SOC 53-7081 · Waterbury-Shelton, CT metro

Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors Salary in Waterbury, CT

The average salary for refuse and recyclable material collectors in Waterbury, Connecticut is $47,220 a year ($22.70 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $51,080: half of the 110 people in this job in the Waterbury-Shelton, CT metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 11% less than the U.S. average for this job ($52,820).

$47,220average per year

$22.70 / hourMedian $51,080Take-home ≈ $38,434

  • $34K10th
  • $35K25th
  • $51KMedian
  • $58K75th
  • $61K90th

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

110people in this job
-11%vs U.S. average
#2 of 5Connecticut metros
100cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors pay range in Waterbury

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $34,010 a year or less, while the top 10% make $61,260 or more. The middle half of refuse and recyclable material collectors in Waterbury earn between $34,750 and $58,430.

  • $34K10th
  • $35K25th
  • $51KMedian
  • $58K75th
  • $61K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$47,220$3,935$22.70
Median$51,080$4,257$24.56
Entry level (25th percentile)$34,750$2,896$16.71
Experienced (75th percentile)$58,430$4,869$28.09

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

Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors pay in Waterbury vs. Connecticut and the U.S.

Refuse and recyclable material collectors in Waterbury earn 5% more than the Connecticut average ($45,120) and 11% less than the U.S. average ($52,820). At the median the gap is +3% against the U.S. median of $49,690.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Waterbury$47,220$51,080$34,010$61,260110
Connecticut$45,120$38,220$34,980$62,330810
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 Waterbury

On the average salary of $47,220, a single filer in Waterbury takes home about $38,434 a year, or $3,203 a month and $1,478 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 (2026 rules). Connecticut tax is computed with the Department of Revenue Services' 2026 withholding rules (exemption, credit and recapture tables).

Connecticut paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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

Prices in the Waterbury area are in line with the U.S. average (BEA price parity 99.8), so the average $47,220 buys what about $47,325 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.0 times the median wage of all jobs in Waterbury ($51,440). A typical home costs $290,800, or 6.2 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $47,220 is worth in another city

Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors salary in other Connecticut cities

Waterbury ranks 2nd of 5 Connecticut metro areas for this job; New Haven pays the most ($49,670).

All Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors salaries in Connecticut

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 Waterbury: questions

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

$22.70 an hour on average, and $24.56 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $34,010 a year and the 25th percentile is $34,750, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $38,434 a year ($3,203 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $47,220. Connecticut tax is computed with the Department of Revenue Services' 2026 withholding rules (exemption, credit and recapture tables).

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

The average here is 11% 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 Waterbury-Shelton, CT (47930). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.7%.
  • 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: Census median home value (Zillow does not cover this metro). 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 (2026 rules). Connecticut tax is computed with the Department of Revenue Services' 2026 withholding rules (exemption, credit and recapture tables).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.73, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.73).

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