GeraJobs / US Real Pay Index / Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors
Best States to Be a Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors
After 2025 state income tax and 2024 cost of living, a refuse and recyclable material collectors salary goes furthest in Illinois — a $75,050 BLS median worth $71,506 in real terms (Gera US Real Pay Index 141.9).
Which US states are best for a refuse and recyclable material collectors after cost of living and tax?
For a refuse and recyclable material collectors, the Gera US Real Pay Index ranks Illinois #1: a $75,050 BLS median becomes $71,506 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms (index 141.9). Connecticut ranks last ($36,121, index 71.7). Real BLS OEWS May 2025 across 51 states; re-dated annually.
Gera US Real Pay Index
Illinois ranks #1 of 51 states for a refuse and recyclable material collectors. Index 100 = the average state; 141.9 means pay goes 41.9% further after tax and cost of living.
How this is calculatedRefuse and Recyclable Material Collectors — real pay by state (best first)
| # | State | BLS median | State tax | Cost (RPP) | Real pay | Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Illinois | $75,050 | $3,574 | 100.0 | $71,506 | 141.9 |
| 2 | Washington | $74,620 | — | 107.0 | $69,730 | 138.3 |
| 3 | North Dakota | $59,000 | — | 89.0 | $66,323 | 131.6 |
| 4 | Wisconsin | $59,810 | $2,018 | 94.1 | $61,419 | 121.8 |
| 5 | Nevada | $61,310 | — | 100.0 | $61,323 | 121.7 |
| 6 | Indiana | $58,900 | $1,737 | 93.3 | $61,249 | 121.5 |
| 7 | Minnesota | $62,570 | $2,766 | 98.6 | $60,640 | 120.3 |
| 8 | Delaware | $61,290 | $2,725 | 99.8 | $58,678 | 116.4 |
| 9 | New York | $64,950 | $2,967 | 107.9 | $57,433 | 113.9 |
| 10 | Utah | $59,310 | $2,699 | 98.9 | $57,262 | 113.6 |
| 11 | California | $64,890 | $2,059 | 110.7 | $56,747 | 112.6 |
| 12 | Colorado | $60,310 | $1,994 | 103.1 | $56,589 | 112.3 |
| 13 | Oregon | $63,210 | $4,727 | 103.4 | $56,581 | 112.2 |
| 14 | Iowa | $49,850 | $1,854 | 87.8 | $54,688 | 108.5 |
| 15 | Missouri | $50,010 | $1,470 | 90.8 | $53,449 | 106.0 |
| 16 | Rhode Island | $55,970 | $1,499 | 102.3 | $53,257 | 105.7 |
| 17 | Nebraska | $49,390 | $1,472 | 90.1 | $53,181 | 105.5 |
| 18 | Wyoming | $48,820 | — | 92.7 | $52,670 | 104.5 |
| 19 | Ohio | $49,330 | $574 | 92.8 | $52,553 | 104.3 |
| 20 | Vermont | $51,960 | $1,322 | 98.0 | $51,694 | 102.6 |
| 21 | Michigan | $51,030 | $1,922 | 96.2 | $51,039 | 101.3 |
| 22 | New Mexico | $47,660 | $1,129 | 92.2 | $50,460 | 100.1 |
| 23 | Idaho | $49,880 | $1,720 | 95.5 | $50,432 | 100.0 |
| 24 | Montana | $49,420 | $1,778 | 94.6 | $50,338 | 99.9 |
| 25 | Alabama | $46,240 | $2,047 | 88.8 | $49,754 | 98.7 |
| 26 | New Jersey | $54,630 | $1,471 | 108.8 | $48,858 | 96.9 |
| 27 | Hawaii | $56,270 | $2,746 | 110.0 | $48,680 | 96.6 |
| 28 | Kansas | $45,510 | $1,740 | 90.1 | $48,597 | 96.4 |
| 29 | District of Columbia | $55,490 | $2,232 | 109.9 | $48,460 | 96.1 |
| 30 | Pennsylvania | $48,240 | $1,481 | 97.6 | $47,923 | 95.1 |
| 31 | Texas | $46,330 | — | 97.1 | $47,735 | 94.7 |
| 32 | Oklahoma | $43,060 | $1,508 | 87.8 | $47,303 | 93.8 |
| 33 | Tennessee | $43,270 | — | 91.9 | $47,099 | 93.4 |
| 34 | Georgia | $46,960 | $1,884 | 96.3 | $46,811 | 92.9 |
| 35 | Florida | $47,820 | — | 103.4 | $46,241 | 91.7 |
| 36 | Kentucky | $43,100 | $1,593 | 90.2 | $46,037 | 91.3 |
| 37 | North Carolina | $44,670 | $1,357 | 94.3 | $45,919 | 91.1 |
| 38 | Arizona | $46,910 | $698 | 100.7 | $45,901 | 91.1 |
| 39 | Massachusetts | $50,310 | $2,296 | 105.8 | $45,401 | 90.1 |
| 40 | New Hampshire | $46,580 | — | 104.2 | $44,718 | 88.7 |
| 41 | Alaska | $45,740 | — | 102.4 | $44,686 | 88.6 |
| 42 | Virginia | $46,530 | $1,876 | 101.1 | $44,167 | 87.6 |
| 43 | Mississippi | $39,170 | $918 | 87.0 | $43,991 | 87.3 |
| 44 | Maine | $43,360 | $1,346 | 97.0 | $43,291 | 85.9 |
| 45 | Louisiana | $38,810 | $789 | 88.2 | $43,104 | 85.5 |
| 46 | Arkansas | $35,640 | $1,181 | 86.9 | $39,636 | 78.6 |
| 47 | West Virginia | $35,840 | $960 | 89.5 | $38,973 | 77.3 |
| 48 | Maryland | $41,870 | $1,656 | 105.0 | $38,314 | 76.0 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $32,950 | — | 88.6 | $37,195 | 73.8 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $34,880 | $555 | 93.7 | $36,614 | 72.6 |
| 51 | Connecticut | $38,220 | $795 | 103.6 | $36,121 | 71.7 |
"Real pay" = BLS median − 2025 state income tax, divided by the state's 2024 BEA cost of living (US = 100). Only the 51 states for which BLS publishes a median for this occupation are ranked; suppressed cells are excluded, never set to zero.
Where does your salary go furthest?
Enter a salary and a state. We adjust for 2025 state income tax and the 2024 BEA cost of living to show your real, purchasing-power-equivalent pay — then rank every state.
In Illinois, a $75,050 salary is worth about $71,365 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms.
State income tax $3,715 (flat 4.95%) · take-home $71,335 · BEA cost of living 100.0 (US = 100).
The same salary goes furthest in South Dakota — worth $84,720, a $13,355 gain over Illinois.
| # | State | Real value | Cost (RPP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | $84,720 | 88.6 |
| 2 | Arkansas | $82,960 | 86.9 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $82,531 | 88.2 |
| 4 | Mississippi | $82,513 | 87.0 |
| 5 | Iowa | $82,266 | 87.8 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $82,256 | 89.0 |
| 7 | Tennessee | $81,692 | 91.9 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | $81,378 | 87.8 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $80,968 | 92.7 |
| 10 | Alabama | $80,269 | 88.8 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $79,912 | 90.2 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $79,816 | 89.5 |
Estimate only. State income tax is approximated from each state's 2025 flat rate (or top marginal rate as an upper bound for graduated states) and ignores federal tax, deductions and credits. The pre-published occupation and state pages use exact 2025 bracket math. Cost of living is the 2024 BEA Regional Price Parity (All Items).
Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors — real pay FAQ
- What is the best state to be a refuse and recyclable material collectors?
- By the Gera US Real Pay Index, Illinois is the best state for a refuse and recyclable material collectors: a BLS median of $75,050 is worth $71,506 after the 2025 state income tax ($3,574) and the 2024 BEA cost-of-living adjustment (RPP 100.0), an index of 141.9 where the average state is 100.
- Does the highest-paying state also leave you best off?
- Not necessarily. Illinois has the highest headline BLS median for a refuse and recyclable material collectors at $75,050, but after state tax and cost of living it ranks #1 of 51 on real pay (index 141.9). That gap is exactly what the Gera US Real Pay Index reveals.
- Where does a refuse and recyclable material collectors salary go least far?
- Connecticut ranks last of 51 states for a refuse and recyclable material collectors: a $38,220 BLS median is worth only $36,121 after tax and cost of living (index 71.7). Higher local prices and/or income tax less far than the national average erode the headline pay.
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Related on GeraJobs
- Gera US Real Pay Index — all states ranked — and how the index is calculated.
- Methodology — the exact BLS + BEA + tax computation.
- Browse US jobs with salary ranges — roles hiring now.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) (May 2025 state estimates, US federal public domain); U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities (All Items), by state (2024 (US = 100)); Tax Foundation — 2025 State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets. The Gera US Real Pay Index for a refuse and recyclable material collectors is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.