Hazardous Materials Removal Workers Salary

SOC Code: 47-4041 • Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024

Median Salary
$48,490
Mean Salary
$55,740
Employment
50,570
Entry Level (10th %ile)
$37,330
Top Earners (90th %ile)
$82,480

Pay Range Distribution

10th percentile
$37,330 25th percentile
$42,710 Median (50th)
$48,490 75th percentile
$62,150 90th percentile
$82,480

Hazardous Materials Removal Workers Salary by State

StateMedianMeanEmploymentEntry (10th)Top (90th)
Tennessee$65,080$66,360480$37,220$93,250
Minnesota$63,560$68,260420$44,290$89,320
New York$62,610$71,3503,660$46,640$101,330
Idaho$61,230$75,820520$37,940$124,860
New Hampshire$60,540$66,960N/A$50,580$93,690
Washington$59,840$67,2002,850$41,130$106,330
Colorado$58,790$58,2401,950$43,140$75,290
District of Columbia$58,490$59,64040$51,900$70,530
Hawaii$56,100$57,470440$41,920$76,340
New Jersey$56,040$63,1702,090$43,250$102,530
Illinois$55,640$62,7701,810$39,630$106,060
California$54,740$61,2407,950$39,360$88,430
North Dakota$54,350$59,250N/A$46,300$79,510
Alaska$53,860$56,580280$38,470$89,610
Montana$52,280$53,880160$44,710$62,770
New Mexico$52,180$57,280940$35,400$87,860
Rhode Island$50,380$57,470N/A$39,380$77,910
Iowa$50,140$51,420370$39,240$60,010
Ohio$49,560$52,5301,160$38,450$66,180
Massachusetts$49,130$53,9602,550$45,770$70,200
Indiana$49,010$53,720800$36,770$81,540
Vermont$48,980$50,58090$44,760$57,660
South Dakota$48,860$49,74060$39,020$64,110
Pennsylvania$48,820$52,3601,600$37,340$73,150
Oregon$48,700$51,9801,230$39,210$65,560
Nebraska$48,180$48,610240$36,560$61,050
Nevada$47,490$51,780700$37,050$66,930
Michigan$47,470$52,050960$38,160$68,000
Arizona$47,360$46,020560$30,110$59,160
South Carolina$47,150$55,540870$35,810$82,630
Kentucky$47,060$47,610320$38,220$59,640
Maryland$47,050$50,100830$40,400$63,070
Missouri$46,850$54,960210$36,760$84,940
Maine$46,350$49,180230$38,970$61,260
Virginia$46,050$46,2301,290$36,260$57,060
Utah$45,740$52,460220$34,670$77,670
Texas$45,220$46,1403,260$36,320$54,780
Wisconsin$45,010$49,800370$36,620$85,560
Connecticut$44,840$46,500730$36,990$57,550
Georgia$44,320$45,640610$30,890$58,470
West Virginia$43,910$46,660180$36,040$64,250
North Carolina$41,550$44,0901,210$35,790$57,190
Kansas$40,700$43,590350$37,170$53,980
Oklahoma$39,980$44,020430$36,200$58,330
Delaware$39,140$38,330N/A$31,200$41,850
Alabama$38,810$43,070490$33,170$57,130
Mississippi$38,740$39,660390$32,610$47,230
Arkansas$38,390$45,160610$32,300$61,200
Florida$38,320$43,4302,300$35,850$60,050
Louisiana$37,280$40,9201,020$33,530$53,180

Highest Paying Metro Areas

Metro AreaMedianMeanEmployment
Kennewick-Richland, WA$95,600$85,940660
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI$76,950$70,970330
Amarillo, TX$76,900$79,280130
Knoxville, TN$74,130$75,860210
Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA$72,950$82,48040
Madison, WI$66,540$69,83070
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$64,990$73,920360
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$62,280$71,8803,580
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$60,730$67,7101,470
Utica-Rome, NY$60,530$71,570110
Syracuse, NY$60,360$65,420150
Salinas, CA$59,240$65,68070
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$59,180$64,9701,320
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$58,790$57,1201,060
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$58,770$64,8901,440
Anchorage, AK$58,480$59,100110
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$58,350$57,810860
Columbus, OH$58,170$56,360180
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$57,840$60,980490
Bellingham, WA$57,690$62,180N/A

About Hazardous Materials Removal Workers Salary Data

This data comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The median salary represents the midpoint — half of hazardous materials removal workerss earn more and half earn less. The 10th percentile represents entry-level pay, while the 90th percentile represents the highest earners in this occupation. Employment counts represent estimated total jobs in May 2024.

Understanding Salary Percentiles

Salary percentiles show how wages are distributed across workers in this occupation. The 10th percentile represents entry-level pay — only 10% earn less. The median (50th percentile) is the true midpoint of all wages. The 90th percentile reflects top earners, typically in senior roles or high-cost metro areas. A wide gap between the 10th and 90th percentiles indicates that experience, location, and specialization significantly affect pay.

Factors That Affect Pay

Several factors influence salary for this occupation. Location is one of the biggest — the same job can pay 50% more in a high-cost metro area like San Francisco or New York compared to a rural area. Experience matters significantly; workers at the 90th percentile typically have 10-20+ years in the field. Industry also plays a role — the same occupation often pays differently in finance, technology, healthcare, or government. Education and certifications can boost pay, especially in fields that require advanced degrees or specialized licenses.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between median and mean salary?

The median is the midpoint — half earn more, half earn less. The mean (average) is the total of all salaries divided by the number of workers. The median is generally more useful because it is not skewed by a small number of extremely high earners.

Do these figures include bonuses and benefits?

No. BLS OEWS data measures base wages and salaries only. It does not include bonuses, commissions, tips, overtime, stock options, health insurance, retirement contributions, or other benefits. Total compensation may be 20-40% higher than base salary.

How reliable is this data?

The BLS OEWS survey covers approximately 1.1 million business establishments across the U.S. and uses rigorous statistical sampling methods. It is considered one of the most reliable sources of occupational wage data available. Self-employed workers and certain agricultural positions are not included.

How often is this data updated?

The BLS publishes new OEWS data annually, typically in the spring for the previous May reference period. This page shows May 2024 data, the most recent release.