Sector Dashboard - Waste & Recovery

Waste and recovery includes firms engaged in waste collection, treatment, remediation, and food recovery. While it supports the smallest number of food economy jobs, waste and recovery jobs have grown faster than other sectors and projections anticipate continued growth. Waste and recovery also pays the highest average wages in the food economy.

*Projected job growth for the metro area is calculated at the state level. **A factor of 14.5% is applied to waste and recovery employment data.

The food economy employs higher wage occupations in waste and recovery, such as hazardous materials removal workers. Many occupations have high school diploma educational attainment. However, waste and recovery in the food economy also supports highly-skilled occupations such as environmental engineers, which have a typical entry level education at the master’s level.

*Numbers with an asterisk are calculated at the state level

Waste collection leads employment in the city and region. Regionally, the most jobs added are in waste and recovery, which also pays the highest wages.

Highest Wages = Green; Most Jobs Added = Red; Most Employees = Blue