North Carolina do they earn the most?

Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC ($49,180), followed by Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC ($48,330). The lowest average among 15 metro areas with data is Rocky Mount, NC ($34,470).

How does North Carolina rank?

North Carolina ranks #45 of 51 states (including D.C.) with published data for this job, by average pay.

Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 53-7081. State rank compares average pay across states with published data. Metro figures cover metropolitan statistical areas; a metro area can cross state lines. See also the national refuse and recyclable material collectors page. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.