Also called: MRF Sorter, Material Sorter
Stands at conveyor belts in recycling plants pulling out trash and sorting materials by hand.
Wearing gloves and safety gear, you pluck plastic bags, hoses, and other contaminants off a fast-moving belt of recycling so machines downstream can do their jobs. Many sorters move up to equipment operator or supervisor.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
No formal education, about 0 years after high school. No education required; recycling plants train you on the job to sort materials and stay safe around moving conveyors.
Ways in: On-the-job training. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Shrinking. AI sorting robots are replacing hand sorters.
High risk for 10 years. AI sorting robots and optical sorters are quickly replacing hand pickers at recycling plants.
Age 18+. One way to start: Apply at recycling plants (MRFs) or staffing agencies that fill sorter jobs
Classes: Math, Environmental science.
Official data: O*NET occupation 53-7062.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.