SOC 53-7081 · Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA metro

Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors Salary in Scranton, PA

The average salary for refuse and recyclable material collectors in Scranton, Pennsylvania is $46,270 a year ($22.25 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $45,960: half of the 340 people in this job in the Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 12% less than the U.S. average for this job ($52,820).

$46,270average per year

$22.25 / hourMedian $45,960Take-home ≈ $37,937

  • $31K10th
  • $34K25th
  • $46KMedian
  • $57K75th
  • $63K90th

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

340people in this job
-12%vs U.S. average
#9 of 12Pennsylvania metros
94cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors pay range in Scranton

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $30,700 a year or less, while the top 10% make $62,910 or more. The middle half of refuse and recyclable material collectors in Scranton earn between $34,020 and $57,310.

  • $31K10th
  • $34K25th
  • $46KMedian
  • $57K75th
  • $63K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$46,270$3,856$22.25
Median$45,960$3,830$22.10
Entry level (25th percentile)$34,020$2,835$16.36
Experienced (75th percentile)$57,310$4,776$27.55

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

Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors pay in Scranton vs. Pennsylvania and the U.S.

Refuse and recyclable material collectors in Scranton earn 6% less than the Pennsylvania average ($49,400) and 12% less than the U.S. average ($52,820). At the median the gap is -8% against the U.S. median of $49,690.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Scranton$46,270$45,960$30,700$62,910340
Pennsylvania$49,400$48,240$31,200$66,6606,220
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 Scranton

On the average salary of $46,270, a single filer in Scranton takes home about $37,937 a year, or $3,161 a month and $1,459 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.

Pennsylvania paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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

Prices in the Scranton area are 6% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 93.6), so the average $46,270 buys what about $49,457 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.0 times the median wage of all jobs in Scranton ($46,330). A typical home costs $227,793, or 4.9 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $46,270 is worth in another city

Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors salary in other Pennsylvania cities

Scranton ranks 9th of 12 Pennsylvania metro areas for this job; Harrisburg pays the most ($56,110).

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).

Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors salary by city

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Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors salary in Scranton: questions

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

$22.25 an hour on average, and $22.10 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $30,700 a year and the 25th percentile is $34,020, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $37,937 a year ($3,161 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $46,270. Local earned income taxes (for example Philadelphia's wage tax) are not included.

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

The average here is 12% 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 Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA (42540). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.3%.
  • 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). Local earned income taxes (for example Philadelphia's wage tax) are not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.41, this job is 1.4 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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