Hazardous Materials Removal Workers
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Overview
Identify, remove, pack, transport, or dispose of hazardous materials, including asbestos, lead-based paint, waste oil, fuel, transmission fluid, radioactive materials, or contaminated soil. Specialized training and certification in hazardous materials handling or a confined entry permit are generally required. May operate earth-moving equipment or trucks.
Explore Pathways
Titles for this career often contain these words
HazardousAsbestosTechnicianWasteWorkerSpecialistMaterialsHandlerDriverAbatementMaterialHazmatHazardRemoverDecontaminationOperatorTankerHandlingCovererDecommissioningDisasterRestorationDisposerIrradiatedFuelJunkRemovalRadiologicalControlSafetyDisposalAttendant
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Responsibilities and activities

Hazmat removal workers typically do the following:

  • Follow safety procedures before, during, and after cleanup
  • Comply with state and federal laws regarding waste disposal
  • Test hazardous materials to determine the proper way to clean up
  • Construct scaffolding or build containment areas before cleaning up
  • Remove, neutralize, or clean up hazardous materials that are found or spilled
  • Clean contaminated tools and equipment for reuse
  • Package, transport, or store hazardous materials
  • Keep records of cleanup activities

Hazmat removal workers clean up materials that are harmful to people and the environment. They usually work in teams and follow strict instructions and guidelines. The specific duties of hazmat removal workers depend on the substances that are targeted and the location of the cleanup. For example, some workers remove and treat radioactive materials generated by nuclear facilities and power plants. They break down contaminated items such as “glove boxes,” which are used to process radioactive materials, and they clean and decontaminate facilities that are closed or decommissioned (taken out of service).

Hazmat removal workers may clean up hazardous materials in response to natural or human-made disasters and accidents, such as those involving trains, trucks, or other vehicles transporting hazardous materials.

Workers dealing with radiation may also measure, record, and report radiation levels; operate high-pressure cleaning equipment for decontamination; and package radioactive materials for removal or storage.

In addition, workers may prepare and transport hazardous materials for treatment, storage, or disposal following U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations. Using equipment such as forklifts, earthmoving machinery, and trucks, workers move materials from contaminated sites to incinerators, landfills, or storage facilities. They also organize and track the locations of items in these facilities.

Asbestos abatement workers and lead abatement workers remove asbestos and lead, respectively, from buildings and structures, particularly those being renovated or demolished. Most of this work is in older buildings that were originally built with asbestos insulation and lead-based paints—both of which are now banned.

Asbestos and lead abatement workers apply chemicals to surfaces, such as walls and ceilings, in order to soften asbestos or remove lead-based paint. Once the chemicals are applied, workers remove asbestos from the surfaces or strip the walls. They package the residue or paint chips and place them in approved bags or containers for proper disposal. Asbestos abatement workers use scrapers or vacuums to remove asbestos from buildings. Lead abatement workers operate sandblasters, high-pressure water sprayers, and other tools to remove paint.

Salary
Median salary: $45,270 annually
Half of those employed in this career earn between $36,210 and $58,970.
$45K$0$20K$40K$60K$80K
Context: Median Salary
How do salaries for this career compare to other jobs' salaries?
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Salary growth for hazardous materials removal workers
Is this job likely to reward you for sticking with it through pay raises and promotions? The higher a job’s “experience quotient,” the more you are likely to get as you stay there.
Experience quotient percentile
Take a minute to look at how much you might expect your salary to increase with each five years' experience, as well as how the numbers working at each age change. Does this seem to be a job for the young or the old, or could it be a career offering steady salary growth for many years?
Salary distribution
$42K$43K$45K$37K$41K$34K$45K$41K$26K$0$20K$40K$60K$80K$100K20-2425-2930-3435-3940-4445-4950-5455-5960-64
Number employed
01K2K3K4K5K20-2425-2930-3435-3940-4445-4950-5455-5960-64
About Hazardous Materials Removal Workers
How do benefits for this career compare to other jobs? The availability of health care, especially employer provided health care, and pension plans can add significantly to the value of compensation you receive in a career. These charts compare how this career compares to other careers with regard to health care and pension plans.
Employee has health insurance
Employer is providing health insurance
Employer-provided pension plan is available
Worker concerns
Some jobs are more stressful than others, and some are just plain dangerous. The following list gives the percentages of hazardous materials removal workers who report hazardous or difficult situations typically occurring at least once a week.
  • Responsible for Others' Health (85%)
  • Exposed to Contaminants (80%)
  • Time Pressure (67%)
  • Consequence of Error (51%)
  • High Conflict Frequency (49%)
  • Minor Burns, Cuts, Bites (46%)
  • Hazardous Conditions (38%)
  • Exposed to Whole Body Vibration (34%)
  • High Places (32%)
SOURCES:
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Personality and skills
Can you see yourself in the ranks of Hazardous Materials Removal Workers? Here are the skills and traits that could lead to success.
Decision-making skills
Hazmat removal workers identify materials in a spill or leak and choose the proper method for safe cleanup.
Detail oriented
Hazmat removal workers must follow safety procedures, understand laws and regulations, and keep records of their work.
Mechanical skills
Hazmat removal workers may operate heavy equipment to clean up contaminated sites and set up machinery needed for remediation.
Physical stamina
Workers may have to stand and scrub equipment or surfaces for hours at a time to remove toxic materials.
Physical strength
Some hazmat removal workers lift and move heavy pieces of materials they are removing from a site.
Injury and Illness
About 22 hazardous materials removal workers become injured or ill for every 10,000 workers, making this job more dangerous than 54% of other careers. The most common specific illnesses or injuries are detailed following.
All cuts, lacerations, punctures
Soreness and pain
Sprains, strains, tears
Education pathways to this career
Education attained by hazardous materials removal workers
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), hazardous materials removal workers typically hold a high school diploma or equivalent.
Sometimes the typical education identified by the BLS differs a bit from the reality of the how much education current workers actually have. The donut shows the education level held by people currently working as hazardous materials removal workers as reported in responses to the American Community Survey.
Details: Education and training recommended for hazardous materials removal workers

Hazmat removal workers typically need a high school diploma.

Details: Licensing and certification recommended for hazardous materials removal workers

Some states require workers to have permits or licenses for each type of hazardous waste they remove, particularly asbestos and lead. Workers who transport hazardous materials may need a state or federal permit.

License requirements vary by state, but candidates typically must meet the following criteria:

  • Be at least 18 years old
  • Complete training mandated by a state or federal agency
  • Pass a written exam

To maintain licensure, workers must take continuing education courses each year. For more information, check with the state’s licensing agency.

Some certifications, such as for HAZWOPER training, may be required. Others, such as Department of Transportation (DOT) hazmat transportation certification, are optional but may lead to more employment opportunities.

Education level of Hazardous Materials Removal Workers
Only 12% of hazardous materials removal workers have a bachelor's degree or higher.
Education attained by hazardous materials removal workers
None
High School
Some College
Associate's Degree
Bachelor's Degree
Master's Degree
Professional Degree
Doctorate
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Programs recommended by the Department of Education
The Department of Education recommends the following college degree programs as preparation for this career. You can click the program row to learn more about the program and explore a list of schools that offer the program.
Number of degrees awarded in 2018
Education
Education level of awarded degrees
Assoc./Cert.
Bachelor's
Graduate
Gender
Gender of graduates
Men
Women
Race/Origin
Race/origin of graduates
White
Minority
International
Where are the jobs
State-by-state employment numbers
Some careers tend to be centered in specific parts of the country. For example, most jobs in fashion are in New York or California. Let's see if your dream job is easy to find in your dream location! We have a few choices for viewing the data that can help you get a full employment picture.
Select a state to see local area details
Number of Hazardous Materials Removal Workers per 1,000 workers (ACS)
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORUTWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICANVCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFLPR
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Job density versus job count
Which states hire the most hazardous materials removal workers? We wonder if that's a fair question since states come in all sizes, so instead let's start with the question of which states have the highest density of people working as hazardous materials removal workers. You can choose to view the number of jobs per state if you prefer.
Salaries by state
Let's get a feel for where hazardous materials removal workers earn the highest salaries. There are several choices for which data we consider and how we view that data, and each can lead to different conclusions, so please read on...
Median salary versus state ratio
We use two methods to compare salaries across states:
  • In-state comparisons: the ratio of median (middle) salaries for hazardous materials removal workers compared to the median salary for all people working in each state, or
  • Median salary: the unaltered median salaries for hazardous materials removal workers.
We hope the ratio allows perspective about how salaries may compare to the regional cost-of-living.
The darkest shading corresponds to states in which hazardous materials removal workers earn the highest salary when compared to other jobs in the state. We think this figure might be a better indicator than the actual salary for your buying power as a state resident.
Select a state to see local area details
Location-adjusted median salary for Hazardous Materials Removal Workers (ACS)
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORUTWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICANVCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFLPR
Employment
9% of Hazardous materials removal workers are working part time.
We’ve found that some jobs have a huge number of part-time workers, and typically that is because they are unable to find full-time work or the job itself can’t provide full-time hours. With 9% part-time workers, this occupation has a lower percentage of part-time workers than 58% of careers.
9%0%20%40%60%80%100%
Employer types
This donut shares the break-down of workers by employer type, giving us a picture of what employers most typically hire for this career.
Employers of undefined (ACS)
Private for-profit
Private not-for-profit
Local government
State government
Federal government
Self-employed incorporated
Self-employed not incorporated
Working without pay
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Distribution: Salaries of hazardous materials removal workers by type of employer
Here are the salary distributions based on employer type.
$39K$37K$47K$28K$51K$56K$0$20,000$40,000$60,000$80,000$100,000Federal governmentState governmentLocal governmentPrivate not-for-profitPrivate for-profitAll
Gender
Hazardous materials removal workers and gender
With 16% women, this occupation has a lower percentage of women than 71% of careers.
Gender of Hazardous materials removal workers
Men (84%)
Women (16%)
Distribution: salaries by gender
Does gender greatly influence your salary in this career? The closer the bars are, the less discrepancy there is.
$29K$42K$0$100K$200K$300KWomenMen
We only include salary data when the survey error is less than 20%, so you may see only partial information for some categories.
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Context: Women in the workforce
How does this career compare to other careers with regard to the percentage of women in the career.
16%0%20%40%60%80%100%
Context: Salary inequity
The median (middle) salary for all full-time male workers in the US exceeds the full-time median salary for women by 19%, and the difference for hazardous materials removal workers tops that, with the median salary for men 44% higher than the median salary for women.
44%0%20%40%60%80%100%
Race/Origin
Race and origin of Hazardous materials removal workers
This donut shows the distribution of race and origin among those employed as Hazardous materials removal workers.
Race/origin of hazardous materials removal workers
White (68% )
Black (14% )
Other (10% )
Multiracial (3% )
Asian (2% )
Hispanic (2% )
American Indian (1% )
Pacific Islander (0% )
Distribution: salaries by race/origin
Some careers might have a pay disparity based on race or origin, the closer the below bars are the less of a discrepancy is present.
$33K$35K$41K$0$20K$40K$60K$80K$100KOtherBlackWhite
We only include salary data when the survey error is less than 20%, so you may see only partial information for some categories.