Job description

Recycling and Reclamation Workers prepare and sort materials or products for recycling. Identify and remove hazardous substances. Dismantle components of products such as appliances.

• Operate shredders to reclaim steel from discarded appliances.
• Collect and sort recyclable construction materials, such as concrete, drywall, plastics, or wood, into containers.
• Sort materials, such as metals, glass, wood, paper or plastics, into appropriate containers for recycling.
• Extract chemicals from discarded appliances, such as air conditioners or refrigerators, using specialized machinery, such as refrigerant recovery equipment.

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Salary

Recycling and Reclamation Workers with little to no experience tend to make between $20140 and $23860 while the more experienced ones can earn over $40840 per year.

One of the easiest ways to increase your salary as a Recycling and Reclamation Worker is to move to a higher paying state like AK. Right now, the highest paying states for Recycling and Reclamation Workers are AK, DC, WY, NM and SD.

However, a higher pay at AK doesn’t guarantee that you will make more because the living expenses at AK might be twice as high than where you are currently at now.

Three other factors that can increase your salary as a Recycling and Reclamation Worker is the degree you hold, the industry you work in, and lastly the company you work for.

Requirements

We asked other Recycling and Reclamation Workers what degree they had when they got the job and most of them said they had a High School Diploma followed by an Associate’s Degree.

Other than that, we also asked them what did they major in and here are the most popular majors that came up.

Pros and Cons

Here are some of the pros and cons of being a Recycling and Reclamation Worker.

What is the job like

61% of Recycling and Reclamation Workers said they were satisfied with their job and 46% said they feel like their job is making other people’s lives better.

Is this right for me

You can read more about these career personality types here.

People who are suitable for this job tends to like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They like working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery..

They also like following set procedures and routines. They like working with data and details more than with ideas.

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