Hazmat Waste Handler Salary
Salary Breakdown
Hazmat Waste Handler Pay Per Hour
A hazmat waste handler in waste management earns an average of $25.00 per hour. The table below converts every annual figure on this page to an hourly, weekly and monthly equivalent at a standard 2080-hour work year (40 hours a week, 52 weeks), so you can compare an hourly job posting directly against an advertised annual salary.
| Level | Per Hour | Per Week | Per Month | Per Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry level | $16.83 | $673 | $2,917 | $35,000 |
| Low end | $18.27 | $731 | $3,167 | $38,000 |
| Average | $25.00 | $1,000 | $4,333 | $52,000 |
| High end | $34.62 | $1,385 | $6,000 | $72,000 |
| Senior / top of scale | $38.46 | $1,538 | $6,667 | $80,000 |
Hourly, weekly and monthly columns are calculated from the annual figures in this guide (annual ÷ 2080 hours, ÷ 52 weeks and ÷ 12 months). They describe base pay only. Overtime, shift differentials and bonuses are not included.
Top Paying Cities
| City | State | Avg. Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Houston | TX | $62,000 |
| Los Angeles | CA | $60,000 |
| New York | NY | $58,000 |
| Philadelphia | PA | $55,000 |
| Atlanta | GA | $53,000 |
About This Role
Hazmat waste handlers collect, transport, and dispose of hazardous materials including chemicals, biomedical waste, and contaminated soils. They follow strict federal and state regulations to ensure safe handling, packaging, and documentation of dangerous substances. This role requires specialized training and meticulous attention to safety protocols.
Key Skills
Certifications
Entry-Level Pay and Getting Hired With No Experience
Hazmat handling requires training, but that training is usually supplied by the employer rather than demanded up front. Environmental services contractors routinely hire field technicians with no hazardous-waste background and put them through HAZWOPER 40-hour certification, respirator fit testing and DOT hazmat training during onboarding. A clean driving record and the ability to pass a medical surveillance exam matter more at the hiring stage than prior experience.
Entry-level pay for this role starts around $35,000 a year, about $16.83 an hour, or roughly $2,917 a month before overtime. That is $17,000 below the national average for the role, which is the gap experience, certifications and location close over time.
Other waste management roles that regularly hire without prior industry experience: CDL Driver ($26.50/hr), Recycling Sorter ($16.50/hr), Diesel Mechanic / Fleet Technician ($30.00/hr) and Sales / Account Manager ($33.00/hr).
See entry-level hazmat jobs hiring now →Part-Time Hazmat Waste Handler Work
Most hazmat handler positions are full-time, and emergency-response and remediation work often involves travel and on-call rotations rather than reduced hours. Some contractors staff project and campaign work on a temporary basis, which can suit people looking for intermittent rather than part-time schedules.
If a reduced schedule is what you need, the roles below carry far more genuine part-time availability while keeping you in the same industry.
Waste management roles with the most part-time and weekend availability: CDL Driver ($26.50/hr), Recycling Sorter ($16.50/hr), Helper / Laborer ($15.50/hr) and Admin / Office ($20.00/hr).
Search part-time hazmat jobs →Union Pay Scale for Hazmat Waste Handlers
Union coverage in hazardous waste is patchy. Handlers employed by municipalities or at unionised industrial sites may fall under a bargaining agreement, but the large environmental services contractors that do most remediation and emergency-response work are commonly non-union. Certification level and on-call availability drive pay differences here more than contract scale.
One important caveat: the figures on this page are national averages across union and non-union employers alike. They are not a union wage scale. Actual scale rates are set contract by contract and local by local, they change when an agreement is renegotiated, and the only authoritative source is the current agreement itself. Request it from the local or the employer’s HR department before you rely on a number.
Other commonly unionised waste management roles: CDL Driver, Recycling Sorter, Diesel Mechanic / Fleet Technician and Helper / Laborer.
Job Outlook
Demand for hazmat waste handlers is growing as environmental regulations tighten and industries produce more regulated waste streams. Cleanup of legacy contamination sites and expansion of pharmaceutical and chemical manufacturing continue to drive hiring. Workers with HAZWOPER certification and field experience command premium wages.
Hazmat Jobs Hiring Now
- Facility Technician IFull-TimeClean Harbors · Baltimore, MD
- Facility Technician IFull-TimeClean Harbors · Smithfield, KY
- CDL Class A Hazmat Tanker DriverFull-TimeEmergency Environmental Services, LLC · Mesa, AZ
- HazMat TechnicianFull-TimeEngineered Materials Solutions · Attleboro, MA
- ES Field Technician I (Driver Non-CDL)Full-TimeRepublic Services · Bridgeport, CT
Hazmat Waste Handler Career Path & Salary Expectations
A career as a hazmat waste handler in the waste management industry offers a clear trajectory from entry-level positions starting around $35,000 per year to senior roles earning $80,000 or more annually. With the national average sitting at $52,000 ($25.00/hr), professionals in this field can expect competitive compensation that grows with experience, certifications, and geographic location. Top-paying markets like Houston offer salaries as high as $62,000. Whether you are just entering the waste and recycling industry or looking to advance your career, investing in relevant skills and certifications is the most reliable path to higher earning potential in this essential and growing sector.
Put another way, the average works out to about $25.00 an hour, $1,000 a week or $4,333 a month on a full 2080-hour year, before the overtime, shift premiums and bonuses covered above. To compare this role against the rest of the industry, see the full waste management salary guide, or go straight to hazmat openings and every waste management job on the board.