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Recycling and Rubbish Collectors collect household, commercial and industrial waste for recycling and disposal.
Specialisations: Garbage Depot Worker
Earnings are for full-time workers before tax, excluding superannuation. Earnings are a guide only and can vary greatly.
Likely change in the number of jobs over the next 5 years, based on the Department of Jobs and Small Business projections.
Skill Level is the education or training usually needed to do well in this job. Relevant experience is sometimes viewed just as highly.
Employment Size is the number of people who work in this job in Australia.
An above average unemployment rate shows people who do this job are more likely to be out of work than people who do other jobs.
Full-time workers usually work 35 hours or more a week (in all their jobs combined).
This is a very small occupation employing 2,200 workers. The number of workers has fallen over the past 5 years. Over the next 5 years (to May 2022) the number of workers is expected to stay about the same at 2,300. Around 2,000 job openings are likely over this time from workers leaving and new jobs being created.
No data is available for the selected graph for this Occupation.
A Year 10 Certificate, Certificate I, or a short period of on-the-job training is sometimes needed, but is not necessary to work in this job.
If you are interested in this style of work, there are a wide range of training options available that could lead to this or a similar job. The pathway that is right for you will depend on your skills and interests.
It is a good idea to speak to industry bodies, employers, and workers to learn more about the skills and qualifications you will need.
Employers look for Recycling and Rubbish Collectors who are reliable and work well as part of a team.
The topics, subjects, or knowledge areas workers rate as most important are shown below.
Customer and personal services. This includes understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.
Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
Skills can be improved through training or experience. The skills workers rate as most important are shown below.
Controlling equipment or systems.
Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
Maintaining equipment and deciding what maintenance will be needed in the future.
Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
The physical and social abilities workers rate as the most important are shown below.
Use your arms and/or legs at the same time while sitting, standing, or lying down.
See details that are up-close (within a few feet).
Listen to and understand what people say.
Keep your hand or arm steady.
Quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.The importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 53-7081.00 - Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors.
Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.
The work activities workers rate as most important are shown below.
Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.
Running, manoeuvring, navigating, or driving things like forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.
Operate machines or processes either directly or using controls (not including computers or vehicles).
Comparing objects, actions, or events, looking for differences between them or changes over time.
Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
The physical and social demands workers face most often are shown below.
How often do you wear equipment like safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets?
How often do you work in a closed vehicle (e.g., car)?
How often do you work outdoors, exposed to the weather?
How much time do you spend using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls?
How much freedom do you have to make decision on your own?
Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.
Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.
Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.
Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.
Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.
Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.
Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.
Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants, animals, and materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.
Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.
Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.
Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.
Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.