jobfacts

Waste disposal and environmental services managers

SOC 2020 1254

Waste disposal and environmental services managers plan, organise, direct and co-ordinate the operations and development of waste disposal and related environmental services facilities within private firms or public authorities.

Also calledManagerRag and bone manRecycling plant managerWaste paper dealerScrap merchantReclamation managerand 35 more titles
Typical full-time pay£49,8002025 Provisional
People in the job26,000across the UK
Demand for workersNot high
New adverts a month264↑ 2.5%on last year · 324th of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025
What full-time waste disposal and environmental services managers earn, 2025
£49,800 typical£33,90025%n/ptop 10%
n/p: top 10% not published by ONS
Show as table
Lowest 10% earn less thanNot published
Lowest 20% earn less thanNot published
25%£33,900
Median£49,800
75%Not published
Top 20% earn more thanNot published
Top 10% earn more thanNot published
Typical pay by regionUK median £49,800
North EastNot published by ONS–
North WestNot published by ONS–
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS–
East MidlandsNot published by ONS–
West MidlandsNot published by ONS–
East of EnglandNot published by ONS–
LondonNot published by ONS–
South EastNot published by ONS–
South WestNot published by ONS–
ScotlandNot published by ONS–
WalesNot published by ONS–
Show as table
UK median, £49,800
North EastNot published by ONS
North WestNot published by ONS
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS
East MidlandsNot published by ONS
West MidlandsNot published by ONS
East of EnglandNot published by ONS
LondonNot published by ONS
South EastNot published by ONS
South WestNot published by ONS
ScotlandNot published by ONS
WalesNot published by ONS
Typical pay over 3 years
  • 2023 £49,100
  • 2024 £48,300
  • 2025 Provisional£49,800
↑ 1.3% since 2023Provisional figures are revised when ONS publishes the next year’s survey.

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 264 jobs for waste disposal and environmental services managers are advertised each month. The Department for Education rates demand for workers as not high.

New job adverts a month, Jan 2017 to Aug 2026
New advertsMonth not published by ONS (1 in all)
Show as table
Aug 2026267
Jul 2026375
Jun 2026245
May 2026302
Apr 2026278
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 2026228
Jan 2026217
Dec 2025139
Nov 2025273
Oct 2025291
Sept 2025284
Aug 2025294
Jul 2025339
Jun 2025340
May 2025467
Apr 2025259
Mar 2025337
Feb 2025281
Jan 2025174
Dec 202499
Nov 2024179
Oct 2024199
Sept 2024198
Aug 2024233
Jul 2024242
Jun 2024279
May 2024187
Apr 2024218
Mar 2024177
Feb 2024229
Jan 2024214
Dec 2023167
Nov 2023178
Oct 2023156
Sept 2023142
Aug 2023174
Jul 2023215
Jun 2023289
May 2023297
Apr 2023287
Mar 2023281
Feb 2023307
Jan 2023334
Dec 2022276
Nov 2022343
Oct 2022350
Sept 2022331
Aug 2022324
Jul 2022393
Jun 2022377
May 2022389
Apr 2022260
Mar 2022322
Feb 2022330
Jan 2022344
Dec 2021299
Nov 2021335
Oct 2021316
Sept 2021266
Aug 2021245
Jul 2021306
Jun 2021308
May 2021251
Apr 2021240
Mar 2021299
Feb 2021172
Jan 2021157
Dec 2020163
Nov 2020158
Oct 2020222
Sept 2020207
Aug 2020152
Jul 2020214
Jun 2020152
May 2020327
Apr 2020168
Mar 2020233
Feb 2020269
Jan 2020275
Dec 2019196
Nov 2019241
Oct 2019223
Sept 2019212
Aug 2019195
Jul 2019290
Jun 2019254
May 2019258
Apr 2019266
Mar 2019254
Feb 2019230
Jan 2019210
Dec 2018156
Nov 2018222
Oct 2018246
Sept 2018256
Aug 2018268
Jul 2018241
Jun 2018295
May 2018249
Apr 2018169
Mar 2018260
Feb 2018188
Jan 2018236
Dec 2017161
Nov 2017189
Oct 2017236
Sept 2017208
Aug 2017238
Jul 2017213
Jun 2017235
May 2017235
Apr 2017229
Mar 2017280
Feb 2017230
Jan 2017240
Is there a shortage of waste disposal and environmental services managers?
Not high

The Department for Education rates demand as not high, elevated or critical, using five indicators. This is its 2025 assessment; in 2024 it was elevated.

  • Visas grantedAbove usual
  • Online job advertsUsual
  • Wage growthUsual
  • Pay against similar jobsAbove usual
  • Hours workedUsual
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
15%against 27% for all jobs
Broader groupFigure for managers and proprietors in other services, which includes waste disposal and environmental services managers. DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London137
Somerset20
Bristol, City of18
Birmingham15
Manchester15
Leeds13
Nottingham12
Liverpool11
Glasgow City10
Harborough10
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where waste disposal and environmental services managers are most concentratedShare of local job adverts, compared with the UK.

Recruitment from abroad. Fewer than 10 sponsored work visas were granted for this job from July 2025 to June 2026. Home Office

Who does it

ONS · Annual Population Survey · April 2025 to March 2026
WomenToo few in the survey to give a reliable figure
Age of waste disposal and environmental services managers
n/p
n/p
17%!
50%!
19%!
n/p
!Small sample: treat with cautionn/p: too few in the survey to publish
Show as table
16–24Not published
25–34Not published
35–4417% (small sample)
45–5450% (small sample)
55–6419% (small sample)
65+Not published
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent!38%
Higher education below degree!20%
A levels or equivalent!17%
GCSEs or equivalent!26%
Other qualifications!11%
No qualifications–
Not published
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalent38% (small sample)
Higher education below degree20% (small sample)
A levels or equivalent17% (small sample)
GCSEs or equivalent26% (small sample)
Other qualifications11% (small sample)
No qualificationsNot published

Main employers: water collection, treatment and supply (27%), general public administration activities (19%), remediation activities and other waste management services (12%), collection of non-hazardous waste (8.1%).

How to get in

Hold a degree
38%
as their highest qualification
Apprenticeships
None
none leads directly into this work

The work

ONS · ESCO · O*NET

Typical tasks

  • determines staffing, financial, material and other short- and long-term requirements
  • manages and delegates tasks to staff and co-ordinates the maintenance and optimum utilisation of waste disposal and related equipment to provide an efficient service
  • monitors levels of waste disposal, recycling and related environmental services, compiles statistics and produces reports
  • liaises with members of the local community to educate and promote the concept of recycling and appropriate waste management
  • keeps up to date with new legislation and liaises with appropriate regulatory bodies to ensure compliance with legislation regarding waste disposal and environmental services
  • co-ordinates the resources and activities relating to the procurement, collection, storage, processing and sale of scrap metal and related products

Skills

  • manage staff
  • train employees
  • create solutions to problems
  • handle customer complaints
  • manage budgets
  • recruit employees
  • comply with food safety and hygiene
  • coordinate operational activities
  • follow company standards
  • identify customer's needs
  • implement marketing strategies
  • implement sales strategies
  • maintain customer service
  • plan health and safety procedures

Knowledge

  • corporate social responsibility
  • customer relationship management
  • communication principles
  • customer service
  • geographical areas relevant to tourism
  • local area tourism industry
  • product comprehension

Suits people who like

  • Leading and persuading
  • Organising and following procedures

Outlook

DfE · Skills Imperative 2035
Broader groupThese projections are for other managers and proprietors, a group of 22 jobs that includes waste disposal and environmental services managers.
Change in jobs, 2020 to 2035↑ 43%about 494,000 more jobs
Workers needed by 20351.3 millionincluding people replacing those who retire or leave

Sources

Pay
ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
People in the job, who does it
ONS, Annual Population Survey, April 2025 to March 2026
Job adverts
ONS, online job adverts (Textkernel), to Aug 2026
Demand, skill shortages
Department for Education and Skills England, Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey
Outlook
The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE
Routes in
National Careers Service job profiles
Apprenticeships, qualifications
Skills England occupational maps
Skills, interests
ESCO classification of the European Commission; O*NET data, U.S. Department of Labor (CC BY 4.0, modified)
Visas
Home Office, immigration system statistics

Figures as of 10 October 2026.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey: Department for Education and Skills England. Immigration system statistics: Home Office. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Source: The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE.

This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission.

This service includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This service has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 licence.

jobfacts is independent. It is not part of, affiliated with or endorsed by the Office for National Statistics, the Department for Education, Skills England, the National Careers Service, the Home Office, the European Commission or the U.S. Department of Labor.