SOC 53-7081 · Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro

Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors Salary in Riverside, CA

The average salary for refuse and recyclable material collectors in Riverside, California is $62,350 a year ($29.98 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $61,940: half of the 1,280 people in this job in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 15% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($54,284).

$62,350average per year

$29.98 / hourMedian $61,940Take-home ≈ $50,345

  • $46K10th
  • $52K25th
  • $62KMedian
  • $72K75th
  • $75K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

1,280people in this job
+15%vs U.S. metro average
#12 of 22California metros
106cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors pay range in Riverside

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $46,230 a year or less, while the top 10% make $74,920 or more. The middle half of refuse and recyclable material collectors in Riverside earn between $52,430 and $72,420.

  • $46K10th
  • $52K25th
  • $62KMedian
  • $72K75th
  • $75K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$62,350$5,196$29.98
Median$61,940$5,162$29.78
Entry level (25th percentile)$52,430$4,369$25.21
Experienced (75th percentile)$72,420$6,035$34.82

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.

Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors salary after taxes in Riverside

On the average salary of $62,350, a single filer in Riverside takes home about $50,345 a year, or $4,195 a month and $1,936 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.

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Is Riverside a good place for refuse and recyclable material collectors? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Riverside area are 6% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 106.4), so the average $62,350 buys what about $58,577 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.3 times the median wage of all jobs in Riverside ($48,400). A typical home costs $585,378, or 9.4 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $62,350 is worth in another city

Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors salary in other California cities

Riverside ranks 12th of 22 California metro areas for this job; San Jose pays the most ($88,030).

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).

Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors salary by city

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Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors salary in Riverside: questions

How much do refuse and recyclable material collectors make an hour in Riverside?

$29.98 an hour on average, and $29.78 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level refuse and recyclable material collectors salary in Riverside?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $46,230 a year and the 25th percentile is $52,430, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the refuse and recyclable material collectors take-home pay in Riverside?

About $50,345 a year ($4,195 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $62,350. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

Do refuse and recyclable material collectors earn more in Riverside than elsewhere?

The average here is 15% 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 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA (40140). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.2%.
  • 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 0.79, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.79).

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