Recycling and Reclamation Workers Salary in Oregon: $47,500 Average

Home › Transportation and Material Moving › Recycling and Reclamation Workers › Oregon

Data current as of August 2026 · sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET

Average base salary, Oregon

$47,500 / year

≈ $3,950 per month · $22.84 per hour

LocationOr metro area

BLS May 2025 state data for Oregon · median $46,500

25th percentile
$39,000Average
$47,50075th percentile
$51,000

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (occupation group), with detailed role definition from O*NET, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.

Recycling and Reclamation Workers salary by state

Alabama$39,000

Alaska$52,500

Arizona$45,500

Arkansas$38,000

California$47,000

Colorado$47,500

Connecticut$46,000

Delaware$41,000

District of Columbia$51,000

Florida$41,500

Georgia$42,000

Hawaii$49,500

Idaho$42,000

Illinois$44,500

Indiana$43,500

Iowa$45,000

Kansas$43,000

Kentucky$43,500

Louisiana$37,000

Maine$44,500

Maryland$44,500

Massachusetts$47,500

Michigan$42,500

Minnesota$48,500

Mississippi$38,500

Missouri$42,500

Montana$44,000

Nebraska$44,500

Nevada$44,500

New Hampshire$44,000

New Jersey$44,000

New Mexico$40,500

New York$48,000

North Carolina$41,000

North Dakota$47,500

Ohio$42,500

Oklahoma$39,000

Oregon$47,500

Pennsylvania$44,500

Rhode Island$45,000

South Carolina$40,500

South Dakota$42,500

Tennessee$41,500

Texas$41,000

Utah$44,000

Vermont$42,500

Virginia$44,000

Washington$49,500

West Virginia$40,000

Wisconsin$45,500

Wyoming$43,000

About this role

Recycling and Reclamation Workers is a professional role within the function in the Transportation and Material Moving job family.

Pay for this title reflects both its level and its scope; see our Title Level and Organization Responsibility guides for how WePayFairly defines them.

What Recycling and Reclamation Workerss do

Typical education: High School Diploma

Sort materials, such as metals, glass, wood, paper or plastics, into appropriate containers for recycling.
Clean recycling yard by sweeping, raking, picking up broken glass and loose paper debris, or moving barrels and bins.
Operate forklifts, pallet jacks, power lifts, or front-end loaders to load bales, bundles, or other heavy items onto trucks for shipping to smelters or other recycled materials processing facilities.
Sort metals to separate high-grade metals, such as copper, brass, and aluminum, for recycling.
Clean, inspect, or lubricate recyclable collection equipment or perform routine maintenance or minor repairs on recycling equipment, such as star gears, finger sorters, destoners, belts, and grinders.

Top skills: Operation and Control Operations Monitoring Monitoring Active Listening Speaking Quality Control Analysis

Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).

Recycling and Reclamation Workers pay by experience level

Entry level$32,500

Typical starting pay (about the 10th percentile)

Early career$37,500

A few years in (about the 25th percentile)

Experienced$41,500

Mid-career median pay

Senior$48,500

Seasoned professionals (about the 75th percentile)

Top earners$57,000

Highest earners (about the 90th percentile)

Experience tiers are derived from the BLS wage percentile distribution for this occupation, aged to 2026. Actual pay varies by employer, location, and specialization.

Job outlook

+1.5%

projected change in jobs, 2024–2034

384,300

projected openings per year

Growing slower than average

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (2024–2034). Openings include growth and replacement needs.

Recycling and Reclamation Workers salary by industry

Administrative and Support Services

474,440 workers

$38,000

Employment Services

440,730 workers

$37,500

Warehousing and Storage

433,060 workers

$47,000

Warehousing and Storage

433,060 workers

$47,000

Couriers and Messengers

338,900 workers

$46,000

Couriers and Express Delivery Services

334,430 workers

$46,500

Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods

219,680 workers

$44,500

Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods

162,830 workers

$45,000

Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods (4232, 4233, 4235, 4236, 4237, and 4239 only)

141,690 workers

$44,500

Building Material and Garden Equipment and Supplies Dealers

136,300 workers

$41,500

National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.

How this role compares

Recycling and Reclamation Workers pays 36% below the average across 53 roles in the Transportation and Material Moving job family (family average $69,000).

Similar-paying roles in Transportation and Material Moving

Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand$44,000

Aircraft Service Attendant$45,000

Driver/Sales Worker$42,000

Shuttle Drivers and Chauffeurs$41,500

Conveyor Operators and Tenders$46,500

Stockers and Order Fillers$41,000

Material Moving Workers, All Other$47,000

Passenger Attendant$39,000

Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment$38,500

Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants$38,000

Careers related to Recycling and Reclamation Workers

Packers and Packagers, Hand$39,000

Machine Feeders and Offbearers$45,000

Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators$50,000

Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders$62,000

Conveyor Operators and Tenders$46,500

Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders$46,000

Related occupations from O*NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Recycling and Reclamation Workers make?

The average base salary for a Recycling and Reclamation Workers in the United States is $44,000 per year, or about $21.15 per hour.

What is the typical salary range?

Pay typically falls between $37,500 and $48,500 per year (25th to 75th percentile) depending on experience, location, industry, and organization size.

How does this compare with other Transportation and Material Moving roles?

The Transportation and Material Moving job family averages $69,000 across 53 roles tracked by WePayFairly.

Need a defensible market price for this role?
WePayFairly data is compiled from published survey sources and maintained by compensation professionals.

Explore Market Data Our Methodology

Put this data to work

Need Recycling and Reclamation Workers pay benchmarked for your organization, or defensible compensation analysis for a dispute or valuation? Grahall builds it from primary sources, backed by an expert who testifies.

Request an analysis

Want to see what this salary looks like after taxes? Estimate your take-home pay →