Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors pay range in Merced
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $35,370 a year or less, while the top 10% make $68,530 or more. The middle half of refuse and recyclable material collectors in Merced earn between $47,310 and $68,530.
- $35K10th
- $47K25th
- $69KMedian
- $69K75th
- $69K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $58,590 | $4,882 | $28.17 |
| Median | $68,530 | $5,711 | $32.95 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $47,310 | $3,942 | $22.75 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $68,530 | $5,711 | $32.95 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors salary after taxes in Merced
On the average salary of $58,590, a single filer in Merced takes home about $47,549 a year, or $3,962 a month and $1,829 every two weeks. Taxes take 19% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Is Merced a good place for refuse and recyclable material collectors? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Merced area are 2% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 98.3), so the average $58,590 buys what about $59,618 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.5 times the median wage of all jobs in Merced ($47,220). A typical home costs $419,171, or 7.2 years of this average salary before tax.
Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors salary in other California cities
Merced ranks 16th of 22 California metro areas for this job; San Jose pays the most ($88,030).
- San Jose$88,030
- San Francisco$76,010
- Santa Rosa$70,560
- San Diego$68,770
- Napa$67,510
- Santa Maria$67,140
- Sacramento$66,140
- Oxnard$65,980
- Vallejo$65,430
- Merced$58,590
All Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors salaries in California
Highest-paying cities for refuse and recyclable material collectors
San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($88,030).
- San Jose, CA$88,030
- Seattle, WA$76,420
- San Francisco, CA$76,010
- Chicago, IL$71,570
- Santa Rosa, CA$70,560
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Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors salary in Merced: questions
How much do refuse and recyclable material collectors make an hour in Merced?
$28.17 an hour on average, and $32.95 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level refuse and recyclable material collectors salary in Merced?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $35,370 a year and the 25th percentile is $47,310, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the refuse and recyclable material collectors take-home pay in Merced?
About $47,549 a year ($3,962 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $58,590. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do refuse and recyclable material collectors earn more in Merced than elsewhere?
The average here is 8% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($54,284).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 53-7081; area Merced, CA (32900). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 5.3%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.87, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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