Earn More MoneyAugust 30, 2021October 18, 2021

Is Becoming A Garbage Man/Woman A Bad Thing?

For a long time, becoming a garbage man had a stigma. For instance, when I was younger, I was told that I needed to do my work. However, if I didn’t do it, then I would become a garbage man. When I was a kid, this sounded scary because of the negative connotation my parents put on it. However, as I’ve gotten older I realized that there was nothing to be afraid of. Like most people, as you grow older, you see things in a different like. People who work in the waste industry are as respectable as any other field. The work they do is essential to our living and they provide a necessary service.

Therefore, the answer to the question is no. Becoming a garbage man/woman is the furthest thing from bad. However, many people have aspirations of pursuing this field. Therefore, we will take a look at some of the essential steps you need to go through in order to break into this profession. Furthermore, we will take a look at what garbage people do and how much they can potentially earn within this profession.

What Do Garbage People Do?

As a garbage man/woman or refuse collector, you will have a very specific job. That is to drive alongside various roads or industrial complexes and collect the trash. This can happen at any time of the day and it is extremely advantageous to have a strong stomach if you’re looking to work in this field. This is due to the fact that garbage collectors have to face many smells and materials that are quite disgusting. With that being said, this job is not for everyone. There are many people who feel like vomiting at the sight of something disgusting.

In terms of mechanical skills, you will need to know how to operate the truck safely and efficiently. While the company will teach you, it is an asset to have prior experience. Furthermore, you will most likely need a commercial license to be able to operate the truck. Lastly, garbage collectors work in all sorts of weather. Typically, they do not have rainy days where they do not work. As they are an essential service, garbage collectors operate in any weather. There are most likely some exceptions. However, for the most part, you will rarely see garbage collectors be late or skip a day.

How to Become A Garbage Man/Woman

Becoming a garbage collector is quite simple compared to many other professions. Although you will not typically need a post-secondary degree, this depends on the employer. This is due to the fact that certain employers require their employees to have certain credentials. Therefore, at a bare minimum, garbage collectors will need least a high-school diploma or an equivalent educational accolade. After that, you can apply to an employer through their website portal or job search engines. However, when collecting garbage, there usually is more than one person doing it. One person who rides on the back of the truck and someone who drives it. The driver of the truck needs to have a commercial driver’s license.

Furthermore, if you’re in a truck that uses a crane to pick up and collect garbage, you will also need that same license. However, depending on the company and where you work, you may be required to partake in additional training. These pieces of training are to ensure that you’re performing your job properly. This means efficiently and safely.

Lastly, if you’re looking to remove garbage from industrial plants or medical facilities, you may need to complete additional training programs. These programs are to ensure that you are handling and removing potentially hazardous waste appropriately. Lastly, many companies perform both drug and background tests on their potential and current employees.

How Much Money Can You Earn?

As a garbage collector, you can earn various amounts of money. Of course, there are two deciding factors in how much money you can potentially earn. The first is your experience. Similar to other jobs, the more experience you have, the more money you’ll be able to earn. This is due to the fact that experience is viewed as an asset. Assets bring value to any organization.

Next is the company. Many companies are more reputable than others. Therefore, there is a higher chance that you’ll be able to earn more money through them. However, if that particular company is known for paying well, you’ll most likely run into a lot of competition when applying for a job. This is something you’ll see in highly competitive fields. For example, in the field of computer science, many people dream of eventually working for companies such as Google and Facebook. Due to this fact, competition to enter these companies in particular skyrocket.

With that being said, how much money can you earn as a garbage collector?

In the picture above, based on 53 salaries, garbage collectors earn approximately $50,000 per year. However, there are many anecdotes of people earning much more or less than this amount. Of course, this depends on the factors that were previously stated. However, one thing that wasn’t mentioned is the fact that your salary can depend on which province you live in (or state). Some places have a higher demand for these types of workers. Therefore, if there is a higher demand for workers, the chances of the pay being higher are increased.

The amount of money you can earn as you gain experience is quite considerable. During your first few years, you can expect to make an average of $50,000 per year or even less. However, in your mid-career is when you can see as much as a 10% increase. In the latter half of your career, this amount can be easily increased to a 20% increase. Therefore, there is always room to earn more money.

Create A Company

If working for a company does not suit you, there are alternatives. For example, once you’ve gained experience and know the business, you can create your own company. This company will be centered around waste disposal and management. There are many avenues that this company can take. However, your company can specialize in just collecting and removing waste. There are many companies that do this. However, the industry is not nearly as saturated as other professions.

With that in mind, you will need to start doing some research. This is due to the fact that all successful businesses need a play and structure. Without both of those things, a business will fail. There are many ways to go about creating and operating this business. Some are more profitable than others. Therefore, due diligence is necessary.

Conclusion

To conclude, no, becoming a garbage collector is not a bad occupation. It is a respectable job just like any other and does not deserve that hate it gets. For those looking to get into it, you will be surprised that the barrier for entry is relatively low. Furthermore, the compensation is quite considerable as well. Therefore, take a look into how much garbage collectors in your area earn before you want to dive into that particular field.

Shameed Chris Khan

Shameed is just a man on a mission to help those around him gain financial success. Obsessed with writing about all things finance, this GTA native is constantly learning and sharing his experiences with others.