Career profile · 47-4041
Hazardous Materials Removal Workers
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.
What the work can involve
- Remove asbestos or lead from surfaces, using hand or power tools such as scrapers, vacuums, or high-pressure sprayers.
- Build containment areas prior to beginning abatement or decontamination work.
- Prepare hazardous material for removal or storage.
- Comply with prescribed safety procedures or federal laws regulating waste disposal methods.
- Record numbers of containers stored at disposal sites, specifying amounts or types of equipment or waste disposed.
- Clean contaminated equipment or areas for reuse, using detergents or solvents, sandblasters, filter pumps, or steam cleaners.
Selected core tasks from O*NET 31.0. Responsibilities vary by employer, specialization and experience.
Preparation and entry routes
This broad O*NET group commonly involves some prior preparation and on-the-job learning. Check the specific employer, occupational credential and state requirements.
Check the route for the specific occupation where you plan to work. Education, employer experience requirements, occupational licensing and industry certification can be separate steps.
Understand the different credentials →Skills used in this occupation
- Monitoring
- Critical Thinking
- Active Listening
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Knowledge to build
- Public Safety and Security
- Customer and Personal Service
- Administration and Management
- Education and Training
- English Language
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Common work activities
- Getting Information
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Training subjects to investigate
The federal education-to-occupation crosswalk connects this role to the subjects below. These links do not endorse a school or guarantee that any particular award qualifies a graduate for the job.
Working conditions to consider
These are the most common published responses to selected O*NET work-setting questions. They describe occupation-level survey findings, not every employer or a particular job.
| Work-setting question | Most common response | Share giving that response |
|---|---|---|
| Contact With Others | Constant contact with others | 55.4%08/2026 · sample 14 |
| Exposed to Contaminants | Every day | 58.8%08/2026 · sample 14 |
| Exposed to Disease or Infections | Never | 66.5%08/2026 · sample 14 |
| Exposed to Hazardous Conditions | Every day | 44.8%08/2026 · sample 14 |
| Spend Time Sitting | Less than half the time | 46.2%08/2026 · sample 14 |
| Spend Time Standing | Continually or almost continually | 50.8%08/2026 · sample 14 |
| Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls | More than half the time | 37.5%08/2026 · sample 14 |
| Time Pressure | Every day | 51.1%08/2026 · sample 14 |
| Work Schedules | Regular (established routine, set schedule) | 62.1%08/2026 · sample 14 |
O*NET 31.0 Work Context, selected topics. Only unsuppressed source responses with sample size at least 10 are shown. A most-common response need not be a majority. Sampling uncertainty applies; source dates vary. Ask employers about actual schedules, accessibility, protective equipment and working conditions.
Software used in the workplace
Use these O*NET examples to ask how a course builds practical digital skills. They are workplace examples, not a required shopping list or confirmation of a school’s curriculum.
- Data base user interface and query software: Database software, Xactware Xactimate
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook
- Enterprise application integration software: Jenkins CI
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software: SAP software
- Facilities management software: Computerized maintenance management system software CMMS
- Inventory management software: Inventory management systems
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word
Selected categories and examples from O*NET 31.0 Software Skills. Products and employer requirements change. These examples are not endorsements; check the complete official occupation profile.
Pay & employment outlook
Salary estimates for hazardous materials removal workers
The median divides workers into two equally sized groups by pay. It is not a starting salary, a school’s graduate outcome or a promise of employment. Lower percentiles are not automatically new graduates.
National outlook: 2025–2035
- Typical education for entry
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Related work experience
- None
- Typical on-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
BLS national employment projections, 2025–2035. Openings include people leaving occupations or the labor force; these are not advertised vacancies. Education categories describe typical entry, not legal eligibility or a guarantee that any specific program is sufficient.
Compare wages across 51 state/DC estimates
| State | Annual median | Hourly median | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $38,610 | $18.56 | 350 |
| Alaska | $60,320 | $29.00 | 140 |
| Arizona | $50,530 | $24.29 | 800 |
| Arkansas | $36,630 | $17.61 | 440 |
| California | $56,120 | $26.98 | 7,340 |
| Colorado | $59,920 | $28.81 | 1,400 |
| Connecticut | $47,090 | $22.64 | 750 |
| Delaware | $44,250 | $21.28 | Not published |
| District of Columbia | $60,240 | $28.96 | 50 |
| Florida | $42,350 | $20.36 | 1,780 |
| Georgia | $48,960 | $23.54 | 460 |
| Hawaii | $58,440 | $28.10 | 340 |
| Idaho | $49,710 | $23.90 | 600 |
| Illinois | $61,330 | $29.49 | 1,980 |
| Indiana | $46,680 | $22.44 | 990 |
| Iowa | $49,870 | $23.98 | 270 |
| Kansas | $45,530 | $21.89 | 480 |
| Kentucky | $47,640 | $22.91 | 460 |
| Louisiana | $38,000 | $18.27 | 880 |
| Maine | $47,280 | $22.73 | 190 |
| Maryland | $48,640 | $23.39 | 660 |
| Massachusetts | $49,620 | $23.86 | 2,770 |
| Michigan | $46,380 | $22.30 | 1,610 |
| Minnesota | $59,100 | $28.41 | 730 |
| Mississippi | $39,440 | $18.96 | 250 |
| Missouri | $59,120 | $28.42 | 370 |
| Montana | $54,540 | $26.22 | 250 |
| Nebraska | $48,540 | $23.34 | 210 |
| Nevada | $47,520 | $22.85 | 400 |
| New Hampshire | $55,310 | $26.59 | 140 |
| New Jersey | $55,900 | $26.87 | 2,250 |
| New Mexico | $53,440 | $25.69 | 680 |
| New York | $73,090 | $35.14 | 4,090 |
| North Carolina | $43,180 | $20.76 | 1,250 |
| North Dakota | $60,160 | $28.92 | 170 |
| Ohio | $46,620 | $22.41 | 830 |
| Oklahoma | $44,300 | $21.30 | 650 |
| Oregon | $49,720 | $23.90 | 1,130 |
| Pennsylvania | $47,860 | $23.01 | 1,590 |
| Rhode Island | $46,670 | $22.44 | 330 |
| South Carolina | $49,170 | $23.64 | 870 |
| South Dakota | $51,420 | $24.72 | 190 |
| Tennessee | $60,090 | $28.89 | 570 |
| Texas | $44,390 | $21.34 | 4,450 |
| Utah | $49,240 | $23.67 | 530 |
| Vermont | $46,780 | $22.49 | 70 |
| Virginia | $45,320 | $21.79 | 930 |
| Washington | $60,160 | $28.92 | 3,250 |
| West Virginia | $46,390 | $22.30 | 130 |
| Wisconsin | $47,750 | $22.96 | 590 |
| Wyoming | $48,570 | $23.35 | 30 |
Metropolitan and nonmetropolitan wages
Search the 164 published local-area estimates for this occupation. Metropolitan areas can cross state lines; a city’s postal name is not necessarily the statistical area’s name.
Sources: BLS May 2025 OEWS public downloads and 2025–2035 employment projections, retrieved September 9, 2026. Unpublished estimates stay unavailable. “+” means BLS’s upper reporting threshold ($239,200 annually or $115 hourly). Wages exclude self-employment and nonwage benefits. How to interpret these figures.
Compare the route and prepare for work
Questions to test the fit
- What does an entry-level working day look like, and how does it differ from the experienced role described here?
- Which tasks, work environments and schedules would I enjoy or find difficult?
- What education, supervised practice and credentials do local employers actually request?
- Can I speak with someone in the occupation or arrange a suitable workplace visit?
- How does the complete training cost compare with my realistic budget and available routes?
Related occupations to compare
- Environmental Engineering Technologists and Technicians→
- Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health→
Related through shared training-subject mappings. Entry requirements can differ substantially.
Sources and attribution
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. Trade School Guides selects and organizes the material and adds explanatory guidance. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. Occupation code: 47-4041.00.
Training connections: CIP 2020–SOC 2018 crosswalk. Snapshot: September 8, 2026. See the methodology.