Construction and Extraction Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 47-4041

Hazardous Materials Removal Workers

Median pay sits 33% below the mid peer in Construction and Extraction Occupations (neighbors include First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers, Brickmasons and Blockmasons, Boilermakers, Terrazzo Workers and Finishers).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Hazardous Materials Removal Workers: First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers ($80K) , Brickmasons and Blockmasons ($62K) , Boilermakers ($76K) , Terrazzo Workers and Finishers ($76K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Hazardous Materials Removal Workers publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 47-4041 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Build containment areas prior to beginning abatement or decontamination work
  2. 2. Remove asbestos or lead from surfaces, using hand or power tools such as scrapers, vacuums, or high-pressure sprayers
  3. 3. Identify asbestos, lead, or other hazardous materials to be removed, using monitoring devices
  4. 4. Prepare hazardous material for removal or storage
  5. 5. Comply with prescribed safety procedures or federal laws regulating waste disposal methods
  6. 6. Record numbers of containers stored at disposal sites, specifying amounts or types of equipment or waste disposed
  7. 7. Sort specialized hazardous waste at landfills or disposal centers, following proper disposal procedures
  8. 8. Operate cranes to move or load baskets, casks, or canisters
  9. 9. Drive trucks or other heavy equipment to convey contaminated waste to designated sea or ground locations
  10. 10. Load or unload materials into containers or onto trucks, using hoists or forklifts
  11. 11. Identify or separate waste products or materials for recycling or reuse
  12. 12. Clean contaminated equipment or areas for reuse, using detergents or solvents, sandblasters, filter pumps, or steam cleaners

Hazardous Materials Removal Workers: O*NET ranks Monitoring first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 47-4041 - lead skill Monitoring at 3.6 ; lead knowledge Public Safety and Security. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Monitoring 3.6
  2. 2. Critical Thinking 3.5
  3. 3. Operation and Control 3.4
  4. 4. Active Listening 3.3
  5. 5. Operations Monitoring 3.3
  6. 6. Reading Comprehension 3.1
  7. 7. Speaking 3.1
  8. 8. Writing 3.0

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Public Safety and Security 3.6
  2. 2. Administration and Management 3.5
  3. 3. Transportation 3.4
  4. 4. Customer and Personal Service 3.4
  5. 5. Building and Construction 3.2
  6. 6. Mechanical 3.1
Pay vs Construction and Extraction Occupations peers
-33%
vs mid peer median $73,300
This role $49,450/yr
$49K
National median
↑ +1%
Growth 2024-2034
5,000
Annual openings
51,710
Estimated US jobs
First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers
Highest-pay peer · $80K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Top Paying States for Hazardous Materials Removal Workers

1. Missouri $59,120
2. Alaska $60,320
3. Illinois $61,330
4. Colorado $59,920
5. Washington $60,160
6. Tennessee $60,090
7. Minnesota $59,100
8. New York $73,090
9. District of Columbia $60,240
10. North Dakota $60,160

Other Construction and Extraction Occupations titles

  1. 1. Boilermakers $76,410
  2. 2. Brickmasons and Blockmasons $62,120
  3. 3. Terrazzo Workers and Finishers $76,170
  4. 4. First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers $79,920
  5. 5. Structural Iron and Steel Workers $62,780
  6. 6. Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other $70,130

Among Construction and Extraction Occupations peers on this card, Hazardous Materials Removal Workers sits 33% below the mid peer median ($73,300). Its own median is $49,450.

Employment Projections expect +1% change between 2024 and 2034 (slower than average vs baseline 3.1%). About 5,000 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Missouri at $59,120. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers at $79,920. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Hazardous Materials Removal Workers pay-rank #45 in Construction and Extraction Occupations

On the Construction and Extraction Occupations median table (60 detailed occupations with OEWS medians), Hazardous Materials Removal Workers lands at #45, in the lower third. That rank is a table position, not a statement about individual workers.

Other lower-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

SOC 47-4041 · national median $49,450 · lower third of Construction and Extraction Occupations (#45/60). Open the full OEWS map or a named state before treating the card median as a local ask.

Hazardous Materials Removal Workers salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 47-4041

Missouri · top state for Hazardous Materials Removal Workers

$59K published median

Alaska · #2 state pay

$60K · behind Missouri

First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers

Highest-pay peer vs Hazardous Materials Removal Workers · $80K

Brickmasons and Blockmasons

Lower-pay peer beside Hazardous Materials Removal Workers · $62K

Compare Hazardous Materials Removal Workers

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Hazardous Materials Removal Workers with another occupation →

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Hazardous Materials Removal Workers

Against another occupation

First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Hazardous Materials Removal Workers land on the Construction and Extraction Occupations median table? ▼
Hazardous Materials Removal Workers is pay-rank #45 of 60 in this major group, lower third of the median table. Closest lower-third titles: Painters, Construction and Maintenance ($49K), Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall ($49K), Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners ($50K), Pipelayers ($49K). That position is a table rank, not a worker percentile.
What do hazardous materials removal workers do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Hazardous Materials Removal Workers. Leading ones include: Build containment areas prior to beginning abatement or decontamination work; Remove asbestos or lead from surfaces, using hand or power tools such as scrapers, vacuums, or high-pressure sprayers; Identify asbestos, lead, or other hazardous materials to be removed, using monitoring devices; Prepare hazardous material for removal or storage. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for hazardous materials removal workers? ▼
For SOC 47-4041, O*NET importance scores lead with Monitoring (3.6), Critical Thinking (3.5), Operation and Control (3.4), Active Listening (3.3). Knowledge areas emphasize Public Safety and Security, Administration and Management, Transportation. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Hazardous Materials Removal Workers? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $49,450 as the national median for Hazardous Materials Removal Workers. The published 10th-90th range is $38,460 to $82,410. Beside First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers ($79,920), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Hazardous Materials Removal Workers? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Hazardous Materials Removal Workers is +1%. Projected annual openings: about 5,000. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: slower than average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Hazardous Materials Removal Workers? ▼
BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Hazardous Materials Removal Workers. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Hazardous Materials Removal Workers? ▼
Missouri ($59,120), Alaska ($60,320), Illinois ($61,330) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Hazardous Materials Removal Workers card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 47-4041. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Hazardous Materials Removal Workers. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics