SOC 53-7081 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors — Watertown
Watertown-Fort Drum, NY · 8 metro areas compared
The median wage for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors in Watertown, NY is $51,490 per year, close to the national median of $49,690 for the same occupation.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
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 Watertown-Fort Drum, NY.
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
The median wage for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors in Watertown, NY is $51,490 per year, close to the national median of $49,690 for the same occupation. Half of workers earn between $45,430 and $62,670. Beyond that band, the tenth percentile sits at $37,200 and the ninetieth at $62,670.
Employment stands at 30, or 0.8 jobs per thousand held locally. Within the state, New York records the highest median at $65,310. Of the 199 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 117th.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $37,200 | −25.1% |
| 25th | $45,430 | −8.6% |
| Median (50th) | $51,490 | +3.6% |
| 75th | $62,670 | +26.1% |
| 90th | $62,670 | +26.1% |
| Mean | $50,430 | +1.5% |
Other metro areas in New York
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Watertown run 12.3% below the national average, so the median of $51,490 goes as far as $58,712 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 18.2% above the national median in real terms.
Published median
$51,490as reported by BLSLocal price level
87.7US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$58,712US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $51,490 a year, 3.6% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $37,200 to $62,670 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 30 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is New York, at $65,310.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors in Watertown, NY?
The median annual wage is $51,490, or $24.75 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 Watertown, NY is 3.6% 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 Watertown, NY earns more than $62,670 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $37,200 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 New York, at $65,310 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 30 jobs in this occupation in Watertown, NY. 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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