How to hire refuse and recyclable material collectors
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Dismount garbage trucks to collect garbage and remount trucks to ride to the next collection point. • Drive trucks, following established routes, through residential streets or alleys or through business or industrial areas. • Dump refuse or recyclable materials at disposal sites. • Fill out defective equipment reports. • Inspect trucks prior to beginning routes to ensure safe operating condition. • Operate automated or semi-automated hoisting devices that raise refuse bins and dump contents into openings in truck bodies. • Operate equipment that compresses collected refuse. • Refuel trucks or add other fluids, such as oil or brake fluid. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: No formal educational credential] • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $23.89 an hour ($49,690 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for refuse and recyclable material collectors
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to dismount garbage trucks to collect garbage and remount trucks to ride to the next collection point. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to drive trucks, following established routes, through residential streets or alleys or through business or industrial areas. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to dump refuse or recyclable materials at disposal sites. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to fill out defective equipment reports. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What refuse and recyclable material collectors do
- Dismount garbage trucks to collect garbage and remount trucks to ride to the next collection point.
- Drive trucks, following established routes, through residential streets or alleys or through business or industrial areas.
- Dump refuse or recyclable materials at disposal sites.
- Fill out defective equipment reports.
- Inspect trucks prior to beginning routes to ensure safe operating condition.
- Operate automated or semi-automated hoisting devices that raise refuse bins and dump contents into openings in truck bodies.
- Operate equipment that compresses collected refuse.
- Refuel trucks or add other fluids, such as oil or brake fluid.
Education, experience and outlook for refuse and recyclable material collectors
- Typical education to start: No formal educational credential (BLS)
- Related work experience most have: 1 to 2 years (O*NET)
- Training on the job: Short-term on-the-job training (BLS)
- Job outlook: +2.1% over ten years, about as fast as average · about 15,500 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay refuse and recyclable material collectors
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| Illinois | $75,050 |
| Washington | $74,620 |
| New York | $64,950 |
| California | $64,890 |
| Oregon | $63,210 |
| West Virginia | $35,840 |
| Arkansas | $35,640 |
| South Carolina | $34,880 |
See refuse and recyclable material collectors pay in every state
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Post this job on JAI Bot. Free to start: JAI Bot reads every applicant against your must-haves, shows the resume evidence behind each one, and helps you reply to everyone. People make every decision.
Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.