SOC 53-7081 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors — Saginaw
Saginaw, MI · 8 metro areas compared
In Saginaw, MI the median wage for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors is $59,620 a year, which is 20.0% higher than the national figure of $49,690.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow more slowly than average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +0.9%
- Openings per year
- 16,900
- Typical entry-level education
- No formal educational credential
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Saginaw, MI.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
In Saginaw, MI the median wage for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors is $59,620 a year, which is 20.0% higher than the national figure of $49,690. Half of workers earn between $44,150 and $59,620. Beyond that band, the tenth percentile sits at $30,210 and the ninetieth at $70,380.
The area has 40 jobs in this occupation, giving a location quotient of 0.48 — a measure of how concentrated the occupation is here relative to the country as a whole. Detroit leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $51,070. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 126th of 282 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $30,210 | −39.2% |
| 25th | $44,150 | −11.1% |
| Median (50th) | $59,620 | +20.0% |
| 75th | $59,620 | +20.0% |
| 90th | $70,380 | +41.6% |
| Mean | $52,440 | +5.5% |
Other metro areas in Michigan
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Detroit | $51,070 | 1,900 | |
| 2 | Grand Rapids | $50,980 | 340 | |
| 3 | Traverse City | $49,450 | 260 | |
| 4 | Lansing | $49,440 | 250 | |
| 5 | Flint | $48,270 | 170 | |
| 6 | Monroe | $48,160 | 200 | |
| 7 | Muskegon | $46,640 | 60 | |
| 8 | Ann Arbor | $46,310 | 90 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Saginaw run 9.1% below the national average, so the median of $59,620 goes as far as $65,589 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 32.0% above the national median in real terms.
Published median
$59,620as reported by BLSLocal price level
90.9US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$65,589US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $59,620 a year, 20.0% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $30,210 to $70,380 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 40 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Detroit, at $51,070.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors in Saginaw, MI?
The median annual wage is $59,620, or $28.66 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $49,690, so pay in Saginaw, MI is 20.0% higher. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Saginaw, MI earns more than $70,380 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $30,210 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Detroit, at $51,070 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 40 jobs in this occupation in Saginaw, MI. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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