How much do hazardous materials removal workers make in Colorado in 2026?

The median pay for a hazardous materials removal worker in Colorado is $59,920 per year, which works out to roughly $28.81 per hour based on a standard 2,080-hour work year. That number sits in the middle of the range — half of workers in this trade earn more, half earn less. Knowing where you fall in that spread matters more than the median alone.

The 25th percentile — workers earlier in their careers or in lower-paying segments of the trade — earn around $47,440 annually, or about $22.81 per hour. The 75th percentile comes in at $64,370 per year, roughly $30.95 per hour. That $16,930 gap between the bottom and top quartiles reflects real differences in experience, certifications, job site complexity, and the type of hazardous material being handled. Asbestos abatement, lead paint removal, mold remediation, and radiological or chemical cleanup each carry different certification requirements and different pay scales.

Hazmat removal is not an entry-level general labor job. Colorado — like all states — requires workers to be certified before they can legally perform asbestos abatement or lead-based paint removal. Federal EPA and OSHA regulations govern certification, and workers typically complete an accredited initial training course (usually 32–40 hours for asbestos workers) plus annual refresher training to stay current. Lead abatement has its own EPA RRP and state certification track. Workers who hold multiple certifications covering asbestos, lead, and mold tend to command higher pay because they are deployable across a wider range of projects.

Experience drives pay progression in this trade more than in many others. A worker fresh out of certification training is likely landing near or below that $22.81/hr mark. By the time they have three to five years of varied site experience — commercial demolition, school abatement projects, Superfund-adjacent cleanup, HVAC insulation removal — they are competitive for positions in the upper half of the distribution. Supervisory roles and site foreperson positions often push compensation above the 75th percentile, though the BLS data used here covers all workers in the occupation and does not break out supervisors separately.

Geography inside Colorado makes a difference. The Denver-Aurora metro area, Colorado Springs, and the Front Range corridor generally offer more steady work volume and more competitive pay than rural mountain or eastern plains areas, where hazmat projects may be sporadic. However, rural and remote site work sometimes carries per diem pay, travel pay, or hazard differentials that do not show up in the base wage figures from BLS. Those add-ons can meaningfully increase total annual earnings without moving the reported hourly wage.

Overtime is common on this trade, particularly during active remediation projects with hard completion deadlines — think school abatement work that must be completed before the academic year starts, or commercial renovations where contractors face penalty clauses for delays. Federal law requires overtime pay at 1.5× the regular rate beyond 40 hours per week. A worker earning the median $28.81/hr who puts in consistent 50-hour weeks adds roughly $14,400 in overtime pay over a full year on top of their base salary — a significant difference from the straight-time annual figure.

Some workers in Colorado may be covered by a collective bargaining agreement — check with your local for current rates.

The data on this page comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. BLS collects wage data directly from employers, which means it captures what employers actually report paying. It does not capture unreported cash pay, per diem allowances, or employer contributions to health and retirement benefits. Total compensation packages — including benefits — are worth factoring in when comparing offers between union and non-union contractors or between public agency and private sector work.

To move your pay toward the 75th percentile and beyond, the most direct paths are stacking certifications, accumulating site-lead experience, and targeting employers who work on federally funded remediation contracts. Federal projects often carry prevailing wage requirements that can push hourly rates above market averages. Checking Colorado Department of Labor and Employment prevailing wage determinations for your county and project type before accepting an offer is worth the time.