Hazardous Materials Removal Workers
Hazardous Materials Removal Workers (SOC 47-4041) earn a median $49,450 a year ($23.78 an hour) in the United States, with 51,710 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is New York.
What hazardous materials removal workers do
Hazardous materials removal workers find, take out, package, haul or dispose of hazardous materials such as asbestos, lead-based paint, waste oil, fuel, transmission fluid, radioactive materials and contaminated soil. Before abatement or decontamination work begins they build containment areas, and they use monitoring devices to identify the asbestos, lead or other hazard to be removed. Asbestos or lead is taken off surfaces with hand or power tools such as scrapers, vacuums or high-pressure sprayers, and the material is prepared for removal or storage and loaded into containers or onto trucks with hoists or forklifts. Contaminated equipment and areas are cleaned for reuse with detergents, solvents, sandblasters, filter pumps or steam cleaners. Workers follow prescribed safety procedures and federal laws on waste disposal, and may remove or limit contamination after emergencies involving hazardous substances or operate earth-moving equipment or trucks. The SOC adds that hazardous materials handling training and certification, or a confined entry permit, are generally needed.
Typical entry: O*NET respondents most often report that no high school diploma is required, and training happens on the job.
Also called: Abatement Worker, Asbestos Abatement Worker, Asbestos Coverer, Asbestos Handler, Asbestos Hazard Abatement Worker.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $18.49 | $21.50 | $23.78 | $29.58 | $39.62 | $27.13 | 51,710 |
| Annual | $38,460 | $44,720 | $49,450 | $61,530 | $82,410 | $56,430 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where hazardous materials removal workers earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York | Hourly | $22.89 | $26.72 | $35.14 | $41.08 | $47.75 | $34.57 | 4,090 | 0.42 | 1.27 |
| Annual | $47,600 | $55,570 | $73,090 | $85,450 | $99,320 | $71,910 | ||||
| Illinois | Hourly | $21.15 | $23.81 | $29.49 | $36.48 | $47.58 | $31.49 | 1,980 | 0.33 | 0.98 |
| Annual | $43,990 | $49,530 | $61,330 | $75,880 | $98,970 | $65,490 | ||||
| Alaska | Hourly | $22.18 | $24.34 | $29.00 | $35.74 | $58.55 | $32.62 | 140 | 0.43 | 1.30 |
| Annual | $46,130 | $50,640 | $60,320 | $74,330 | $121,770 | $67,850 | ||||
| District of Columbia | Hourly | $25.63 | $26.51 | $28.96 | $32.88 | $40.94 | $30.81 | 50 | 0.07 | 0.22 |
| Annual | $53,320 | $55,140 | $60,240 | $68,390 | $85,160 | $64,090 | ||||
| North Dakota | Hourly | $10.06 | $18.62 | $28.92 | $30.75 | $33.72 | $26.43 | 170 | 0.39 | 1.18 |
| Annual | $20,930 | $38,720 | $60,160 | $63,960 | $70,130 | $54,970 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $20.03 | $22.68 | $26.98 | $32.47 | $41.09 | $29.21 | 7,340 | 0.40 | 1.21 |
| Annual | $41,660 | $47,180 | $56,120 | $67,540 | $85,470 | $60,750 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $18.23 | $19.54 | $21.34 | $23.15 | $29.07 | $22.88 | 4,450 | 0.32 | 0.95 |
| Annual | $37,920 | $40,650 | $44,390 | $48,160 | $60,460 | $47,590 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $22.89 | $26.72 | $35.14 | $41.08 | $47.75 | $34.57 | 4,090 | 0.42 | 1.27 |
| Annual | $47,600 | $55,570 | $73,090 | $85,450 | $99,320 | $71,910 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $21.86 | $23.56 | $28.92 | $37.98 | $50.26 | $32.64 | 3,250 | 0.92 | 2.75 |
| Annual | $45,460 | $49,010 | $60,160 | $78,990 | $104,530 | $67,890 | ||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | $22.22 | $23.02 | $23.86 | $26.92 | $31.67 | $25.40 | 2,770 | 0.76 | 2.29 |
| Annual | $46,220 | $47,890 | $49,620 | $55,990 | $65,870 | $52,820 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | Hourly | $23.04 | $27.33 | $50.26 | $50.26 | $58.08 | $42.32 | 720 | 5.56 | 16.71 |
| Annual | $47,910 | $56,850 | $104,530 | $104,530 | $120,810 | $88,030 | ||||
| Pueblo, CO | Hourly | $21.14 | $27.18 | $38.11 | $38.11 | $38.11 | $31.82 | 70 | 1.07 | 3.20 |
| Annual | $43,970 | $56,530 | $79,260 | $79,260 | $79,260 | $66,180 | ||||
| Amarillo, TX | Hourly | $18.75 | $22.33 | $37.30 | $46.23 | $58.15 | $37.54 | 120 | 0.94 | 2.83 |
| Annual | $38,990 | $46,450 | $77,580 | $96,160 | $120,950 | $78,080 | ||||
| Knoxville, TN | Hourly | $19.34 | $28.68 | $36.19 | $43.37 | $54.35 | $36.60 | 230 | 0.54 | 1.62 |
| Annual | $40,230 | $59,660 | $75,280 | $90,200 | $113,050 | $76,130 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $22.54 | $26.75 | $35.61 | $41.15 | $47.65 | $35.42 | 3,770 | 0.40 | 1.20 |
| Annual | $46,870 | $55,640 | $74,060 | $85,590 | $99,110 | $73,680 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $22.54 | $26.75 | $35.61 | $41.15 | $47.65 | $35.42 | 3,770 | 0.40 | 1.20 |
| Annual | $46,870 | $55,640 | $74,060 | $85,590 | $99,110 | $73,680 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $19.44 | $22.58 | $24.59 | $32.25 | $41.02 | $28.80 | 2,470 | 0.39 | 1.18 |
| Annual | $40,440 | $46,970 | $51,160 | $67,090 | $85,330 | $59,910 | ||||
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | Hourly | $23.00 | $23.03 | $24.00 | $27.04 | $34.38 | $25.81 | 1,980 | 0.73 | 2.20 |
| Annual | $47,840 | $47,890 | $49,930 | $56,250 | $71,500 | $53,690 | ||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | $22.47 | $23.78 | $28.99 | $34.43 | $47.63 | $31.36 | 1,620 | 0.78 | 2.34 |
| Annual | $46,740 | $49,460 | $60,290 | $71,610 | $99,070 | $65,220 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $21.80 | $23.51 | $29.49 | $36.49 | $46.71 | $31.44 | 1,580 | 0.35 | 1.05 |
| Annual | $45,330 | $48,910 | $61,330 | $75,890 | $97,160 | $65,400 | ||||
Top industries employing hazardous materials removal workers
Remediation and Other Waste Management Services employ 62.3% of hazardous materials removal workers nationally (32,210 jobs) at a median $48,900 a year ($23.51 an hour), followed by Waste Treatment and Disposal (13.6%) and Employment Services (3.7%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Remediation and Other Waste Management Services NAICS 562900 | 32,210 | 62.3% | $48,900 | $23.51 |
| Waste Treatment and Disposal NAICS 562200 | 7,040 | 13.6% | $48,650 | $23.39 |
| Employment Services NAICS 561300 | 1,930 | 3.7% | $47,890 | $23.03 |
| Residential Building Construction NAICS 236100 | 1,710 | 3.3% | $48,670 | $23.40 |
| Waste Collection NAICS 562100 | 1,450 | 2.8% | $49,230 | $23.67 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (51,710). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $46,300 for hazardous materials removal workers in May 2021 and $49,450 in May 2025, with employment of 44,240 and 51,710.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $46,300 | $22.26 | 44,240 |
| May 2022 | $46,690 | $22.45 | 46,780 |
| May 2023 | $47,280 | $22.73 | 49,960 |
| May 2024 | $48,490 | $23.31 | 50,570 |
| May 2025 | $49,450 | $23.78 | 51,710 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
51 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York profile | $35.14 | $73,090 | $47,600 | $99,320 | 4,090 | 0.42 | 1.27 |
| 2 | Illinois profile | $29.49 | $61,330 | $43,990 | $98,970 | 1,980 | 0.33 | 0.98 |
| 3 | Alaska profile | $29.00 | $60,320 | $46,130 | $121,770 | 140 | 0.43 | 1.30 |
| 4 | District of Columbia profile | $28.96 | $60,240 | $53,320 | $85,160 | 50 | 0.07 | 0.22 |
| 5 | North Dakota profile | $28.92 | $60,160 | $20,930 | $70,130 | 170 | 0.39 | 1.18 |
| 6 | Washington profile | $28.92 | $60,160 | $45,460 | $104,530 | 3,250 | 0.92 | 2.75 |
| 7 | Tennessee profile | $28.89 | $60,090 | $39,460 | $96,100 | 570 | 0.18 | 0.53 |
| 8 | Colorado profile | $28.81 | $59,920 | $44,800 | $71,870 | 1,400 | 0.49 | 1.46 |
| 9 | Missouri profile | $28.42 | $59,120 | $37,280 | $68,330 | 370 | 0.13 | 0.38 |
| 10 | Minnesota profile | $28.41 | $59,100 | $44,260 | $92,150 | 730 | 0.25 | 0.75 |
| 11 | Hawaii profile | $28.10 | $58,440 | $44,420 | $77,270 | 340 | 0.54 | 1.63 |
| 12 | California profile | $26.98 | $56,120 | $41,660 | $85,470 | 7,340 | 0.40 | 1.21 |
| 13 | New Jersey profile | $26.87 | $55,900 | $43,750 | $107,570 | 2,250 | 0.53 | 1.58 |
| 14 | New Hampshire profile | $26.59 | $55,310 | $47,840 | $97,200 | 140 | 0.20 | 0.60 |
| 15 | Montana profile | $26.22 | $54,540 | $46,180 | $62,930 | 250 | 0.49 | 1.46 |
| 16 | New Mexico profile | $25.69 | $53,440 | $37,010 | $78,000 | 680 | 0.78 | 2.35 |
| 17 | South Dakota profile | $24.72 | $51,420 | $47,400 | $58,030 | 190 | 0.42 | 1.26 |
| 18 | Arizona profile | $24.29 | $50,530 | $34,410 | $60,650 | 800 | 0.25 | 0.75 |
| 19 | Iowa profile | $23.98 | $49,870 | $38,490 | $61,150 | 270 | 0.17 | 0.52 |
| 20 | Oregon profile | $23.90 | $49,720 | $41,660 | $64,450 | 1,130 | 0.58 | 1.73 |
| 21 | Idaho profile | $23.90 | $49,710 | $42,900 | $103,850 | 600 | 0.69 | 2.09 |
| 22 | Massachusetts profile | $23.86 | $49,620 | $46,220 | $65,870 | 2,770 | 0.76 | 2.29 |
| 23 | Utah profile | $23.67 | $49,240 | $36,870 | $77,120 | 530 | 0.31 | 0.92 |
| 24 | South Carolina profile | $23.64 | $49,170 | $37,840 | $102,770 | 870 | 0.38 | 1.13 |
| 25 | Georgia profile | $23.54 | $48,960 | $35,640 | $61,170 | 460 | 0.09 | 0.28 |
| 26 | Maryland profile | $23.39 | $48,640 | $45,590 | $75,180 | 660 | 0.24 | 0.72 |
| 27 | Wyoming profile | $23.35 | $48,570 | $46,110 | $58,240 | 30 | 0.12 | 0.36 |
| 28 | Nebraska profile | $23.34 | $48,540 | $37,770 | $59,110 | 210 | 0.21 | 0.62 |
| 29 | Pennsylvania profile | $23.01 | $47,860 | $37,570 | $72,800 | 1,590 | 0.26 | 0.79 |
| 30 | Wisconsin profile | $22.96 | $47,750 | $38,890 | $77,530 | 590 | 0.20 | 0.60 |
| 31 | Kentucky profile | $22.91 | $47,640 | $40,160 | $63,140 | 460 | 0.23 | 0.69 |
| 32 | Nevada profile | $22.85 | $47,520 | $37,870 | $62,500 | 400 | 0.26 | 0.77 |
| 33 | Maine profile | $22.73 | $47,280 | $39,920 | $85,340 | 190 | 0.29 | 0.88 |
| 34 | Connecticut profile | $22.64 | $47,090 | $39,060 | $64,150 | 750 | 0.44 | 1.33 |
| 35 | Vermont profile | $22.49 | $46,780 | $44,860 | $52,290 | 70 | 0.23 | 0.70 |
| 36 | Indiana profile | $22.44 | $46,680 | $38,280 | $62,860 | 990 | 0.31 | 0.93 |
| 37 | Rhode Island profile | $22.44 | $46,670 | $40,400 | $79,710 | 330 | 0.67 | 2.01 |
| 38 | Ohio profile | $22.41 | $46,620 | $39,090 | $66,620 | 830 | 0.15 | 0.45 |
| 39 | West Virginia profile | $22.30 | $46,390 | $37,530 | $76,650 | 130 | 0.19 | 0.57 |
| 40 | Michigan profile | $22.30 | $46,380 | $36,610 | $68,390 | 1,610 | 0.37 | 1.10 |
| 41 | Kansas profile | $21.89 | $45,530 | $36,100 | $56,330 | 480 | 0.34 | 1.01 |
| 42 | Virginia profile | $21.79 | $45,320 | $37,140 | $60,440 | 930 | 0.23 | 0.68 |
| 43 | Texas profile | $21.34 | $44,390 | $37,920 | $60,460 | 4,450 | 0.32 | 0.95 |
| 44 | Oklahoma profile | $21.30 | $44,300 | $37,590 | $50,630 | 650 | 0.38 | 1.15 |
| 45 | Delaware profile | $21.28 | $44,250 | $32,000 | $63,120 | ** | ** | ** |
| 46 | North Carolina profile | $20.76 | $43,180 | $37,330 | $58,720 | 1,250 | 0.25 | 0.76 |
| 47 | Florida profile | $20.36 | $42,350 | $34,960 | $59,290 | 1,780 | 0.18 | 0.54 |
| 48 | Mississippi profile | $18.96 | $39,440 | $33,600 | $48,030 | 250 | 0.21 | 0.64 |
| 49 | Alabama profile | $18.56 | $38,610 | $34,450 | $59,160 | 350 | 0.17 | 0.49 |
| 50 | Louisiana profile | $18.27 | $38,000 | $34,440 | $50,120 | 880 | 0.45 | 1.36 |
| 51 | Arkansas profile | $17.61 | $36,630 | $34,800 | $108,620 | 440 | 0.34 | 1.01 |
Part of Construction and Extraction Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 47-4041 Hazardous Materials Removal Workers.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 47-4041, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 47-4041.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.