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Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors pay in Illinois

$68,310avg. a year
$32.84 an hour · 4,910 employed

Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors in Illinois earn an average of $68,310 a year. That is $15,490 (29%) more than the U.S. average of $52,820. The best-paying metro area is Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN at $71,570.

Pay by cityCompare states
$75,050Median pay
$32.84Average hourly
+16%Avg. pay since 2020
#2Of 50 states + D.C.

Top-paying Illinois metro areas

Average pay for refuse and recyclable material collectors by metro area. Swipe to see all 7.

13,330 jobs
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$71,570
$34.41 an hour
2750 jobs
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL
$66,700
$32.07 an hour
380 jobs
Springfield, IL
$61,350
$29.50 an hour
4970 jobs
St. Louis, MO-IL
$57,880
$27.83 an hour
560 jobs
Peoria, IL
$56,690
$27.26 an hour
640 jobs
Paducah, KY-IL
$48,130
$23.14 an hour
740 jobs
Champaign-Urbana, IL
$47,020
$22.61 an hour

Why people trust JobPayFacts

Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
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Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors pay in Illinois, charted

Pay over time

Illinois, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian

Where Illinois refuse and recyclable material collectors work

Employment by metro area, May 2025

Average pay by state

May 2025 · Illinois highlighted · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $45k$45k–$50k$50k–$55k$55k+Illinois

Illinois vs. neighbors

Average pay, May 2025
AreaAvg. payHourly
United States$52,820$25.39
Illinois$68,310$32.84
Wisconsin$55,090$26.49
Indiana$54,930$26.41
Iowa$51,120$24.58
Missouri$50,300$24.18
Kentucky$42,710$20.54

Related jobs in Illinois

All jobs in Illinois

Average pay, Illinois, May 2025

Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS

Questions and answers

How much do refuse and recyclable material collectors make in Illinois?

The average is $68,310 a year, and the median is $75,050. That is $15,490 (29%) more than the U.S. average of $52,820.

What is the hourly wage in Illinois?

$32.84 an hour on average; the median is $36.08.

Where in Illinois do they earn the most?

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN ($71,570), followed by Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL ($66,700). The lowest average among 7 metro areas with data is Champaign-Urbana, IL ($47,020).

How does Illinois rank?

Illinois ranks #2 of 51 states (including D.C.) with published data for this job, by average pay.

Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 53-7081. State rank compares average pay across states with published data. Metro figures cover metropolitan statistical areas; a metro area can cross state lines. See also the national refuse and recyclable material collectors page. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.