Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors pay range in Reading
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $31,200 a year or less, while the top 10% make $61,640 or more. The middle half of refuse and recyclable material collectors in Reading earn between $33,760 and $55,870.
- $31K10th
- $34K25th
- $39KMedian
- $56K75th
- $62K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $44,610 | $3,718 | $21.45 |
| Median | $38,760 | $3,230 | $18.63 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $33,760 | $2,813 | $16.23 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $55,870 | $4,656 | $26.86 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors salary after taxes in Reading
On the average salary of $44,610, a single filer in Reading takes home about $36,655 a year, or $3,055 a month and $1,410 every two weeks. Taxes take 18% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). Local earned income taxes (for example Philadelphia's wage tax) are not included.
Is Reading a good place for refuse and recyclable material collectors? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Reading area are 3% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 97.1), so the average $44,610 buys what about $45,961 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.8 times the median wage of all jobs in Reading ($49,440). A typical home costs $312,348, or 7.0 years of this average salary before tax.
Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors salary in other Pennsylvania cities
Reading ranks 11th of 12 Pennsylvania metro areas for this job; Harrisburg pays the most ($56,110).
- Harrisburg$56,110
- Philadelphia$55,700
- Chambersburg$53,930
- Allentown$50,790
- State College$50,360
- Lancaster$48,240
- Pittsburgh$48,030
- York$47,420
- Scranton$46,270
- Reading$44,610
All Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors salaries in Pennsylvania
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 Reading: questions
How much do refuse and recyclable material collectors make an hour in Reading?
$21.45 an hour on average, and $18.63 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level refuse and recyclable material collectors salary in Reading?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $31,200 a year and the 25th percentile is $33,760, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the refuse and recyclable material collectors take-home pay in Reading?
About $36,655 a year ($3,055 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $44,610. Local earned income taxes (for example Philadelphia's wage tax) are not included.
Do refuse and recyclable material collectors earn more in Reading than elsewhere?
The average here is 18% less 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 Reading, PA (39740). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 5.5%.
- 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). Local earned income taxes (for example Philadelphia's wage tax) are not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 1.25, this job is 1.2 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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