Scrap metal prices in the US differ from city to city, however, we have averaged all of our various sources across different scrap metal dealerships and user submissions to provide you with the below current scrap metal prices in the US.
Current Scrap Metal Prices by City
Scrap metal prices in the US, as mentioned previously, change between cities as they are dependant on local demand and supply. It's expensive to transport large scale quantities of metal, and so your local market is usually your best bet to get the best valuation for your metal haul.
Who's buying your scrap metal? They will be dealers, who are required to be licensed and registered in order to trade scrap metal. Search our scrap yard listings for a list of recommended scrap yards in your area to be certain you are trading with a legal entity - if you can try and ask for their licence number, as dealers tend to be mobile and their addresses can be unreliable.
These dealers in your local area will determine the price of scrap metal you will receive, and in the US this price will be calculated as a $ per pound in most cases, except where catalytic converters are involved or in some other unique scrap metal cases.
In your local city, you can either opt to trade with individual scrap metal traders or larger companies who you can find on our site under the below city pages.
They will determine their daily prices on a multitude of factors:
a. Local Demand and Supply
b. Market Trading Prices for the Metals
c. If they have treatment facilities for the metal
d. Specialization
e. Their own judgment
Let's break down these factors affecting scrap metal prices here:
a. Local Demand and Supply
- Market forces will affect the prices of scrap metals on a local basis (by UUS city or nationally). This might be impacted by seasonality, export/import tariffs. For example, there is likely to be higher prices for scrap metals due to inflation. Also, The scrap metal recycling market size is forecast to increase by 340.73 million tons from 2022 to 2027, at a CAGR of 8.15%, according to the recent market study by Technavio. The global recycling industry is currently worth US$ 500 billion.
b. Market Trading Prices for Metals
- Commodities trading includes the trading of metals which are closely tied to commons crap metal sources. The LME is the international hub for industrial metal trading and you can check the daily metal price updates. This is a great way to understand the specific changes in the current scrap metal prices in the US and globally
c. Treatment Facilities for the Scrap Metals
- Some cities have a higher proportion of dealers with treatment facilities in-house. This means reduced travel of scrap metal, which drives down costs and increases prices.
- Treatment facilities include sorting, crushing, cutting, shearing and baling
d. Specialization
- Different scrap yards focus on different scrap metal materials. One yard might concentrate on aluminum as they have ready buyers in industries close by with a specific need, whilst another might only purchase aluminum cans. The more your scrap metal matches their specialization, the higher the price you will get for your scrap metal in the US!
e. Their Own Judgement
- Every scrap metal dealer applies their own judgment as to where they believe scrap metal prices in the US, and globally, will head. Some might also be applying their own competitive pressure on other local dealers. Each way, you'll want to shop around and call a wide variety of dealers. We've seen scrap yards in the US miss out on $10,000s+ due to not considering this. Check out our price averages to know for certain that you're getting a good deal!
Current Scrap Copper Prices US 2023
Prices last updated 2nd January, 2023
In general, scrap copper is one of the more valuable types of scrap metal, along with scrap aluminum and brass..
These metals tend to have a higher value due to their abundance in the marketplace and their usefulness in a wide range of industries. In contrast, other types of scrap metal, such as steel and iron, tend to have a lower value due to their greater abundance and the fact that they are not as widely used in manufacturing and other industries.
Current Scrap Aluminium Prices 2023
Prices last updated 2nd January, 2023
Scrap aluminum is relatively cheap compared to some of the other types of scrap metal. Aluminum prices, for most scrap yards in the US, tend to vary between $0.50 per pound and $2. This is equivalent to $500 to $2000 per tonne of scrap aluminum. While aluminum is a very commonly used metal in almost all industries, there is no shortage of supply from within the country and via major shipping lanes from Europe and the rest of the world.
Unfortunately, the abundance of aluminum has pushed its price right down throughout almost all parts of the US and this is unlikely to change at any point soon. Over the past 15 years, the price of aluminum has remained relatively stable when taking into account inflation. Consequently, unless there is suddenly a huge spike in demand for the metal or a lull in the supply, scrap aluminum prices are likely to remain as they are today.
Scrap aluminum prices, in much the same way as the copper prices described in the previous section, are much higher for the clean variants. Some examples of "clean" aluminum include wire, beams, or sheets. If you manage to get your hands on any clean aluminum, make sure that you retain this as it is substantially more valuable than anything which is mixed.
Conversely, if you have mixed aluminum, then you should spend some time removing all of the other pieces of scrap from it to boost its price potential. This logic applies to all types of scrap metal, by doing this you can see prices increase by as much as 50% at an average dealer. Aluminium is also graded, however, it is not done in the same way as copper, instead, it is typically done on a percentage purity basis.
As aluminum and copper are the most commonly recycled pieces of metal, it is very easy to source within the home or in many types of industrial settings too. You will be able to source aluminum for scrapping in the US from heating or cooling units, natural gas or plumbing pipes, electrical wiring, a wide away of frames (doors or windows), and many more locations too.
Current Scrap Brass Prices 2023
Prices last updated 2nd January, 2023
Scrap brass is another infrequently traded form of scrap metal. In the US there is sometimes a shortage of the metal and so the prices are known to fluctuate from month to month. As it stands, scrap brass prices are relatively low compared to the other metal types on this page. You can expect to receive anywhere between $1 and $3 for a pound of the metal or $1,000 to $2,000 for a tonne.
Most scrap yards in the US accept brass, but you will find that the prices between them vary wildly.
Current Scrap Stainless Steel Prices 2023
Prices last updated 2nd January, 2023
Scrap stainless steel prices are often quite strong throughout the year and across the entirety of the country. Obviously, this still depends on the quality of the metal you have to sell, the grading of the steel and what the demand for scrap steel is in your local area.
Often stainless steel scrap can be sold between $0.10 per pound and $0.5 per pound, with the highest prices coming for things such as sheets and beams. Stainless steel is one of the most profitable forms of metal.
Current Scrap Lead Prices
Prices last updated 2nd January, 2023
Scrap lead is a much rarer type of scrap metal and so the prices for it are quite strong in the US. You will find that it's quite difficult to source lead anywhere in the house, or actually in most industries too.
A few places where you can readily find lead are in certain types of piping, wires, or sheets. Other items which contain large quantities of lead include batteries, however, it can be fairly difficult to extract the metal from these and so we do not recommend it.
Scrap lead prices in the US are often around $0.1 -$0.43 per pound, this is equivalent to between $200 and $800 per tonne.
Current Scrap Iron Prices
Scrap iron prices are also fairly low at the moment. The cause of this price recession for the metal is unknown, however it is likely due to either a drop in demand or increase in supply. In all of the scrap yards across the country, only a small handful were actively seeking out additional supplies of iron for their manufacturers.
Scrap Metal Prices FAQ
What are the current prices of scrap metal?
This is an incredibly difficult question to answer with any degree of certainty as scrap metal prices are always evolving.
Our recommendation to you is to follow the link through to the page on our website which provides pricing tables for the city closest to your location. This will give you an idea of the prices for each type of metal in your area, however even these are liable to change at a moment's notice. The prices of scrap metals are driven by demand, this is ultimately set by the needs of businesses that purchase metal from the scrap yards.
Will scrap metal prices increase this year?
Again, it is very difficult for us to predict whether or not prices will increase or decrease on a daily, monthly or yearly basis. Generally, for most forms of scrap metal in the US, we have seen prices increase over the past ten years. However, given the relatively unstable political climate right now, it is increasingly challenging to make these predictions.
What are the different varieties of scrap metal?
As mentioned previously, there are a number of different types of scrap metal which are frequently traded in the US. These are a combination of ferrous (containing iron) and non-ferrous metals (not containing iron):
- Copper
- Aluminium
- Brass
- Bronze
- Lead
- Steel
- Iron
What are the different scrap metal grades?
Every type of metal has a different way of being graded, however the concept for how each of them is graded is broadly the same. The different grades (for example: 1, 2 and 3 for copper) each correspond to a different purity level. In all instances, the more pure the scrap metal in question, the more it is valued by scrap metal recycling facilities, yards or dealers.
How can I find the best scrap yards near me?
The best way to find scrap yards in the US is to use the links situated towards the top of this page or use our search featur. These links will help you identify all of the scrap yards and scrap dealers closest to you. Additionally, it will also show you what the prices these dealers are purchasing each type of scrap metal for. This is the most important bit of information as the best dealer is often equivalent to the one giving the best price for scrap, and this changes frequently.
What are the benefits of recycling scrap metal
Aside from the obvious benefits in the form of additional money to play around with or to save. There are actually a whole host of other benefits that scrap metal recycling can deliver. Firstly, it is one of the best ways to stop unnecessary pollution of the environment, as recycling and re-purposing metal is considerably less polluting and damaging than creating products from newly mined metal.