Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors in the Pinehurst-Southern Pines Metro

BLS metro-level wage data places Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors pay in Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC at a median of $37,160 per year ($17.87/hr), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared with the national median of $49,690, the metro estimate is 25% below. OEWS reports the difference but does not identify its cause. Approximately 70 refuse and recyclable material collectors are employed across the Pinehurst-Southern Pines MSA in SOC 53-7081.

The Pinehurst-Southern Pines pay distribution spans from $28,160 at the 10th percentile to $47,080 at the 90th, a 1.7× observed spread. Differences in specialization, employer, sector, location, credentials, schedule, and experience may all contribute, but OEWS does not isolate their effects. The 25th percentile sits at $28,160 and the 75th at $43,970, so half of Pinehurst-Southern Pines-based refuse and recyclable material collectors earn within that middle band.

Metro figures use establishment work location, not worker residence. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. OEWS includes straight-time pay, tips, commissions, incentive pay, and production bonuses. It excludes employer health and retirement benefits, overtime premiums, stock compensation, signing bonuses, and other nonproduction bonuses. The same occupation's national profile, statewide NC estimate, and peer-metro rows provide distinct geographic comparisons. A published median is a benchmark, not a prediction or ceiling for one worker.