How Much Do Garbage Truck Drivers Make?

There’s a lot of money in trash, and some people are making headlines for making over $100,000 a year as a garbage truck driver in New York City. The average garbage man salary isn’t this high, but there are some drivers in the field making six figures in certain metropolitan areas after being with companies for years.

Wages in the field have grown 18%, 4% than the national average since 2009.

A lack of available talent is a major concern.

It’s not uncommon for applicants to not have a commercial driver’s license or penalties on their license. A clear record and the right license are all that’s needed to enter the field.

Waste management facilities across the country claim that they’ve increased wages often so that they can retain their employees.

The field isn’t an easy one. Many drivers are working during the night, having to put in 55+ hours a week and deal with a physically grueling schedule. High pay and job security are the two main perks that keep these drivers behind the wheel.

How Much Do Garbage Men Make A Year?

The average garbage truck driver salary varies greatly from one city to the next. While New York City may pay their drivers exceptionally well, there’s also a massive responsibility, with hectic driving, crime and the high costs of living in New York.

Glassdoor provides a good representation of how much the typical driver will earn:

• $25,000 on the low end
• $88,000 on the high end
• $48,733 is the average

If you take a look at the information provided by Salary.com, you’ll have a better understanding of the difference between the top and bottom 10 percentile.

The data is as follows:

• Bottom 10% earn $30,323
• Bottom 25% earn $36,005
• Median 50% earn $42,246
• Top 25% earn $49,637
• Top 10% earn $53,366

Based off of the data from both of these sites, the salary that most drivers can expect is between $42,246 and $48,733 per year.

The perks of being a garbage man is that you’ll enjoy daily home time and great benefits. Outsourcing doesn’t exist in the field, so there’s a higher level of job security than what you can expect in other fields.

There’s always going to be garbage that needs to be hauled away.

Which States Pay Garbage Men the Most?

ZipRecruiter provides a wealth of information on trash truck driver pay on a state-by-state basis. While the information does provide a better understanding of the average salary you can earn, it leaves out some pertinent information. You’ll see that New York pays the highest average salary of $43,242, but you won’t see what each city makes.

Smaller cities and outside of NYC, salaries are going to be much lower than the $100,000 mentioned earlier. You’ll want to inquire with local municipalities and waste management companies to see what the salary is in your city.

The leading salaries by state are:

1. New York drivers earn an average salary of $43,242
2. New Hampshire drivers earn an average salary of $41,918
3. Vermont drivers earn an average salary of $39,624
4. Wyoming drivers earn an average salary of $38,608
5. Maine drivers earn an average salary of $38,532
6. Massachusetts drivers earn an average salary of $38,475
7. West Virginia drivers earn an average salary of $37,574
8. Hawaii drivers earn an average salary of $37,438
9. Washington drivers earn an average salary of $37,400
10. Pennsylvania drivers earn an average salary of $37,392
11. Connecticut drivers earn an average salary of $36,590
12. Montana drivers earn an average salary of $36,507
13. New Jersey drivers earn an average salary of $36,212
14. Arizona drivers earn an average salary of $36,132
15. Rhode Island drivers earn an average salary of $35,924
16. Indiana drivers earn an average salary of $35,900
17. Alaska drivers earn an average salary of $35,607
18. North Dakota drivers earn an average salary of $35,394
19. Nevada drivers earn an average salary of $35,326
20. Maryland drivers earn an average salary of $35,291
21. Tennessee drivers earn an average salary of $34,998
22. Minnesota drivers earn an average salary of $34,982
23. Wisconsin drivers earn an average salary of $34,958
24. Georgia drivers earn an average salary of $34,855
25. Ohio drivers earn an average salary of $34,744
26. Nebraska drivers earn an average salary of $34,719
27. South Dakota drivers earn an average salary of $34,361
28. Virginia drivers earn an average salary of $34,263
29. Utah drivers earn an average salary of $34,217
30. Alabama drivers earn an average salary of $34,040
31. California drivers earn an average salary of $33,964
32. Louisiana drivers earn an average salary of $33,926
33. Kentucky drivers earn an average salary of $33,889
34. Oregon drivers earn an average salary of $33,854
35. Kansas drivers earn an average salary of $33,384
36. Iowa drivers earn an average salary of $33,298
37. New Mexico drivers earn an average salary of $33,225
38. South Carolina drivers earn an average salary of $33,173
39. Colorado drivers earn an average salary of $33,069
40. Delaware drivers earn an average salary of $32,985
41. Florida drivers earn an average salary of $32,851
42. Oklahoma drivers earn an average salary of $32,267
43. Idaho drivers earn an average salary of $31,786
44. Mississippi drivers earn an average salary of $31,278
45. Arkansas drivers earn an average salary of $31,067
46. Michigan drivers earn an average salary of $31,030
47. Illinois drivers earn an average salary of $30,898
48. Texas drivers earn an average salary of $30,670
49. Missouri drivers earn an average salary of $30,358
50. North Carolina drivers earn an average salary of $28,269

This data lowers the average salary to $38,362. Based on all of the data points provided, you’ll find that the average garbage truck driver salary ranges from $38,362 to $48,733.

Drivers that want to start a career in this field must have a clean driving record and have a commercial driver’s license. The industry is thriving in larger cities, such as New York City, but can be very limited in rural areas.