Will AI replace recycling and reclamation workers?

Some tasks are already being done by AI or machines; the rest still needs a person. About 6h 3m of a typical shift is made up of tasks that AI or robots have done on their own in real use somewhere. That doesn't mean those hours are automated in a typical workplace. The other 1h 57m (24%) stays with people. Separately, BLS expects about 1.8% more of these jobs by 2035 (all jobs: +3.5%).

None of this job's tasks show regular AI use yet. That can mean the work is hands-on or in person, or simply that it rarely comes up in AI usage data.

For some tasks, yes. Robots have done 7 of this job's tasks in workplaces like this one, about 6h 3m of a typical shift. 5 more tasks have only been done in factory setups built around the machine, so they stay with people here. For 1 physical task, no robot has shown it can do the work yet.

• Sort materials, such as metals, glass, wood, paper or plastics, into appropriate containers for recycling. (2h 52m a shift; e.g. AMP Cortex / Amp AI sortation, in use)
• Operate forklifts, pallet jacks, power lifts, or front-end loaders to load bales, bundles, or other heavy items onto trucks for shipping to smelters or other recycled materials processing facilities. (43m a shift; e.g. FoxBot autonomous forklift, in use)
• Clean recycling yard by sweeping, raking, picking up broken glass and loose paper debris, or moving barrels and bins. (37m a shift; e.g. Trombia Free autonomous sweeper, in use)
• Sort metals to separate high-grade metals, such as copper, brass, and aluminum, for recycling. (37m a shift; e.g. ZenRobotics Heavy Picker (integrated with USConveyor systems), in use)

1h 57m of a typical shift, or 24%, goes to tasks with no AI or robot evidence yet. No AI usage or robot deployment has shown up for these so far. The biggest:

• Operate balers to compress recyclable materials into bundles or bales. (31m a shift)
• Clean, inspect, or lubricate recyclable collection equipment or perform routine maintenance or minor repairs on recycling equipment, such as star gears, finger sorters, destoners, belts, and grinders. (25m a shift)
• Collect recyclable materials from curbside for delivery to designated facilities. (18m a shift)
• Clean materials, such as metals, according to recycling requirements. (12m a shift)
• Record logs of recycled materials or waste chemicals removed from products. (12m a shift)

Much of it comes down to where and how the work happens. In-person, hands-on and high-stakes work is where AI and robots have made the least headway so far. In the official O*NET survey of people in this job:

• 88% use their hands on tools, objects or controls more than half the time
• 83% spend more than half the day on their feet
• 70% work outdoors in all weather every day

On Indeed, job postings in the Loading & Stocking sector are at 109% of their February 2020 level (all U.S. postings: 104%), up 12.4% from a year earlier, as of Oct 9, 2026. BLS separately expects about 341,000 openings a year in this job through 2035. Across all U.S. postings, 7.3% now mention AI skills. Sector postings cover more than this one job and move for many reasons besides AI.

The median pay is about $40,240 a year ($19.35 an hour), 21% below the median for all U.S. jobs ($50,980). Most people in this job earn between $31,270 and $55,140 a year; that range covers the middle 80%. Pay figures are from BLS, May 2025, and vary a lot by state and employer. Pick a state to compare:

BLS projects growth of 1.8% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% growth for all jobs. That's about 3 million jobs in 2035. It expects about 341,000 openings a year, mostly from people retiring or changing careers. These projections don't single out AI as a cause.

About 3 million people in the U.S., roughly 1.9% of all workers (BLS, May 2025). That makes it the 8th largest of the 796 jobs on this site. BLS expects about 3 million in 2035.

The most common requirement is a high school diploma: about 74% of people in the job said so in the official O*NET survey. O*NET rates the job at level 2 of 5 for preparation, which usually means: high school diploma, some training. Requirements vary by state and employer, especially for licensed work.

These come from the job's official skill ratings and from the tasks that AI and robots touch least today. Building them keeps you strong in the parts of the work that still need a person:

• Skills that matter more here than in most jobs: Operation and Control, Operations Monitoring, Monitoring, Active Listening
• Get strong at the parts of the job that stay with people (listed above), which take 1h 57m of a typical shift
• Tools employers list: Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Word

These use similar skills, with less of a typical shift touched by AI or robots. Matches come from 109 official ratings of skills, knowledge and work activities, and each needs the same or less preparation unless the official list relates the jobs directly:

• Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand (4h 31m touched, $40k median pay)
• Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders (37m touched, $43k median pay)
• Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment (1h 11m touched, $36k median pay)
• Machine Feeders and Offbearers (3h 26m touched, $41k median pay)

Each task carries its own evidence label. For this job: 7 with robots in real deployments, 7 with no AI or robot evidence found. The minutes per task are estimates, not measured hours, and "no evidence" doesn't prove a task is safe.