Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2011

47-4041 Hazardous Materials Removal Workers

Identify, remove, pack, transport, or dispose of hazardous materials, including asbestos, lead-based paint, waste oil, fuel, transmission fluid, radioactive materials, or contaminated soil. Specialized training and certification in hazardous materials handling or a confined entry permit are generally required. May operate earth-moving equipment or trucks.


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
36,270 2.7 % $20.07 $41,750 0.9 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $12.14 $14.59 $18.33 $24.70 $31.74
Annual Wage (2) $25,260 $30,340 $38,120 $51,370 $66,020


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Remediation and Other Waste Management Services 22,880 18.48 $19.88 $41,350
Waste Treatment and Disposal 4,100 4.27 $19.21 $39,960
Waste Collection 2,010 1.41 $18.85 $39,200
Other Specialty Trade Contractors 1,010 0.19 $20.68 $43,000
Local Government (OES Designation) 820 0.01 $21.34 $44,400

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Remediation and Other Waste Management Services 22,880 18.48 $19.88 $41,350
Waste Treatment and Disposal 4,100 4.27 $19.21 $39,960
Waste Collection 2,010 1.41 $18.85 $39,200
Other Specialty Trade Contractors 1,010 0.19 $20.68 $43,000
Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing 80 0.14 $23.98 $49,870

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
State Government (OES Designation) 40 (7) $30.24 $62,890
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 630 0.03 $27.32 $56,830
Scientific Research and Development Services 290 0.05 $26.93 $56,020
Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution 300 0.08 $25.97 $54,030
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing 60 0.01 $25.16 $52,330


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 4,200 0.30 1.06 $20.25 $42,120
New York 3,890 0.46 1.63 $24.42 $50,800
Texas 2,710 0.26 0.93 $16.72 $34,780
Washington 1,920 0.71 2.50 $24.03 $49,980
Ohio 1,580 0.32 1.12 $20.26 $42,150




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Idaho 550 0.92 3.27 $20.29 $42,200
Alaska 230 0.74 2.60 $27.87 $57,970
Washington 1,920 0.71 2.50 $24.03 $49,980
Hawaii 340 0.59 2.07 $19.06 $39,640
New Mexico 390 0.50 1.77 $26.79 $55,710




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Alaska 230 0.74 2.60 $27.87 $57,970
Minnesota 420 0.16 0.57 $27.15 $56,480
New Mexico 390 0.50 1.77 $26.79 $55,710
New York 3,890 0.46 1.63 $24.42 $50,800
Rhode Island 120 0.26 0.90 $24.17 $50,280





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 1,720 0.34 1.20 $25.73 $53,510
Oakland-Fremont-Hayward, CA Metropolitan Division 1,000 1.05 3.70 $20.24 $42,100
Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO 790 0.66 2.33 $18.63 $38,750
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 780 0.20 0.72 $21.44 $44,590
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX 760 0.30 1.06 $16.05 $33,380
Kennewick-Pasco-Richland, WA 710 7.17 25.36 $26.39 $54,880
Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA Metropolitan Division 690 0.50 1.78 $24.16 $50,260
Nassau-Suffolk, NY Metropolitan Division 680 0.56 2.00 $28.16 $58,570
Knoxville, TN 680 2.09 7.41 $24.70 $51,380
Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, OH 600 0.61 2.16 $23.45 $48,780




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Kennewick-Pasco-Richland, WA 710 7.17 25.36 $26.39 $54,880
Lawrence-Methuen-Salem, MA-NH NECTA Division 200 3.29 11.65 $20.29 $42,200
Pascagoula, MS 150 2.77 9.81 $16.49 $34,300
Knoxville, TN 680 2.09 7.41 $24.70 $51,380
Amarillo, TX 180 1.66 5.86 $26.11 $54,320
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA 180 1.52 5.39 $21.10 $43,880
Haverhill-North Andover-Amesbury, MA-NH NECTA Division 100 1.36 4.81 $18.51 $38,490
Odessa, TX 80 1.30 4.60 $15.23 $31,680
Syracuse, NY 380 1.26 4.44 $19.53 $40,620
Decatur, AL 60 1.18 4.16 $20.69 $43,040




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 320 0.19 0.66 $28.65 $59,590
Nassau-Suffolk, NY Metropolitan Division 680 0.56 2.00 $28.16 $58,570
Anchorage, AK 200 1.18 4.16 $28.02 $58,280
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA (8) (8) (8) $27.31 $56,810
Utica-Rome, NY 70 0.54 1.92 $27.18 $56,530
Kennewick-Pasco-Richland, WA 710 7.17 25.36 $26.39 $54,880
Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC (8) (8) (8) $26.27 $54,650
Amarillo, TX 180 1.66 5.86 $26.11 $54,320
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 1,720 0.34 1.20 $25.73 $53,510
Camden, NJ Metropolitan Division 100 0.19 0.68 $25.29 $52,610

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southern Ohio nonmetropolitan area 170 1.08 3.82 $25.09 $52,190
Southwest New York nonmetropolitan area 130 0.70 2.47 $26.40 $54,910
Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 90 0.34 1.21 $16.26 $33,830
Western Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 90 0.39 1.36 $12.31 $25,610
Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area 80 0.65 2.29 $28.89 $60,090

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southern Ohio nonmetropolitan area 170 1.08 3.82 $25.09 $52,190
Southwest New York nonmetropolitan area 130 0.70 2.47 $26.40 $54,910
Southern Oregon and Linn County nonmetropolitan area 70 0.69 2.46 $16.02 $33,310
Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area 80 0.65 2.29 $28.89 $60,090
Western Colorado nonmetropolitan area 50 0.45 1.58 $16.99 $35,350

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area 80 0.65 2.29 $28.89 $60,090
Southwest New York nonmetropolitan area 130 0.70 2.47 $26.40 $54,910
Southern Ohio nonmetropolitan area 170 1.08 3.82 $25.09 $52,190
Eastern Tennessee nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $24.95 $51,890
East Central Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area 40 0.17 0.60 $17.12 $35,620


About May 2011 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2011 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download May 2011 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped XLS files

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 27, 2012