Refuse Collector
Role lens
Refuse collectors remove waste from homes and other facilities and put it in the bin lorry so it can be transported to a treatment and disposal facility. They assist the driver of the bin lorry, help unload the waste, and record the amount of refuse collected. They may also collect waste from construction and demolition sites, and hazardous waste.
As a refuse collector, you’ll be an essential part of your local area’s waste management system. Your days will typically involve working alongside a bin lorry driver, collecting waste from residential homes, businesses, and sometimes construction or demolition sites. You’ll be responsible for safely handling and loading waste into the lorry, ensuring efficient collection and transportation to treatment or disposal facilities. Accurate record-keeping of the refuse collected is also a key part of the job.
- • Collecting waste from various locations, including homes, businesses, and construction sites.
- • Loading waste into the bin lorry safely and efficiently.
- • Assisting the bin lorry driver during collection routes.
Where this occupation is in demand
Reported labour shortages and surpluses, by year. Published for occupation groups, not for individual job titles.
Figures cover Refuse workers and other elementary workers — 16 jobs including this one.
In shortage: Bulgaria, Czechia, Germany, Hungary and 5 more.
Longest-running shortage: Netherlands, 4 years.
Select a place on the map to see its figures.
About this source›
Source: ELA/EURES labour shortages and surpluses. Readings are published at occupation-group level, and cover Europe. Editions differ in annex layout and country coverage, so a change between years does not always mean the labour market changed. Countries in grey were not reported, which is not the same as being in balance.
What these words mean
The four things this section reports
- Reported demand
- Whether employers report needing people in this job — a judgement published by a national or EU body, not a count.
- Where it is heading
- Which way employment in this job is expected to move over the coming years, from an official projection.
- Openings
- Roughly how many openings arise — from growth and from people leaving the job.
- Typical pay
- What people in this job typically earn where the source publishes it. Blank does not mean unpaid; it means nobody publishes it for that place.
A measure is left out when nobody publishes it for that place, rather than shown as zero.
Which way the market leans for you
- In your favour
- More openings than people looking — employers are competing for candidates.
- Balanced
- Openings and candidates are roughly matched.
- Competitive
- More people looking than openings — expect to compete.
- Mixed evidence
- Sources disagree, or the same occupation group is short in one part and oversupplied in another.
Every source resolves to one of these four, so there is a single vocabulary to learn. What differs is the evidence behind it, which is printed underneath each verdict — a measured ratio of openings to jobseekers, or an assessment published by a national body.
How this job compares with other jobs in the same country
- Strong
- Among the strongest in that country
- Good
- Stronger than most jobs in that country
- Mixed
- About typical for that country
- Weak
- Weaker than most jobs in that country
This is a rank within one country, not a score you can carry across borders — the registers behind two countries count different people, so the same number means different things in each. It is also why a job can be among the strongest in a country and still show as Competitive: it leads the field in a market that is crowded overall.
Where these come from
Every figure is published by a national statistics office, a public employment service or an EU body, and each card names its source and the period it covers. Some places are counted monthly, others assessed once or twice a year, so two places on the same map can be describing different moments — the date is always shown.
None of this predicts one person’s chances. It describes a market.
Reported demand · Typical pay · Where it is heading (United States, Ireland, Malta)
| Reported demand | Typical pay | Where it is heading | |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Not reported | $49,690 2025-05 | +0.9% 2024–2034 · BLS 2024-2034 |
| Ireland | Not reported | — | −2.6% 2023–2035 · Cedefop 2026 * |
| Malta | Shortage reported ELA/EURES 2024 * | — | — |
* Published for occupation groups, not for individual job titles.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS)
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Future Outlook for refuse collector
The outlook for refuse collector reflects a balanced mix of automation exposure and durable, human-led work.
How are these scores calculated?
The Resilience Score (0–100) estimates how structurally protected this occupation is from automation and AI disruption, based on task-level analysis. Higher scores mean more human-judgment-intensive tasks. AI Exposure shows the estimated percentage of task hours that current AI capabilities could affect. These are model-derived structural indicators, not predictions about individual job security.
How could refuse collector change as AI adoption grows?
This role is likely to change gradually, with AI supporting selected tasks rather than replacing the whole occupation.
Illustrative scenario based on task automatability — not a forecast. Values are rounded the further ahead you look.
This role is likely to change gradually, with AI supporting selected tasks rather than replacing the whole occupation.
Illustrative scenario based on task automatability — not a forecast. Values are rounded the further ahead you look.
Model-based estimate. Use it as a planning signal, not a guarantee.
Compare this to your profile
How AI may change this role
Deterministic, model-based interpretation of current role signals — not a guarantee of replacement.
What still depends on people
- maintain refuse collection equipment
Where AI may become a co-pilot
- assess waste type
- collect industrial waste
- manage waste
Tasks most exposed to automation
- maintain waste collection records
Vital Signs & AI Vectors
AI Exposure Vectors
0-100%Exposure to physical automation, robotics, and sensor-driven task displacement
Exposure to AI-assisted analysis, pattern recognition, and predictive modelling tasks
Exposure to workflow automation, decision-support software, and process digitisation
Exposure to content generation, creative augmentation, and large language model tools
Technical Details
NexFuture v3.0 estimates automation exposure natively from ESCO essential-skill groups, weighted by skill mass and calibrated against expert anchors. Scores are probabilistic estimates, not guarantees. See the NexFuture Methodology White Paper for full details.
Measures automation exposure. It does not measure pay, demand, or how many jobs exist near you.
What people in this role usually do
Energy & Natural Resources
A typical day as a refuse collector
09 09:00 · Morning assess waste type
10 10:30 · Mid-morning collect domestic waste
12 12:00 · Midday maintain refuse collection equipment
14 14:00 · Afternoon maintain waste collection records
15 15:30 · Late afternoon collect industrial waste
17 17:00 · Wrap-up manage waste
Task order is illustrative. Individual days vary.
What you need to do this work
The skills, knowledge and tools this role calls for — and the traits and rewards that come with it.
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collect industrial waste
Collect non-hazardous or hazardous waste which is produced by industrial activities, such as paints, chemicals, industrial byproducts, and radioactive waste.
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manage waste
Manage or dispose of significant amounts of waste materials and/or hazardous materials, in accordance with legislation, thereby respecting environmental and company responsibilities. Ensure required licenses and permits are in place and reasonable management practices, industry standards, or commonly accepted farming practices followed.
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assess waste type
Identify waste materials during collection and sorting operations in order to assess whether they need to be recycled, disposed of, or otherwise be treated.
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maintain waste collection records
Maintain records on waste collection routes, scheduling, and types and volume of waste collected.
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maintain refuse collection equipment
Identify and repair minor damage to refuse collection equipment as well as perform routine maintenance tasks.
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collect domestic waste
Collect non-hazardous waste from residential areas and homes in order to remove it from the area and transport it to a waste treatment and disposal facility.
waste and scrap products
The offered waste and scrap products, their functionalities, properties and legal and regulatory requirements.
- health, safety and hygiene legislation
- waste management
- hazardous waste storage
- pollution prevention
- waste transport legislation
Path to become a refuse collector
What it typically takes to qualify: education level, where it is a regulated profession, and where to study.
Primary education
51 programmes in 18 countries teach the core skills of this job. Plus 79 short courses that build single skills.
A few examples, taught in the language of this page:
Development Quality Partner-EWSETA · South Africa
MERU UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY · Kenya
Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) · South Africa
PWM-Waste Management: Carry out collection of Class A and Class B General Waste and Recyclable Waste
FOCUS LEARNING CENTRE PTE. LTD. · Singapore
These are 5 of 130.
Sources
- 1. Source: South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA), All Qualifications and Unit Standards (allqs.saqa.org.za).
- 2. Source: Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (students.kuccps.ac.ke).
- 3. Source: Study in Serbia, an initiative of Foundation Tempus (bazaobrazovanja.rs).
- 4. Contains information from MySkillsFuture Course Run accessed on 2026-09-28 from data.gov.sg which is made available under the terms of the Singapore Open Data Licence version 1.0 (https://data.gov.sg/open-data-licence)
Growth Pathways & Similar Roles
Explore typical career progression paths, adjacent skills, and similar roles to plan your next transition.
Where does refuse collector fit?
Similarity scores based on skill overlap from ESCO data.
For organisations
The data on this page, working for your students, clients and staff.
Frequently asked questions
What kind of physical demands are involved in being a refuse collector?
Do I need any specific qualifications to become a refuse collector?
What are the working hours typically like for a refuse collector?
How much does Refuse Collector pay in the United States?
Sources: ESCO O*NET ELA/EURES Cedefop BLS Data updated October 19, 2026 About our data