Hazardous Materials Removal Workers

Low Risk
Low High

Explore safer careers (3)

Lower estimated automation risk

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Why it fits

Hazard recognition and control experience can move into broader safety program analysis with added training.

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Why it fits

Hazmat handling, PPE, exposure controls, site checks, and safety documentation transfer directly.

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Why it fits

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Occupation snapshot

What does this snowflake show?
The Snowflake is a visual summary of the five badges: Automation Risk (calculated), Risk (polled), Growth, Wages and Volume. It gives you an instant snapshot of an occupations profile. The colour of the Snowflake relates to its size. The better the occupation scores in relation to others, the larger and greener the Snowflake becomes.
JOB SCORE
3.8/10
What's this?
Job Score (higher is better):

We rate jobs using four factors. These are:

- Chance of being automated
- Job growth
- Wages
- Volume of available positions

These are some key things to think about when job hunting.

Risk & user votes

Calculated automation risk

28% (Low Risk)

Low Risk (21-40%): This occupation has a lower risk of full replacement by AI, software, or robotic systems. Some tasks may be automated or assisted, but the role usually still relies on human judgement, communication, responsibility, physical adaptability, or practical decision-making.

More information on what this score is, and how it is calculated is available here.

Human strengths important in this job

These are human abilities and work contexts that are important in this occupation. They may help explain why parts of the role are harder to replace end-to-end, but they are not the only inputs into the automation score.

Thinking creatively

Quite important
Why this matters
Coming up with original ideas and designs—creating new concepts, products, systems, or artistic work. This kind of open-ended invention and taste-based judgment is harder to automate end-to-end than routine, rule-based tasks.
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Critical thinking

Quite important
Why this matters
Weigh options using logic and evidence, spot weaknesses in arguments, and choose the best approach when there isn’t a single clear answer.
Jobs that also use this strength

Coordinating others’ work

Quite important
Why this matters
Bringing people together, assigning tasks, and keeping a group aligned so work gets done.
Jobs that also use this strength

Communicating with people outside the organization

Quite important
Why this matters
Represents the organization to customers, the public, or government—handling questions, concerns, and relationship-building through conversations, writing, calls, or email.
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Developing objectives and strategies

Quite important
Why this matters
Sets long-term goals and chooses strategies and actions to reach them, weighing tradeoffs and adapting plans as conditions change.
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Show 1 more strength

Active learning

Quite important
Why this matters
Keeps learning from new information and applying it to make better decisions now and in the future, especially when situations change.
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What users think

Based on 16 votes

58% chance of full automation within the next two decades

Our visitors have voted they are unsure if this occupation will be automated. However, employees may be able to find reassurance in the automated risk level we have generated, which shows 28% chance of automation.

What do you think the risk of automation is?

What is the likelihood that Hazardous Materials Removal Workers will be replaced by robots or artificial intelligence within the next 20 years?

View sentiment trend

Pay & outlook

Wages

Low paid relative to other professions

In 2024, the median annual wage for Hazardous Materials Removal Workers was $48,490 ($23 per hour).

The median annual wage for Hazardous Materials Removal Workers was 2.0% lower than the national median annual wage, which stood at $49,500.

View wage trend

Wages over time

* Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics

Growth

Slow growth relative to other professions.

The number of 'Hazardous Materials Removal Workers' job openings is expected to rise 1.0% by 2034

View employment trend

Total employment, and estimated job openings

* Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the period between 2023 and 2033
Updated projections are due 09-2025.

Volume

Moderate range of job opportunities compared to other professions

As of 2024 there were 50,570 people employed as 'Hazardous Materials Removal Workers' within the United States.

This represents around < 0.001% of the employed workforce across the country

Put another way, around 1 in 3 thousand people are employed as 'Hazardous Materials Removal Workers'.

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What people are saying (3)

Jakob Dupont
23 Oct 2024 18:31
having worked in this field I can confidently say,

Maybe if we continue with humans we run the risk like me of getting cancer but, human ingenuity and thinking might have the edge

if we give the robots the job we would no longer worry about the hazmat suits, or the lives that I will cost my one problem with robots or AI taking over this job is how would we make something that doesn't leak the hazardous materials but is versatile enough to go through any terrain to reach the materials
J (Low)
20 Mar 2021 01:35
The job requires on the fly changes in work procedures and in most situations requires human judgement throughout the process.
N (No chance)
05 Jun 2020 09:41
I do not think that the professions that are intertwined with humans can be done by robots. I believe that robots will be more effective in virtual environments and digital platforms. In addition, when this situation is in question, I think that after a while there will be communication difficulties and communication between people will be more difficult, so problems affecting the world may arise.
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Job description

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.

O*NET-SOC code: 47-4041.00