AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 53-7081.00

Will AI replace Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors?

Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors: AI does not yet handle any of the role's 14 tasks; most of the work is hands-on, and the part AI can address mostly needs an efficient-tier model.

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Every task, scored

The 14 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors, from most to least exposed. None reaches 60, the level at which AI already handles a task.

Task AI exposure Evidence Model tier Importance
Inspect trucks prior to beginning routes to ensure safe operating condition. 20 Estimated Efficient 4.5
Operate equipment that compresses collected refuse. 20 Estimated Efficient 4.0
Refuel trucks or add other fluids, such as oil or brake fluid. 15 Estimated No tier 4.3
Dump refuse or recyclable materials at disposal sites. 15 Estimated No tier 4.3
Fill out defective equipment reports. 15 Estimated No tier 4.3
Operate automated or semi-automated hoisting devices that raise refuse bins and dump contents into openings in truck bodies. 15 Estimated No tier 4.0
Dismount garbage trucks to collect garbage and remount trucks to ride to the next collection point. 15 Estimated No tier 4.0
Communicate with dispatchers concerning delays, unsafe sites, accidents, equipment breakdowns, or other maintenance problems. 15 Estimated No tier 4.0
Check road or weather conditions to determine how routes will be affected. 15 Estimated No tier 3.8
Tag garbage or recycling containers to inform customers of problems, such as excess garbage or inclusion of items that are not permitted. 15 Estimated No tier 3.8
Clean trucks or compactor bodies after routes have been completed. 15 Estimated No tier 3.6
Make special pickups of recyclable materials, such as food scraps, used oil, discarded computers, or other electronic items. 15 Estimated No tier 3.4
Organize schedules for refuse collection. 15 Estimated No tier 3.3
Drive trucks, following established routes, through residential streets or alleys or through business or industrial areas. 8 Estimated No tier 4.3

Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 0 of 14 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 14 of 14. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.

The model tier this role needs

An efficient-tier model or lower covers 15% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 15% of the work is something AI can address at some tier, and 85% is hands-on.

Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.

Wages, employment and outlook

US employment
147,240
Median annual wage
$49,690
Middle half of earners
$39,080 to $62,020
Projected change, 2024 to 2034
+0.9%

Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034.

Adjacent roles

The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.

Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.

Questions about Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors and AI

Will AI replace Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors?

Not on current evidence. None of the 14 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation reaches a task exposure of 60, the level at which JobRoute counts a task as handled by AI, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 15 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears.

What is the AI exposure of Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors?

15 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 0 of the 14 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 14 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.

Which Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors tasks can AI already do?

None reaches 60 yet. The most exposed task is: Inspect trucks prior to beginning routes to ensure safe operating condition, at 20 out of 100.

What AI model tier does this role need?

An efficient-tier model or lower covers 15% of the role's importance-weighted task work, and 85% is hands-on work that no model tier covers. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.

How many people work as Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors, and what do they earn?

147,240 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $49,690 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of +0.9% from 2024 to 2034.

How to cite

Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.

JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/refuse-and-recyclable-material-collectors

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