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'We're one of the very few blue collar jobs that can't be outsourced to China,' he says. Related: Why you should worry about cheap oil Noel Molina and Tony Sankar, If they leave the job, they are entitled to severance pay too.

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Both Molina and Sankar have full health care coverage and a 401(k) retirement account.

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Truck drivers need a commercial drivers license, which some employers will train employees for.īut there's job security, says David Biderman, executive director of Solid Waste Association of North America, the association that represents thousands of waste management workers.īiderman argues the waste industry offers long-term job security for working class folks.

Outside of physically grueling work, negative stigmas deter young adults from applying even though the barrier for entry isn't high: private trash companies don't require a high school diploma. They work a lot too - 55 to 60 hours a week. Beyond the stench, Molina and Sankar lift heavy trash bags every night, weave through traffic, and talk to each other constantly for safety. Related: British oil industry warns it may collapse The landfill operators at her site make about $50,000 a year. 'Not only has the demand for workers increased but (so have) the types of skills,' says Morris, director of the Waste Commission of Scott County. Kathy Morris runs a waste management facility in Davenport, Iowa, and she's raised wages to retain employees. It's the same story in other parts of the country. That lack of available talent is one key reason why Antonacci and others in the industry have given out raises at a faster pace than the national average. Related: Yelp CEO responds to employee letter on low wages Only four applicants had a commercial drivers license and all four had penalties on their licenses. Employers can't find qualified truck drivers, landfill operators or mechanics.ĭavid Antonacci says he got 50 applications when he advertised for a truck driver's job. That's because it's not easy to find workers in the business. Nationwide, wages for trash workers have grown 18%, which is a lot faster than the 14% average for all workers since the recession ended in June 2009. Not only do they earn a good salary, their wages are growing faster than the average too. Guys who go to college might not make the kind of money '(I make) on the back of a garbage truck, picking up trash,' says Sankar. Molina and Sankar are aware that they outearn many people with a college degree. Across all professions, high school dropouts earn about $24,000, while high school graduates make $30,000 annually, according to the U.S.

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Nationwide, the annual salary for a garbage truck driver is $40,000, according to the Labor Department. Not everyone makes six figures, but most trash workers are doing better than high school dropouts and even graduates. Sankar too dropped out of school before migrating to the U.S. He says his starting salary was about $80,000. Molina dropped out of high school in the 10th grade and he's worked at Crown for 10 years. Related: Workers' rage over move to Mexico caught on video Their wages have grown in eight of the last nine years, according to their bosses, brothers David and Jerry Antonacci, owners of Crown Container, a waste management company. Molina made $112,000 last year as a garbage truck driver and Sankar made $100,000 as a helper, riding on the back of the truck. 'Your trash is my money,' Molina, 32, says with a baby-faced grin.

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