SOC 53-7081 · McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX metro

Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors Salary in McAllen, TX

The average salary for refuse and recyclable material collectors in McAllen, Texas is $34,490 a year ($16.58 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $29,140: half of the 130 people in this job in the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 35% less than the U.S. average for this job ($52,820).

$34,490average per year

$16.58 / hourMedian $29,140Take-home ≈ $29,893

  • $28K10th
  • $28K25th
  • $29KMedian
  • $44K75th
  • $47K90th

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

130people in this job
-35%vs U.S. average
#19 of 20Texas metros
86cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors pay range in McAllen

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $27,880 a year or less, while the top 10% make $47,170 or more. The middle half of refuse and recyclable material collectors in McAllen earn between $28,000 and $43,960.

  • $28K10th
  • $28K25th
  • $29KMedian
  • $44K75th
  • $47K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$34,490$2,874$16.58
Median$29,140$2,428$14.01
Entry level (25th percentile)$28,000$2,333$13.46
Experienced (75th percentile)$43,960$3,663$21.13

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

Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors pay in McAllen vs. Texas and the U.S.

Refuse and recyclable material collectors in McAllen earn 23% less than the Texas average ($44,700) and 35% less than the U.S. average ($52,820). At the median the gap is -41% against the U.S. median of $49,690.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
McAllen$34,490$29,140$27,880$47,170130
Texas$44,700$46,330$30,830$59,38012,860
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 McAllen

On the average salary of $34,490, a single filer in McAllen takes home about $29,893 a year, or $2,491 a month and $1,150 every two weeks. Taxes take 13% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.

Texas paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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

Prices in the McAllen area are 14% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 85.9), so the average $34,490 buys what about $40,154 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.8 times the median wage of all jobs in McAllen ($35,830). A typical home costs $193,978, or 5.6 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $34,490 is worth in another city

Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors salary in other Texas cities

McAllen ranks 19th of 20 Texas metro areas for this job; Midland pays the most ($53,220).

All Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors salaries in Texas

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 McAllen: questions

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

$16.58 an hour on average, and $14.01 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $27,880 a year and the 25th percentile is $28,000, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $29,893 a year ($2,491 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $34,490. Texas has no state income tax.

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

The average here is 35% 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 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX (32580). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 4.9%.
  • 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 no state income tax.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.48, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.48).

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