SOC 53-7081 · Charlottesville, VA metro

Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors Salary in Charlottesville, VA

The average salary for refuse and recyclable material collectors in Charlottesville, Virginia is $43,820 a year ($21.07 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $37,540: half of the 110 people in this job in the Charlottesville, VA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 17% less than the U.S. average for this job ($52,820).

$43,820average per year

$21.07 / hourMedian $37,540Take-home ≈ $35,684

  • $33K10th
  • $34K25th
  • $38KMedian
  • $50K75th
  • $60K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

110people in this job
-17%vs U.S. average
#6 of 9Virginia metros
99cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors pay range in Charlottesville

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $33,090 a year or less, while the top 10% make $60,430 or more. The middle half of refuse and recyclable material collectors in Charlottesville earn between $33,500 and $49,600.

  • $33K10th
  • $34K25th
  • $38KMedian
  • $50K75th
  • $60K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$43,820$3,652$21.07
Median$37,540$3,128$18.05
Entry level (25th percentile)$33,500$2,792$16.11
Experienced (75th percentile)$49,600$4,133$23.85

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

Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors pay in Charlottesville vs. Virginia and the U.S.

Refuse and recyclable material collectors in Charlottesville earn 5% less than the Virginia average ($46,100) and 17% less than the U.S. average ($52,820). At the median the gap is -24% against the U.S. median of $49,690.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Charlottesville$43,820$37,540$33,090$60,430110
Virginia$46,100$46,530$28,120$61,0404,330
United States$52,820$49,690$33,590$75,900147,240

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors salary after taxes in Charlottesville

On the average salary of $43,820, a single filer in Charlottesville takes home about $35,684 a year, or $2,974 a month and $1,372 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).

Virginia paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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

Prices in the Charlottesville area are in line with the U.S. average (BEA price parity 99.1), so the average $43,820 buys what about $44,197 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Charlottesville ($55,180). A typical home costs $473,058, or 10.8 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $43,820 is worth in another city

Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors salary in other Virginia cities

Charlottesville ranks 6th of 9 Virginia metro areas for this job; Virginia Beach pays the most ($48,330).

All Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors salaries in Virginia

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 Charlottesville: questions

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

$21.07 an hour on average, and $18.05 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $33,090 a year and the 25th percentile is $33,500, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $35,684 a year ($2,974 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $43,820.

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

The average here is 17% less than the U.S. average for this job ($52,820).

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 Charlottesville, VA (16820). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 4.5%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • 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).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.03, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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