# Will garbage collectors be replaced by AI? Updated October 2026 Garbage collectors score 21 of 100 for AI exposure. 73% of their task time still needs a person. AI can do 12% today and speed up another 15%. - **12%** AI can do it - **15%** AI helps - **73%** Needs a person Low exposure Lower than 78% of the 923 occupations we scored. ## Task by task We graded 14 tasks, listed here from most to least exposed. AI can do 2 of them today, speeds up 2 and leaves 10 to people. | Task | AI exposure | | --- | --- | | Fill out defective equipment reports. Defect reports are form writing AI can draft and file. | 72% AI can do it | | Organize schedules for refuse collection. Schedule building is software optimization AI can draft. | 68% AI can do it | | Check road or weather conditions to determine how routes will be affected. Weather and traffic lookups are digital; worker decides route changes. | 50% AI helps | | Communicate with dispatchers concerning delays, unsafe sites, accidents, equipment breakdowns, or other maintenance problems. Live radio talk with dispatch; AI only helps with logs. | 35% AI helps | | Inspect trucks prior to beginning routes to ensure safe operating condition. Physical checks of brakes, tires and lights need a person. | 15% Needs a person | ## How garbage collectors compare All occupations (923) Transportation and material moving (52) **Garbage collectors score 21**, marked by the dark line. Each dot is a score, darker where more occupations share it. The short marks show the averages, 37 for all occupations and 25 for transportation and material moving. ## Pay and outlook in the US Median pay $49,690 a year, May 2025 People employed 147,240 in the US, May 2025 Projected change in jobs +2.1% from 2024 to 2034 ## Skills to build - Hold a valid commercial driver's licence with air brake endorsement - Walk the pre-trip check on brakes, tires and lights - Verify defect entries in the CMMS before dispatch sign-off - Adjust routes in Routeware and GPS software during weather delays - Give clear dispatch radio updates on breakdowns and unsafe sites ## Safer roles nearby 5 related occupations with lower scores. - [Recycling workers12 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/recycling-workers/) - [Hazardous materials removal workers14 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/hazardous-materials-removal-workers/) - [Tank loaders20 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/tank-loaders/) - [Septic tank technicians17 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/septic-tank-technicians/) - [Forklift operators10 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/forklift-operators/) ## Questions about garbage collectors and AI Will AI replace garbage collectors? Partly. About 2 in 10 working hours go to tasks AI can already do, mostly filling out defective equipment reports and organizing refuse collection schedules. Driving routes, dismounting trucks to collect bins, and dumping loads stay with people because they need physical work on real streets and at disposal sites. Which garbage collector tasks is AI taking over? Filling out defective equipment reports is the most exposed task, scoring 72 on exposure, because the form writing can be drafted and filed by AI. Organizing refuse collection schedules scores 68, since schedule building is software optimization that AI can draft from route data. Which garbage collector tasks stay human? Refueling trucks, cleaning truck bodies and dumping loads all score 3 to 8 on exposure and stay with people. Dismounting to collect bins is physical work at every curbside stop. Dumping refuse at disposal sites needs a person physically tipping the load, and the paperwork there is minor. How can garbage collectors stay valuable? Hold a valid commercial driver's licence and keep air brake skills sharp. Walk the pre-trip check on brakes, tires and lights, then verify each defect entry in the CMMS before it goes out. Make route changes yourself in Routeware and GPS software when weather or traffic shifts. Stay precise on dispatch radio calls about delays, unsafe sites and breakdowns. ## Related jobs - [Truck drivers27 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/truck-drivers/) - [Vehicle cleaners13 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/vehicle-cleaners/) - [Warehouse workers17 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/warehouse-workers/) - [Heavy equipment operators15 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/heavy-equipment-operators/) ## Next steps for garbage collectors - ### Check your job Your job title is a rough guide. Your actual tasks decide your score. Paste your job description or CV and see which of your tasks AI can do. [Check your job](https://www.aigentcy.com/tools/ai-exposure-checker/) [Check your CV](https://www.aigentcy.com/tools/cv-checker/) ### Check which roles in your team AI can take on We map your team's tasks, show what AI can do today and build the automations that pay back first. [Book an AI audit](https://www.aigentcy.com/audit/) ## Related topics - [**Jobs AI can't replace**Cement masons score lowest, at 8.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/jobs-ai-cant-replace/) - [**Jobs most at risk from AI**Proofreaders score highest, at 76.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/jobs-most-exposed-to-ai/) - [**High-paying jobs with low AI exposure**Radiologists earn a median $420,860 and score 46.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/high-paying-jobs-low-ai-exposure/) - [**Entry-level jobs with low AI exposure**Cement masons need little prior training and score 8.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/entry-level-jobs-low-ai-exposure/) - [**Jobs AI speeds up the most**For natural sciences managers, AI speeds up 96% of task time.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/jobs-ai-speeds-up/) - [**AI and jobs in Malta**15 iGaming roles graded task by task.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/malta/) - [**Skills that keep work human**The skills to build in the jobs AI changes least.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/skills/) - [**Jobs A to Z**Every job we publish, by first letter.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/jobs/) - [**AI exposure by industry**Average scores for 22 occupation groups.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/industries/) - [**Write a CV screening software can read**How applicant tracking systems read a CV, and what to change.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/cv-screening-guide/) - [**AI for businesses**The tasks to automate first in each team and industry.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-for/) - [**How we score AI exposure**The grading, the weights and every source.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/methodology/) Occupation data from the O\*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and modified by Aigentcy. O\*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Wage, employment and projection data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. EU occupation names from ESCO, European Commission. AI usage signals from the Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY) and Microsoft Research (CC BY 4.0). [Methodology and sources](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/methodology/). Scores © Aigentcy. Quote them with a link to the page.