SOC 53-7081 · Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metro

Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors Salary in Virginia Beach, VA

The average salary for refuse and recyclable material collectors in Virginia Beach, Virginia is $48,330 a year ($23.24 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $48,570: half of the 640 people in this job in the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 9% less than the U.S. average for this job ($52,820).

$48,330average per year

$23.24 / hourMedian $48,570Take-home ≈ $39,048

  • $32K10th
  • $39K25th
  • $49KMedian
  • $57K75th
  • $61K90th

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

640people in this job
-9%vs U.S. average
#1 of 9Virginia metros
98cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors pay range in Virginia Beach

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $31,620 a year or less, while the top 10% make $61,040 or more. The middle half of refuse and recyclable material collectors in Virginia Beach earn between $39,100 and $57,480.

  • $32K10th
  • $39K25th
  • $49KMedian
  • $57K75th
  • $61K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$48,330$4,028$23.24
Median$48,570$4,048$23.35
Entry level (25th percentile)$39,100$3,258$18.80
Experienced (75th percentile)$57,480$4,790$27.63

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

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

Refuse and recyclable material collectors in Virginia Beach earn 5% more than the Virginia average ($46,100) and 9% less than the U.S. average ($52,820). At the median the gap is -2% against the U.S. median of $49,690.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Virginia Beach$48,330$48,570$31,620$61,040640
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 Virginia Beach

On the average salary of $48,330, a single filer in Virginia Beach takes home about $39,048 a year, or $3,254 a month and $1,502 every two weeks. Taxes take 19% of gross pay.

The Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:

StatePer yearPer month
Working in NC$39,594$3,299
Working in VA$39,048$3,254

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

Prices in the Virginia Beach area are 2% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 97.9), so the average $48,330 buys what about $49,346 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.0 times the median wage of all jobs in Virginia Beach ($49,430). A typical home costs $373,678, or 7.7 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $48,330 is worth in another city

Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors salary in other Virginia cities

Virginia Beach ranks 1st of 9 Virginia metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.

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 Virginia Beach: questions

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

$23.24 an hour on average, and $23.35 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $31,620 a year and the 25th percentile is $39,100, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $39,048 a year ($3,254 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $48,330.

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

The average here is 9% 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC (47260). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.5%.
  • 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 0.89, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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