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

Hazardous materials removal workers in Virginia earn a median wage of $45,320 per year, which works out to roughly $21.79 per hour based on a standard 2,080-hour work year. That sits in the middle of a pay range that spans from $39,330 at the 25th percentile to $49,490 at the 75th percentile. In hourly terms, that's approximately $18.91/hr at the low end and $23.79/hr at the high end. All figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025.

The spread between the 25th and 75th percentile — about $10,160 per year — reflects how much experience and specialization matter in this trade. A worker who just completed their initial 40-hour HAZWOPER certification and is still accumulating supervised field hours will land closer to $39,330. Someone who has three to five years of documented removal experience, holds current certifications in asbestos, lead abatement, and possibly mold remediation, and has taken on crew lead or site supervisor duties can realistically reach the $49,490 range or push above it.

Hazmat removal work in Virginia concentrates in several areas. Northern Virginia's federal contracting corridor — particularly around the D.C. suburbs in Fairfax, Arlington, and Prince William counties — generates steady demand for workers certified to handle government facilities with legacy asbestos, lead paint, and contaminated soil. The Hampton Roads region, with its large concentration of military bases and older industrial infrastructure, is another consistent source of hazmat removal contracts. Workers willing to commute into or relocate near these metro areas typically see stronger job availability and slightly higher pay than those working in rural central or southwestern Virginia.

Overtime is a real income driver in this trade. Hazmat projects often operate on compressed timelines, especially remediation tied to real estate transactions, school renovations, or emergency spill responses. Workers who can be available for weekend shifts or extended workweeks during active projects can meaningfully increase their take-home pay beyond the base annual figures listed here. The BLS data captures straight-time wages and does not break out overtime earnings, so actual annual income for full-time workers on active jobsites can exceed the published numbers.

Certification depth separates workers in this trade more than almost anything else. At minimum, most Virginia employers require a current 40-hour HAZWOPER card with annual 8-hour refreshers. Beyond that, Virginia's Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR) licenses asbestos workers and supervisors separately — holding a supervisor-level license rather than a worker-level license opens higher-paying roles. Adding EPA lead renovator certification, DOT hazardous materials handling training, or confined space entry credentials all make a worker more deployable and harder to replace, which gives them more leverage when negotiating pay.

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

The BLS OEWS data has a few limitations worth knowing. It is a point-in-time snapshot of base wages and does not include benefits like employer-paid health insurance, retirement contributions, per diem payments on travel jobs, or hazard pay supplements that some contractors offer for particularly high-risk removal work such as PCB or radiological material handling. If an employer is offering a benefits package alongside wages, the total compensation value is higher than the annual figure alone.

For workers entering the trade, the clearest path to higher pay is building a certification stack early, then seeking out projects in Northern Virginia or Hampton Roads where contract volumes are larger and employer competition for experienced workers is stronger. Workers already in the trade who have plateaued near the median should look hard at the supervisor licensing pathway through DPOR — that credential shift, more than almost any other single factor, correlates with moving into the upper quartile of the Virginia wage range.