56221/Waste Treatment and Disposal
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
63K
employees, 2023
63K
employees, 2023
In 2023, 3,326 US Waste Treatment and Disposal business locations employed 62,599 people and paid $5.1 billion in annual payroll, $81,260 per employee on average. Employment was down 0.3% from 2022. South Carolina had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
3,326
+3.5% vs 2022
Employees
62,599
-0.3% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$5.1B
+7.7% vs 2022
Average pay
$81,260
+8.0% vs 2022
Over the years
United States, 2017 to 2023
Employees
Paid employees in mid-March
Business locations
Places with paid employees
By state
Employees of Waste Treatment and Disposal in each state, 2023
Employees by state
States with the most employees
Employees and the share of all the state's jobs
| State | Business locations | Employees | Average pay | Share of state jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Carolina | 82 | 7,269* | $99,978 | 0.35% |
| Texas | 321 | 5,132 | $74,909 | 0.04% |
| California | 249 | 4,728 | $80,046 | 0.03% |
| Illinois | 143 | 3,496 | $85,139 | 0.06% |
| Pennsylvania | 167 | 3,333 | $66,103 | 0.06% |
| Ohio | 161 | 3,237 | $72,584 | 0.06% |
| Arizona | 73 | 2,859 | $53,113 | 0.10% |
| Florida | 178 | 2,606 | $72,072 | 0.03% |
| Michigan | 116 | 1,864 | $75,623 | 0.05% |
| Washington | 43 | 1,856* | $183,308 | 0.06% |
| New York | 118 | 1,653 | $85,211 | 0.02% |
| Tennessee | 100 | 1,595 | $76,871 | 0.05% |
| Kentucky | 45 | 1,358 | $90,409 | 0.08% |
| Utah | 33 | 1,290 | $107,097 | 0.08% |
| New Mexico | 28 | 1,236 | $95,960 | 0.19% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 50.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Waste Treatment and Disposal employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | 8 | 6,275* | $106,400 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 92 | 2,627 | $84,171 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 53 | 2,620 | $52,082 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 91 | 2,130 | $79,669 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | 7 | 1,483* | $211,020 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 76 | 1,302 | $92,548 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 98 | 1,223 | $86,527 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 54 | 1,124 | $84,408 |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | 19 | 1,110 | $113,636 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 77 | 984 | $89,444 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 34 | 879 | $52,299 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 32 | 843 | $71,153 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 46 | 830 | $68,520 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | 37 | 671 | $77,541 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | 23 | 633 | $81,744 |
Business size
US Waste Treatment and Disposal business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 1,403 | 42.2% |
| 5 to 9 | 686 | 20.6% |
| 10 to 19 | 589 | 17.7% |
| 20 to 49 | 443 | 13.3% |
| 50 to 99 | 128 | 3.9% |
| 100 to 249 | 62 | 1.9% |
| 250 to 499 | 9 | 0.3% |
| 500 to 999 | Not published | - |
| 1,000 or more | 4 | 0.1% |
Related industries
Waste Treatment and Disposal and the 4 industries directly below it
Part of Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services 56Waste Management and Remediation Services 562Waste Treatment and Disposal 5622
| Code | Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 562211 | Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal | 29,880 | $90,323 |
| 562212 | Solid Waste Landfill | 23,871 | $68,932 |
| 562219 | Other Nonhazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal | 6,458 | $75,725 |
| 562213 | Solid Waste Combustors and Incinerators | 2,390 | $106,029 |
Questions and answers
How many people work in Waste Treatment and Disposal in the US?
62,599 people worked at 3,326 US Waste Treatment and Disposal business locations in 2023, down 0.3% from 2022. That is 0.04% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Waste Treatment and Disposal?
$81,260 a year per employee in 2023, from $5.1 billion in annual payroll (up 8.0% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Waste Treatment and Disposal jobs?
South Carolina had the most, with 7,269 employees in 2023, followed by Texas (5,132) and California (4,728).
Which metro areas have the most Waste Treatment and Disposal jobs?
Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC (6,275), Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (2,627), Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ (2,620) had the most Waste Treatment and Disposal employees in 2023.
Are most Waste Treatment and Disposal businesses small?
80.6% of the 3,324 Waste Treatment and Disposal business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 4 had 500 or more.
Official US government statistics, published once a year. Business locations are places with paid employees; employees are counted in mid-March; payroll covers the whole year. Covers most private employers, not the self-employed, most government workers or farm workers on farms. * Less accurate: changed by 5% or more to protect privacy. Changes from the year before are shown only when both years use the same edition of the industry codes.