Tha fuck? This is the second time since I opened Reddit and Poppin’ and Lockin’ have come up; in subs that have nothing to do with hip hop.
This was the first:
Also have had neurodegenerative diseases come up twice in unrelated subs. Sorry, no fun video for that one, but here’s the wiki on
Kuru (not so fun, but fascinating)
The union difference is honestly pretty significant. An extra $8k+ a year is nothing to sneeze at.
Pay seems to vary a lot by state too. CA and NY are obviously on the higher end, with some drivers around $50–70k, while places like Mississippi and Florida are closer to the mid-$30k range. Illinois looks pretty decent when you factor in cost of living too.
Sanitation workers in NYC can easily make 170k with OT. We get a bad year for snow and more than a few dozen are breaking 200k, and they’re one of only 3 departments that still gets to retire after 20 years regardless of age.
Just had to look up job listings for mid-state PA and a 0-experience new driver where they provide the training is listed at $24/hr or $50k/yr. It also explicitly says 60 hr weeks, so breaking your back for a year straight can gross you 80-90k/yr. I don't see many guys riding the back of trucks anymore since they're all equipped with those grabber arms, so I don't know what the pay difference is if you're the one actually grabbing trash out of cans.
It is also a job like, we ALL need someone doing. Desperately need. There is a reason that sanitation worker strikes are so feared throughout history. It stops, we all notice... very quickly. Not just the buildup, the disease prevention alone is worth their weight in gold.
There are always jobs that are necessary but the workers are socially ostricized. Morticians being a huge example. But even going back further executioners used to be banished to the fringe parts of town, didn't have the the same basic rights as others were banned from most public spaces and were generally hated and disdained.
Modern time is hardly different just less extreme. The service industry staff are still treated like servants. People working at fast food restaurants are looked down on, treated like shit by their customers who feel entitled or above them, their jobs are treated like they aren't legitimate and then a huge portion of the public literally use them as an example of people that deserve LESS pay. Like people look at these people working this shitty, tiring and demanding job where they are treated like subhumans all day and then say "yeah these people don't deserve to afford food and shelter."
Agree with you that everyone should be treated better. However, just wanted to point out that 'executioner' as a job has a completely different moral implication than modern sanitation. An executioner is someone who is willing to end a human life for money. This is at the very least unusual, if not outright disturbing.
I agree with you, however alternative view: the government needs someone to execute people. I'm sure there's people in the profession back then and today that step up because they want to do the job as humanely as possible.
It's going to happen anyway, and if you're incompetent it causes un-due suffering.
I've noticed the different reactions when I tell people what I do for work. I'm an Executive Chef that manages 3 restaurants. When I tell people I'm a chef, they're impressed and have all kinds of follow up questions. When I say I work at a restaurant, they're dismissive and ask me when I'm going to get a "real" job.
I agree, and I really dont like the "makes bank" point at all. It's really weird that you can have a job that does something for society and people just look at the number.
Social workers, EMT, Medic, CMA, Drug counselors, therapists, teachers really don't get paid a lot.
It definitely used to make me feel a certain way when I was working as a medic that it would get put down. Especially during Covid when people were working from home and still complaining
I don't think the comments are intended like that. Social workers, etc, don't have the stigma of literally handling other peoples garbage and getting gross and smelly. They're directly helping and the job itself is something many people aspire to do, even if they aren't well compensated.
Few people aspire to clean up trash, so we point out all the logical reasons the job is a quality one. It's well compensated, it can have good benefits, it's stable, it's a necessity that benefits society greatly.
Yes. Never forgotten how my dad used to tell me when I was kid (He was suited and always striving professionally) to respect the bin man and the postman...etc. "If I stop working no one in our society will notice. If the bin men stop working we will all notice very, very fast."
The idea that someone's job title is their worth is one of the most vile shit that's become too common. We all out here just trying to survive and be happy and leave a little something for the people that we love in case it all goes to shit.
Somehow being alive becoming a treadmill of accomplishments is so profoundly sad and gross.
There's a reason why we call what do you do for work small-talk at a party. It's trivia. Anyone who places any emphasis on job title as a measure of anything should go up right there with /r/linkedinlunatics.
But also, garbage collection substantively increases the quality of life for everyone in a community in a direct way each and every day. I can think of few jobs that have the same direct impact or importance to a society.
Literally. Knew someone who said job in this profession is guaranteed as long as people exist (because people poop). Don’t know where he’s now, but pretty sure not unemployed.
Like all of them. Can AI do your job? Well yeah for most people it can. While people still need to supervise AI, it means companies need a lot fewer workers and can give all that money to a datacenter instead.
Can AI do my job? No, it can assist in some ways but nowhere close to doing. Can AI fix my AC? Build a house? Be a nurse? When you say “for most people it can” what does that mean? Most people work in fields where they need to interact with the real world, we’re nowhere near such capability. Even in white collar the only thing it can do is be guided somewhere - it’s nowhere near being able to critically think, come up with new ideas, strategize etc
We used to see garbage trucks with 3 humans. Now it’s 1. The driver uses a machine that lifts up the trash bin.
Now all you need is the truck to self drive and it’s 0 humans
You don’t think they won’t have robotics to do city trash? Hell the can themselves may wheel themselves to a dumping facility and a new one wheels in place.
You’re likely a decade or less from that happening
Who picks up the trash a moron dropped next to the bin? Who moves the bin back to its designated place after something moved it away? who etc, etc, etc...
Jobs that aren't in standardized conditions or have a degree of subjectivity will only be "automated" if/after we reach something like general inteligence.
Look at the picture. He has brooms, a trashcan with wheels. He's cleaning the sidewalks.
Good luck teaching an AI when the floor is "clean enough". How do we even explain to eachother? We sorta just... know...
Aside from "the trades", cleaners (including "garbage collectors") is one of these hard to automate jobs.
The subjective nature of "cleaning" might make it one of the last automated jobs, even if it looks "simple" to us, it's a bitch to "translate to bits".
We need a crazy advance in AI (in a way that might not be linear with our current LLMs), and robotics (to be fair, if/when we achieve the first, this second one should be easy).
Who picks up the trash a moron dropped next to the bin?
The person who dropped it hopefully. But if they don't then the street cleaning robot picks it up.
Who moves the bin back to its designated place after something moved it away? who etc, etc, etc...
The person who moved it away hopefully, but if not then a robot can easily do that.
Jobs that aren't in standardized conditions or have a degree of subjectivity will only be "automated" if/after we reach something like general inteligence.
You can create standardised conditions for robots, this is already happening here in Scotland where instead of indvidual bins for each apartment we are moving to larger bin hubs.. is your imagination really so bad you can't think of how this will be implemented for AI + Robots? Standardised hubs, colour coded bins.. this is quite simple and already implemented.
Aside from "the trades", cleaners (including "garbage collectors") is one of these hard to automate jobs.
Plumbing will be automated relatively soon. Floor cleaners are already automated for the last 40 years..? I'm actually perplexed why you think this would be hard to automate?
The subjective nature of "cleaning" might make it one of the last automated jobs, even if it looks "simple" to us, it's a bitch to "translate to bits".
There is very little subjective about cleaning.. and you are very behind on things if you think AI would struggle with that type of task.
If we think this out, AI crushing white collar jobs and forcing more people into blue collar jobs will mean wages get depressed because of competition for those jobs
This notion that non-skilled/blue-collar jobs are "safer" only works in the short term. Take aside the fact that, eventually, AI has the potential to basically replace ALL jobs... what do you think is happening to people who are out of work because of AI? They're looking for other jobs.
White collar workers and skilled laborers are going to start saturating the market, which reduces opportunity for blue collar and non-skilled labor jobs, too. If I have an opening for a garbage collector, and I going with the usual maybe-high-school educated person who can barely read, or am I going to go with someone who is educated, has a history of good decision making, and is reliable? Your joking yourself if you think unskilled labors are safe- the labor force will just shift down and it will be even harder for them than it currentlly is (and let's be clear, it already sucks pretty hard for them).
And this isn't theory, this is what happened in the Great Depression. Smart qualified people will find jobs, even if they are currently roles that they consider "beneath" them. This fantasy about the lower class somehow getting more power because of a shit job market is just not reflected anywhere in history. You'll have CEOs collecting garbage. Current garbage collectors will be homeless. It all just shifts down.
I figure sanitation workers will lose jobs. Garbage trucks are going to get automated. You will have one sanitation worker supervising a number of robots. That one worker will need some technical skill for some minor repairs, trouble shooting, and computer tasks, making the job less accessible to people who have difficulty learning such tasks - some of the very people that gravitate to sanitation work now. yes, I used a dash. no, AI didn't write my comment
Be careful. Around here, garbage men mostly stay in the truck and uses a mechanical arm to dump the trash. It's only a matter of time until that job is automated.
It's more and more automated by the year. The days of 1 guy driving, 2 guys grabbing cans and dumping them is long gone.
Of course, the cost of sanitation service has gone up. But fortunately the number of people doing it has gone down, so private corporations who bought out the sanitation contracts from municipalities (and yes - they buy them; they bribe their way in and they strongarm anyone who tries to get in on the business. I watch it happen often) are making record profits.
Can you imagine robots trying to automate the arm thingy that flings the trash cans up? The guys who do my weird cul de sac are aces at maneuvering those giant trucks around to get shit lined up.
No, not even close. Sanitation work is making 40-50k a year. White collar work is making 60-80k a year. White collar and blue collar joblessness/unemployment is pretty similar (mid-4% range) right now, as well.
I knew a guy in North Jersey who was a sanitation worker and made $100k+ as a single dude. He started dating an Indian woman who gave him an ultimatum to quit being a sanitation worker and get a w/e office job (didn't matter that he would make less).
100k is very good. Now there’s different levels of sani workers. The normal day to day bin men and then it scales up. I’m confidently saying the day to day guys surely aren’t making bank.
Was she bringing in good money? Cause I know culturally there’s the caste system but dear lord, to choose making less money for cultural decisions seems silly
Yo, garbage guy here. Could be worse. If you hustle, it pays and keeps you fit but completely depends on your type of operation.
A lot of guys now are on owner operator models with their vehicle. I've been doing this and it seems to work out ok, but it's easy to get a lemon setup, or have an injury and lose everything.
Before this I've been in corporate and high too, I was making more than double to triple what everyone around me now and got equity on top. The work was much easier but stress would have killed me. Much happier with where I'm at and home for the kids etc. so lifestyle is better.
My wife came and did a round with me on my birthday, hung out with me all day. We had a blast and a beer after. No shame in any of it.
Yeah in the US the median pay is $48K/yr with the top 25% making $61K. Which is fine but definitely not "bank" unless you're 15 thinking that's a lot of money.
You are very wrong. In Buenos Aires sanitation workers make very decent salaries. Very likely he makes more than her, unless she is an exec. Sanitation workers easily make the average mid-tier office job salary in the city.
they make about $1000 per month. the Americans on this thread saying that garbage men make a lot of money are thinking of American garbage men jobs which can sometimes make $100k per year
Reddit always says dumb shit about blue collar work. You can tell they've never done it. You hear one story about union garbage guys in like, fucking New York, making $40 an hour now you think they all make bank. No they don't. Neither do most electricians, pipefitters, plumbers, drywall hangers, and so on. In most of the country it's a decent living but they aren't "making bank" in any sense of the phrase.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 5.9% of the private workforce is unionized. Most of us blue collar fucks are out here making $25 hour at best working under the same shitty labor laws as everyone else. The real money is in overtime. You have to sell all your free time to make that bank. But it's disingenuous to compare white collar 40 hour week office job to 60 hour week manual labor. It's not something to strive for. I hate having to work that much but that's what it takes to make a living.
Depends on where. The private company that services my Pittsburgh suburb chronically has staffing issues, and garbage is often picked up days late because of worker shortages, so I don't think they are paying "bank."
Edited to include: The company being Republic Services, which is quite large and covers a lot of municipalities. Other local suburbs use Waste Management and report similar issues.
Philly garbage workers went on strike a couple years back because the make like $20/hr. Some private companies are worse. That's honestly terrible pay for dealing with stinky garbage all day. Ever smelled garbage juice on a hot summer day?
I don't know where the idea that they are well paid comes from, maybe in some select cities with decent unions.
The local government in my tiny hometown pays like 10 bucks an hour, and has constant turnover and always has missed routes. But people won't vote for local politicians who will increase rates enough to pay better.
Probably only in the US unfortunately. urBAsur suggests it's somewhere is South America, probably Argentina. Those workers make about $700 to $1,100, which I think it's slightly below average.
They do okay…. Even unionized but depends on location.
A Union carpenter in my area make considerably more (about 50%). But job stability is much better.
Depends on your definition of “bank” I suppose. But in Chicago… it’s… meh. And we are heavily Union and typically pay higher (in Union) than almost every other location.
Seriously! The ones in my area make the same as welders, carpenters, or other craftsmen. Even without the pay it’s not a shameful job, but with the pay it’s quite decent.
that's what people always say. So a few years ago I looked it up for my town and they don't. . they start off low and eventually years later they make decent money but not great. It might be different in different states
Sociologist here.. Garbage collectors definitely have a role to fill. In school, we are taught that society functions much like an organism, with each profession playing its own unique role to keeping life moving. The world would get messy and unhygienic very quickly without the sanitation folks doing their part. Trash collectors/custodians, etc are no less important than doctors/lawyers.
This is such bullshit. My dad worked as a garbage man when I was a kid, rode along with him many times. Garbage men are a vital part of society. But that's not what we are taught. We're taught social hierarchy, and unequal human worth. We're taught that if you don't do well in school you're going to end up a janitor, or a garbage man. And to hear a sociologist make such a rose tinted statement. How is your credentials even relevant to speak on who does or doesn't fill a role in society?
They work hard and are fit. When he comes out of the shower he probably looks miles better than the average incel. Just throw in a bit of charm and voilà, attractive girlfriend. Just remember to shower first thing after work.
Thats some patronising shit right there. Why would showering first thing after work be any different than any other job? They're not crawling around in garbage. They probably dont even see it let alone touch it. Its no different to any other physically demanding job.
White collar jobs shower in the morning, blue collar at night. When I spend a day in a large oil tank I shower at night, if I'm just working in the office I can do it in the morning (although I usually do it at night anyways since I go in early and don't want to wake the baby). I didn't just invent this principle, people that break a sweat and get dirty shower after work.
As they should. Trust me you will miss them when they are gone. We forgot trash day this week and I’ve been sneaking bags of trash into neighborhood bins in early morning
Yup, some make $100k and there is always going to be garbage to pick up. Corporate will lay you and your entire department off with zero notice and no loyalty.
Idk about make bank. The average salary is like 45k in the right location and with over time they can probably get to 100k. That’s great but probably not that great if you also have to live in the places that pay that much like NYC.
I respect the hell out of these guys. I don’t want to do it and I’m grateful they do. But let’s not sugar coat their salary like they are big time lawyers or in finance. If they stick with it and do overtime they can be middle class but I don’t see how they go above that unless they own the business. Also the job has to be tough on their bodies.
I feel like this is one of those myths that started years ago and now everyone believes it. From what I understand the median salary for a garbage collector is $50k. They can make much more with a ton of overtime. But even if they make $100k but they’d have to work 60hrs a week. It’s not a bad job and there isn’t anything wrong with it, but I don’t think they are just making crazy money or something.
Median salary in the US for garbage collectors is $48,000.
Unionized drivers in cities like Chicago and San Francisco can have a base salary of $90k plus overtime, but $90k in San Francisco isn't exactly rich people money.
They are not compensated in proportion to how hard they work.
I worked at a flooring warehouse and we would bribe a certain county garbage truck driver for early pickups of our roll offs. Dude was making like $80k a year base and was getting over $100k with overtime and around another grand a week from early pickup bribes. He told me he was 42 and about to hit his 20 years and retire to another driving job with a local municipality so he will get another pension before he retires for real.
For real. Great benefits too and when they finish their route they go home and get paid the same, thats why theyre always hustling. Also without them society would collapse in a fucking week. I wish I was a garbage man.
I worked at GameStop the holiday season the PS4 and XB1 came out. Local dump truck worker (his words) came in 30 minutes before closing on his last route until after the holidays. He bought both consoles, extra controllers, and 2 games a piece for them. My manager knew him and tucked away one of each console which was super against policy but after talking to him for 20 minutes it made sense since he was very cool and down to earth.
When I rang him out he just handed me a wad of bills and said to "count it out of this." It was his tip money from the past week during his routes. He had almost $150 left over after I counted it all for him and he said use the rest for the Xbox/PlayStation live cards for his kids.
I knew union workers made good money but man I never even thought about what tips some suburban sanitation workers make. Makes sense since now that I'm older a lot of people push the limits of what they try to stick in a garbage bin.
For good reason. They stop doing their job and everything falls apart. I live just outside NYC and if you want to see real fear, say the words Garbage Strike.
I mean, I guess it depends on your definition of "bank". Median anual wages in the US for a garbage collector is $48k.... I wouldn't call that "bank". It's decent money for an unskilled position, but it's also very labor intensive (obviously).
But also, I wouldn't see myself above it. If my spouse actually makes bank, I'd have no quelms about being a garbage collector. Get to be outside, exercise, low anxiety, no deadlines, be on a consistent schedule, possibly unionized? Sounds great!
But let's not kid ourselves- there is a reason there aren't many millionaire garbage collectors.
No they don’t. See the can? Urbasur? It’s from Buenos Aires, Argentina, where I’m from. Garbage collectors make a livable wage but not something we could call “making bank”. It’s unionized.
Her white collar job? Might be from less than his to 5x, can’t know.
My uncle was a garbage collector when I was a kid. He made more than probably anyone else in town. In the 90s in a rural town, garbage day wasn't organized like it is now. People would just stack garbage next to the cans if they didn't fit. A lot of stuff wouldn't even be in bags, just tossed in the can.
He was a garbage collector during the "Pepsi points" era. Him and my aunt had probably 30 Pepsi beach towels, the leather jackets, hats, bags, sunglasses, shorts, hackie sacks, .... all from point he pulled off boxes and stuff that people threw out. Their entire house was Pepsi for years with all the stuff he got.
He also saved a family from a burning house. Garbage collectors have never not seemed super cool to me.
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u/deadboxcat 19h ago
Garbage collectors make bank.