Education:
26%
Less than a High School Diploma
25%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Hazardous Materials Removal Worker
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Job Outlook:
Little or no change
Education:
High school diploma or equivalent
Salary
High:
$81,130.00
Average:
$51,620.00
Hourly
Average:
$24.82
What they do:
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.
On the job, you would:
- Build containment areas prior to beginning abatement or decontamination work.
- Remove asbestos or lead from surfaces, using hand or power tools such as scrapers, vacuums, or high-pressure sprayers.
- Identify asbestos, lead, or other hazardous materials to be removed, using monitoring devices.
Important Qualities
Decision-making skills. Hazmat removal workers identify materials in a spill or leak and choose the proper method for safe cleanup.
Detail oriented. Hazmat removal workers must follow safety procedures, understand laws and regulations, and keep records of their work.
Mechanical skills. Hazmat removal workers may operate heavy equipment to clean up contaminated sites and set up machinery needed for remediation.
Physical stamina. Workers may have to stand and scrub equipment or surfaces for hours at a time to remove toxic materials.
Physical strength. Some hazmat removal workers lift and move heavy pieces of materials they are removing from a site.
Personality
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Characteristics of this Career |
|---|---|---|---|
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87% | Cooperation - Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude. | |
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86% | Attention to Detail - Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks. | |
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86% | Dependability - Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations. | |
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84% | Self-Control - Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations. | |
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79% | Adaptability/Flexibility - Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace. | |
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78% | Integrity - Job requires being honest and ethical. | |
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77% | Stress Tolerance - Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations. | |
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76% | Concern for Others - Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job. | |
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74% | Initiative - Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges. | |
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73% | Analytical Thinking - Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems. | |
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73% | Achievement/Effort - Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks. | |
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71% | Persistence - Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles. | |
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71% | Leadership - Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction. | |
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70% | Social Orientation - Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job. | |
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66% | Innovation - Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems. |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Strengths |
|---|---|---|---|
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95% | Realistic - Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services. |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Values of the Work Environment |
|---|---|---|---|
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89% | Support - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical. |
Aptitude
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Abilities | Cognitive, Physical, Personality |
|---|---|---|---|
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75% | Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem. | |
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72% | Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences. | |
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69% | Control Precision - The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions. | |
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66% | Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand. | |
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66% | Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer). |
Job Details
Responsibilities
Prepare hazardous waste for processing or disposal.
Record operational or environmental data.
Drive trucks or truck-mounted equipment.
Prepare hazardous waste for processing or disposal.
Load or unload materials used in construction or extraction.
Operate cranes, hoists, or other moving or lifting equipment.
Decontaminate equipment or sites to remove hazardous or toxic substances.
Prepare hazardous waste for processing or disposal.
Prepare hazardous waste for processing or disposal.
Inspect work sites to identify potential environmental or safety hazards.
Prepare hazardous waste for processing or disposal.
Prepare hazardous waste for processing or disposal.
Operate cranes, hoists, or other moving or lifting equipment.
Mix substances or compounds needed for work activities.
Pour materials into or on designated areas.
Apply new technologies to improve work processes.
Decontaminate equipment or sites to remove hazardous or toxic substances.
Prepare hazardous waste for processing or disposal.
Prepare hazardous waste for processing or disposal.
Prepare hazardous waste for processing or disposal.
Prepare hazardous waste for processing or disposal.
Assemble temporary equipment or structures.
Prepare hazardous waste for processing or disposal.
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Attributes & Percentage of Time Spent |
|---|---|---|---|
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95% | Face-to-Face Discussions - How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job? | |
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90% | Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets - How much does this job require wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets? | |
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88% | Wear Specialized Protective or Safety Equipment such as Breathing Apparatus, Safety Harness, Full Protection Suits, or Radiation Protection - How much does this job require wearing specialized protective or safety equipment such as breathing apparatus, safety harness, full protection suits, or radiation protection? | |
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84% | Responsible for Others' Health and Safety - How much responsibility is there for the health and safety of others in this job? | |
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78% | Exposed to Contaminants - How often does this job require working exposed to contaminants (such as pollutants, gases, dust or odors)? | |
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78% | Telephone - How often do you have telephone conversations in this job? | |
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77% | Work With Work Group or Team - How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job? | |
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74% | Contact With Others - How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it? | |
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72% | Time Pressure - How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines? | |
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72% | Spend Time Standing - How much does this job require standing? | |
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71% | Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls - How much does this job require using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls? | |
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69% | Importance of Being Exact or Accurate - How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job? | |
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68% | Responsibility for Outcomes and Results - How responsible is the worker for work outcomes and results of other workers? | |
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67% | Indoors, Not Environmentally Controlled - How often does this job require working indoors in non-controlled environmental conditions (e.g., warehouse without heat)? | |
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67% | Physical Proximity - To what extent does this job require the worker to perform job tasks in close physical proximity to other people? | |
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66% | Spend Time Walking and Running - How much does this job require walking and running? |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Tasks & Values |
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77% | Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates - Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person. | |
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74% | Getting Information - Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources. | |
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73% | Performing General Physical Activities - Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials. | |
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73% | Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials - Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects. | |
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71% | Handling and Moving Objects - Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things. | |
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70% | Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards - Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards. | |
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69% | Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings - Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems. | |
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68% | Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events - Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events. | |
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67% | Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships - Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time. |
What Hazardous Materials Removal Workers Do
Hazmat removal workers remove, neutralize, or clean up hazardous materials.
Hazardous materials (hazmat) removal workers identify and dispose of harmful substances, such as asbestos, lead, mold, and radioactive waste. They also neutralize and clean up materials that are flammable, corrosive, or toxic.
Duties
Hazmat removal workers typically do the following:
- Follow safety procedures before, during, and after cleanup
- Comply with state and federal laws regarding waste disposal
- Test hazardous materials to determine the proper way to clean up
- Construct scaffolding or build containment areas before cleaning up
- Remove, neutralize, or clean up hazardous materials that are found or spilled
- Clean contaminated tools and equipment for reuse
- Package, transport, or store hazardous materials
- Keep records of cleanup activities
Hazmat removal workers clean up materials that are harmful to people and the environment. They usually work in teams and follow strict instructions and guidelines. The specific duties of hazmat removal workers depend on the substances that are targeted and the location of the cleanup. For example, some workers remove and treat radioactive materials generated by nuclear facilities and power plants. They break down contaminated items such as “glove boxes,” which are used to process radioactive materials, and they clean and decontaminate facilities that are closed or decommissioned (taken out of service).
Hazmat removal workers may clean up hazardous materials in response to natural or human-made disasters and accidents, such as those involving trains, trucks, or other vehicles transporting hazardous materials.
Workers dealing with radiation may also measure, record, and report radiation levels; operate high-pressure cleaning equipment for decontamination; and package radioactive materials for removal or storage.
In addition, workers may prepare and transport hazardous materials for treatment, storage, or disposal following U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations. Using equipment such as forklifts, earthmoving machinery, and trucks, workers move materials from contaminated sites to incinerators, landfills, or storage facilities. They also organize and track the locations of items in these facilities.
Asbestos abatement workers and lead abatement workers remove asbestos and lead, respectively, from buildings and structures, particularly those being renovated or demolished. Most of this work is in older buildings that were originally built with asbestos insulation and lead-based paints—both of which are now banned.
Asbestos and lead abatement workers apply chemicals to surfaces, such as walls and ceilings, in order to soften asbestos or remove lead-based paint. Once the chemicals are applied, workers remove asbestos from the surfaces or strip the walls. They package the residue or paint chips and place them in approved bags or containers for proper disposal. Asbestos abatement workers use scrapers or vacuums to remove asbestos from buildings. Lead abatement workers operate sandblasters, high-pressure water sprayers, and other tools to remove paint.
Work Environment
Hazardous materials removal workers held about 48,700 jobs in 2022. The largest employers of hazardous materials removal workers were as follows:
| Remediation and other waste management services | 62% |
| Waste treatment and disposal | 10 |
| Construction | 6 |
Working conditions vary with the hazardous material being removed. For example, workers removing lead or asbestos often spend time in confined spaces or at great heights and must bend or stoop to remove the material. Workers responding to emergency and disaster scenarios may be outside in all types of weather.
Asbestos and lead abatement workers typically are in buildings being renovated or torn down, or in confined spaces.
Hazmat removal work may be physically demanding and strenuous.
Injuries and Illnesses
Cleaning or removing hazardous materials is dangerous, and workers must follow specific safety procedures to avoid injuries and illnesses. They usually work in teams and follow instructions from a team leader or site supervisor.
Workers wear coveralls, gloves, shoe covers, and safety glasses or goggles to reduce their exposure to harmful materials. Some must wear fully closed protective suits for several hours at a time, which may be hot and uncomfortable. For extremely toxic cleanups, hazmat removal workers also are required to wear respirators to protect themselves from airborne particles or noxious gases. Lead abatement workers wear personal air monitors that measure the amount of lead exposure.
Work Schedules
Most hazmat removal workers are employed full time. Overtime is common for some workers, especially for those who respond to emergency and disaster scenarios.
Some hazmat removal workers travel to areas affected by a disaster. During a cleanup, workers may be away from home for several days or weeks until the project is completed.
Getting Started
How to Become a Hazardous Materials Removal Worker
Hazmat removal workers learn on the job.
Hazardous materials (hazmat) removal workers typically need a high school diploma and are trained on the job. They must complete training that follows federal, state, and local standards.
Education
Hazmat removal workers typically need a high school diploma.
Training
Hazmat removal workers receive training on the job. Training generally includes a combination of technical instruction and fieldwork. For technical training, they learn safety procedures and the proper use of personal protective equipment. Onsite, they learn about equipment and chemicals and are supervised by an experienced worker.
The length of training and the information covered in training varies, depending on regulatory requirements and type of hazardous material that a worker is being trained to remove or reduce.
Employers may require workers to have completed OSHA Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response Standard (HAZWOPER) training. The training covers health hazards, personal protective equipment, site safety, recognizing and identifying hazards, and decontamination. Refresher training may be required periodically.
To work with a specific hazardous material, workers must complete training requirements and work requirements set by state or federal agencies on handling that material.
Workers who treat asbestos or lead, the most common contaminants, must complete an employer-sponsored training program that covers technical and safety subjects outlined by OSHA.
Workers at nuclear facilities receive extensive training. In addition to completing HAZWOPER training, workers must take courses on nuclear materials and radiation safety as mandated by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Organizations and companies provide training through programs that are approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Apprenticeships, such as Construction Craft Laborer through the Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA), provide training, hands-on instruction, and certification tests for hazmat workers.
Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations
Some states require workers to have permits or licenses for each type of hazardous waste they remove, particularly asbestos and lead. Workers who transport hazardous materials may need a state or federal permit.
License requirements vary by state, but candidates typically must meet the following criteria:
- Be at least 18 years old
- Complete training mandated by a state or federal agency
- Pass a written exam
To maintain licensure, workers must take continuing education courses each year. For more information, check with the state’s licensing agency.
Some certifications, such as for HAZWOPER training, may be required. Others, such as Department of Transportation (DOT) hazmat transportation certification, are optional but may lead to more employment opportunities.
Work Experience in a Related Occupation
Hazmat materials removal workers typically do not need related experience to enter the occupation. However, some employers prefer candidates who have experience in the construction trades—workers such as construction laborers and helpers—or in military careers.
Advancement
Hazmat removal workers may advance to become a supervisor after gaining experience and completing additional training, such as the OSHA HAZWOPER supervisor training. Workers also may advance to different positions within their industry, such as a radiation safety technician later becoming a supervisor in the nuclear power industry. After gaining experience, workers also may choose to start their own hazmat removal business.
Job Outlook
Employment of hazardous materials removal workers is projected to show little or no change from 2022 to 2032.
Despite limited employment growth, about 5,200 openings for hazardous materials removal workers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Most of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Employment
Employment growth will be driven by the need to safely remove and clean up hazardous materials (hazmat) at sites recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. However, funding for these activities may be sporadic; furthermore, construction laborers also perform some hazmat cleanup, offsetting demand for hazardous materials removal workers.
As nuclear plants are decommissioned, hazmat removal workers also will be needed to decontaminate equipment, store waste, and clean up these facilities for safe closure. However, some of the planned decommissioning activities have been delayed by the recent extension of site licenses.
Contacts for More Information
For more information about hazardous materials removal workers in the construction industry, including information on training, visit
Laborers’ International Union of North America
For more information about working in the nuclear industry, visit
For information about training and regulations mandated by federal agencies, visit
Mine Safety and Health Administration
Occupational Safety & Health Administration
U.S. Department of Transportation
Similar Occupations
This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of hazardous materials removal workers.
| Occupation | Job Duties | Entry-Level Education | Median Annual Pay, May 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Construction Laborers and Helpers |
Construction laborers and helpers perform many tasks that require physical labor on construction sites. |
See How to Become One | $39,520 |
|
Firefighters |
Firefighters control and put out fires and respond to emergencies involving life, property, or the environment. |
Postsecondary nondegree award | $51,680 |
|
Insulation Workers |
Insulation workers install and replace the materials used to insulate buildings or mechanical systems. |
See How to Become One | $47,980 |
|
Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators |
Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators manage a system of machines to transfer or treat water or wastewater. |
High school diploma or equivalent | $51,600 |