Anthony Igneri is hard at work hours before many people are awake.
Igneri, 35, is just shy of a year into working as a sanitation worker for New York City. He starts his day at 4:30 a.m., commutes from Staten Island to Brooklyn, and works from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. clearing the city's streets of garbage. Sometimes he'll take a second shift for a few hours of overtime pay, paid at time-and-a-half, especially during the busy winter season when he and his crew plow the streets of snow.
It's a physically demanding job, but>Getting the job
Both of Igneri's parents worked 9-to-5 jobs when he was a kid growing up in Staten Island — his mother in financial services and his father as a taxi driver who retired and became real estate investor. Igneri studied business management at Saint Leo University outside Tampa, Florida, and after graduation worked in real estate for three years. Afterward, he worked in wine imports for a few years until, in 2016, he got connected with the Local 751 union, which represents treasurers and ticket sellers for Broadway shows.
Igneri went>A day>'A great job and honest work'
Igneri sees his work as more than a job: "We work for every penny. As tough as it is, it's a great job and honest work."
For one, he enjoys the camaraderie of the garage and considers his colleagues "a group of brothers." He also likes the flexibility. Because of his early hours, he's often done with work in time to pick up his two kids, ages 4 and 8, from school.
Anthony Igneri was inspired by his grandfather, who was a World War II veteran and a sanitation worker for 20 years.Mickey Todiwala for CNBC Make It
Igneri is represented by the Local 831 union of sanitation workers. Between the union and the City of New York, Igneri and his family enjoy good benefits coverage. Sanitation workers get a raise after 6 months, 4½ and 5½ years on the job, at which point Igneri expects to nearly double his current pay. The base salary of a New York sanitation worker after five years is currently $83,465.
After 22 years of service, Igneri will retire at age 57 with a pension.
He also sees room to grow in his career. "You can work at the dump where you send off the garbage to go out to its final destinations, [or] you could move up to be a supervisor," Igneri says. "Everything is taking a test. So there's endless opportunity as long as you're able to do well on each test that comes out."
His advice to anyone looking to become a New York City sanitation worker: "Go for it, take the test. I believe it's a great opportunity for anybody out there."
