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

Hazardous materials removal workers in Massachusetts earn a median $49,620 per year, which works out to roughly $23.86 an hour based on a standard 2,080-hour work year. That figure comes from BLS OEWS May 2025 data and sits at the midpoint of the state's pay range — half of workers in this trade earn more, half earn less.

The bottom quarter of earners — the 25th percentile — take home around $47,890 annually, or about $23.02 an hour. If you're newer to the trade, working for a smaller abatement contractor, or primarily doing residential asbestos or lead paint removal jobs, your pay is more likely to land in this range. The gap between the 25th percentile and the median is relatively narrow here, just under $1,730 a year, which tells you the lower end of this trade in Massachusetts isn't far behind the middle.

The 75th percentile sits at $55,990 per year, or approximately $26.92 an hour. Workers at this level typically have more certifications — think EPA accreditation for asbestos abatement, lead abatement supervisor credentials, or OSHA 40-hour HAZWOPER training — and often work on larger commercial, industrial, or government remediation contracts. The jump from the median to the 75th percentile is about $6,370 annually, a meaningful difference that reflects how specialization and project scale affect pay in this trade.

Massachusetts is a state with a significant volume of hazmat removal work. Older building stock in cities like Boston, Worcester, Springfield, and Lowell means ongoing demand for lead and asbestos abatement. Superfund and brownfield redevelopment projects add industrial and environmental cleanup work on top of that. Workers who can handle multiple hazardous materials — asbestos, lead, mold, PCBs, or radiological materials — tend to be more competitive for higher-paying contracts.

Certification directly affects where you land in the pay range. A basic asbestos abatement worker certification is the floor for most jobs. Moving up to supervisor or project designer credentials opens access to better-paying work. Adding HAZWOPER 40-hour certification is essentially required for any environmental or industrial hazmat work and can be completed in a week. Some workers also pursue training in radiological materials removal, which is a narrower specialty but commands stronger pay.

Hours matter in this trade too. Many hazmat removal projects are time-sensitive — a school or commercial building needs to be cleared before occupancy — so overtime is common on active projects. At the median hourly rate of $23.86, a 10-hour overtime day pays $35.79 for those two extra hours under federal overtime rules, and that adds up over a busy project stretch.

No union scale data was available for this trade in Massachusetts at the time of publication. Some hazmat removal workers do work under union agreements, particularly on larger public or commercial projects, but wage data specific to those contracts is not reflected in the BLS figures shown here.

The BLS OEWS figures represent wages only and do not include the value of benefits. Health insurance, workers' compensation coverage, per diem for travel to remote job sites, and paid time off can add meaningful value on top of base pay, especially with established contractors. When comparing job offers, factor those in alongside the hourly rate.

If you're entering this trade in Massachusetts, the $47,890–$55,990 range covers the realistic spread for most workers. Getting to the upper end requires stacking certifications, building experience across different hazmat types, and targeting larger commercial or public-sector contracts rather than strictly residential work.