Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors vs Sailors and Marine Oilers: Similar Median Pay, Different Work

Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors vs Sailors and Marine Oilers: what changes?

Consider Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors if you want to collect and dump refuse or recyclable materials from containers into truck. Consider Sailors and Marine Oilers if you would rather stand watch to look for obstructions in path of vessel, measure water depth, turn wheel on bridge, or use emergency equipment as directed by captain, mate, or pilot. Both list no formal educational credential; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors and Sailors and Marine Oilers. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors

National median pay (2025): $49,690
Route into the job: No formal educational credential; One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Inspect trucks prior to beginning routes to ensure safe operating condition.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 15,500

Know before you choose

The work can involve real occupational hazards. Training, protective equipment, and routine safety discipline matter every day.

See the full Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors brief

Sailors and Marine Oilers

National median pay (2025): $51,520
Route into the job: No formal educational credential; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Tie barges together into tow units for tugboats to handle, inspecting barges periodically during voyages and disconnecting them when destinations are reached.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 3,600

Know before you choose

The work can involve real occupational hazards. Training, protective equipment, and routine safety discipline matter every day.

See the full Sailors and Marine Oilers brief

How the national numbers differ

Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors has the edge on annual openings

Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors is at 15,500 annual openings, compared with 3,600 annual openings for Sailors and Marine Oilers.

Sailors and Marine Oilers has the edge on projected growth

Sailors and Marine Oilers is at 3.2% projected growth, compared with 2.1% projected growth for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors.

Sailors and Marine Oilers has the edge on median pay

Sailors and Marine Oilers is at $51,520, compared with $49,690 for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors.

54/ 100

Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors

49.4/ 100

Sailors and Marine Oilers

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors vs Sailors and Marine Oilers

Dimension	Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors	Sailors and Marine Oilers
Median pay (2025)	$49,690	$51,520
Pay percentile	31.8 percentile	36 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	2.1%	3.2%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	15,500	3,600
2025 employment	156,400	33,000
How you qualify	No formal educational credential; One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing	No formal educational credential; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
O*NET preparation group	Job Zone 2	Job Zone 2
Related work experience	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job training	One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.	More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors brief Read Sailors and Marine Oilers brief

Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors vs Sailors and Marine Oilers: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors

Sailors and Marine Oilers

How the national numbers differ

Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors has the edge on annual openings

Sailors and Marine Oilers has the edge on projected growth

Sailors and Marine Oilers has the edge on median pay

Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors vs Sailors and Marine Oilers

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