What is a salary atlas?

A salary atlas is a comparative market view that lets you switch roles and see which states are paying the highest medians, not just a single national average.

Why compare roles together?

Comparing roles together helps operators see where labor pressure is concentrated. A market with moderate driver pressure can still be expensive if dispatcher or operations talent is scarce.

How should I use this with route planning?

Use the atlas to spot market pressure, then compare route quality and dispatcher scope so compensation changes are paired with better operating design.

Compensation atlas

Waste industry salary atlas

Switch roles to compare which markets are leading compensation for drivers, dispatchers, route managers, and operations leaders.

Active role

Drivers

Collection and roll-off driver markets

Top market

California

$69,000

Median across markets

$60,833

Directional midpoint across the atlas.

Lowest indexed market

North Carolina

$55,000

How to use the atlas

Compare the active role across markets, then adjust for your exact route or operational scope.
Use the spread between roles to understand whether driver, dispatch, or management pressure is the bigger constraint.
Pair compensation review with route and dispatch design so pay changes are not solving avoidable workflow problems.

Rank	State	Compensation	Labor pressure	Notes
1	California	$69,000	very high	High cost of labor, strong metro competition, and multiple premium markets.
2	New York	$66,000	very high	Union density and metro cost structures push wages up quickly.
3	Colorado	$63,000	high	Denver metro pushes wage floors upward while long-haul disposal can affect schedules.
4	Illinois	$62,000	high	Chicago metro leads state averages and raises dispatcher complexity too.
5	Arizona	$62,000	very high	Fast growth and heat-driven schedule complexity influence labor design.
6	Pennsylvania	$61,000	high	Commercial density helps route economics but also raises service expectations.
7	Texas	$60,000	high	Large geographies make route design and equipment mix especially important.
8	Michigan	$60,000	moderate	Industrial work and commercial density both influence route and labor complexity.
9	Florida	$58,000	high	Tourism and construction cycles can change hiring pressure by metro.
10	Ohio	$58,000	moderate	Manufacturing and local logistics employers compete for CDL talent.
11	Georgia	$56,000	high	Atlanta creates the strongest wage pressure and route-complexity demand.
12	North Carolina	$55,000	high	Growing suburbs reward route density but raise service responsiveness expectations.