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.
Median pay ranges from $26,520 to $104,530 depending on the metro. Most people train through: moderate-term on-the-job training. Job growth and openings are national figures.
Nationally, hazmat removal workers have 71 injuries or illnesses serious enough to miss work per 10,000 full-time workers, 18% below the rate for all jobs (87). The most common cause is falls, slips and trips.
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Registered apprenticeships
Of hazmat removal worker apprentices nationally who finished or left a registered program in fiscal years 2020–2024, 47% completed, about 5 graduates a year. The typical program runs 5,100 hours, about 3 years of full-time work. Search open registered programs near you on the official Apprenticeship Finder.
U.S. Department of Labor, RAPIDS apprentice records (Completion Rate Analysis), FY2020–2024 exits.
What the work is like Government data
How often hazmat removal workers deal with each condition, from surveys of workers in the job.
Getting started usually takes some preparation (high school plus months of training).
O*NET 31.0 Work Context and Job Zones (U.S. Department of Labor), national.
Highest-paying metros
Best real pay after local prices
What the median buys once each metro's price level is factored in.
Pay: BLS OEWS, May 2025 (metro-level). Real pay: BEA price parities, 2024. How we calculate
Best-paying states Government data
Statewide, hazmat removal workers earn the most in New York ($73,090) and the least in Arkansas ($36,630), a gap of $36,460 a year.
BLS OEWS statewide medians, May 2025.
Hazmat Removal Worker pay by state
Compare with another trade
Side-by-side pay, job growth, training and safety for hazmat removal workers and 16 similar trades.