How much do hazardous materials removal workers make in New York in 2026?

Hazardous materials removal workers in New York earn a median annual wage of $73,090, which works out to roughly $35.14 an hour based on a standard 2,080-hour work year. That puts New York well above what this trade earns in most other states, reflecting the volume of older building stock, active construction and demolition, and strict state and city environmental regulations that keep demand for certified hazmat workers consistently high.

The full pay range tells the real story. Workers at the 25th percentile — typically those newer to the trade, working for smaller contractors, or on less-complex project types — earn $55,570 a year, or about $26.72 an hour. Workers at the 75th percentile earn $85,450 a year, or about $41.08 an hour. That $29,880 spread between the bottom quarter and top quarter of earners shows how much certification level, project type, employer size, and geography within the state can move your paycheck.

The type of hazard you're certified to handle is one of the biggest pay drivers. Asbestos abatement, lead paint removal, mold remediation, and radiological or chemical decontamination each carry their own licensing requirements under New York State Department of Labor rules and EPA standards. Workers who hold multiple certifications — particularly those who can work on asbestos and lead simultaneously — are more valuable to contractors bidding on large gut-renovation or demolition projects and can command wages closer to or above that 75th-percentile mark. Entry-level workers on a single certification, doing primarily residential lead paint work, are more likely to land in the 25th-percentile range.

Geography within New York matters too. New York City, with its constant churn of commercial demolition, transit infrastructure work, and pre-1978 housing stock, generates more hazmat work than any other region in the state. The five boroughs also carry higher cost-of-living adjustments from many employers, and union contractors in the city — though no separate union scale is reported here for this trade — tend to add health, pension, and annuity contributions that improve total compensation well beyond the base wage. Workers outside the city in regions like Buffalo, Rochester, or Albany generally see wages closer to the state median or somewhat below it.

Overtime is common in this trade. Hazmat projects often run on tight schedules tied to construction timelines or regulatory deadlines, and workers who are available for overtime regularly can push their actual annual earnings meaningfully above whatever their base hourly rate suggests. Someone at the median $35.14 an hour who logs 200 hours of overtime in a year at time-and-a-half adds roughly $10,542 to their annual take-home before taxes.

Experience accumulates in two ways in this trade: hours on the tools and the paper trail of completed projects and inspections. Workers who can document a history of clean air monitoring results, passed clearance tests, and zero regulatory violations become genuinely harder to replace. Contractors bidding on public projects — schools, hospitals, transit facilities — often need to demonstrate that their crews have that kind of track record, and they pay accordingly.

Physical demands and health risks are real in this trade. Proper respirator use, full PPE protocols, and medical surveillance requirements add time and friction to every job. Workers who stay current on medical monitoring requirements and maintain clean health records face fewer barriers to employment on the highest-paying government and institutional project types.

All figures on this page come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. No union scale is currently reported for this specific trade in New York.