Battery Scrap Prices Today (per Pound)

Compare today's US scrapyard scale rates for Battery scrap per pound, benchmarked across commercial recycling grades from clean solids to mixed alloys. Review current yard averages, state-by-state price spreads, and grade sorting rules before hauling.

Daily national average Updated: Oct 5, 2026 · US Scrapyard Benchmark

Today's Battery Prices by Grade

Current per-pound national average payouts and scale price spreads for all common Battery scrap grades, verified across active US yards.

Grade National Scale Avg Typical Scale Range 7-Day Trend Reporting Yards
Automotive Batteries (Car & Truck) $0.100/lb $0.100 – $0.100 → 2 yards
Scrap Lead Acid Batteries $0.243/lb $0.180 – $0.350 ▼ -10.4% 3 yards
Small Lead Acid Batteries $0.250/lb $0.250 – $0.250 → 1 yards
Lithium Ion Batteries $0.950/lb $0.400 – $1.50 → 2 yards
Steel Case Forklift Batteries $0.280/lb $0.280 – $0.280 → 1 yards
Telecom & Absolyte Batteries $0.120/lb $0.100 – $0.140 → 2 yards

Non-ferrous metals cross platform scales and pay cash per pound.

Scrap Value Calculator

Estimate your cash payout before you haul. Select your metal grade and enter your load weight to see what your scrap is worth at the scale based on verified yard averages and price spreads.

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Battery Price Trend (12 Months)

Historical 12-month scale price trajectory and wholesale exchange correlation (LME Lead) for Battery, helping you identify price momentum before you haul to the yard.

US Yard Scale Average LME Lead
2025-10-15 · avg $0.080 · $0.080–$0.080 · 1 sources · spot $0.900 · 8.9% of spot2025-11-08 · avg $0.140 · $0.140–$0.140 · 1 sources · spot $0.926 · 15.1% of spot2025-11-10 · avg $0.175 · $0.130–$0.220 · 2 sources · spot $0.931 · 18.8% of spot2025-11-13 · avg $0.160 · $0.160–$0.160 · 2 sources · spot $0.940 · 17% of spot2025-11-26 · avg $0.100 · $0.100–$0.100 · 1 sources · spot $0.901 · 11.1% of spot2025-12-17 · avg $0.158 · $0.100–$0.210 · 5 sources · spot $0.889 · 17.8% of spot2025-12-30 · avg $0.080 · $0.080–$0.080 · 1 sources · spot $0.910 · 8.8% of spot2026-01-05 · avg $0.220 · $0.220–$0.220 · 1 sources · spot $0.915 · 24.1% of spot2026-01-10 · avg $0.150 · $0.150–$0.150 · 1 sources · spot $0.926 · 16.2% of spot2026-01-12 · avg $0.100 · $0.100–$0.100 · 1 sources · spot $0.927 · 10.8% of spot2026-01-13 · avg $0.080 · $0.080–$0.080 · 1 sources · spot $0.931 · 8.6% of spot2026-01-14 · avg $0.250 · $0.250–$0.250 · 1 sources · spot $0.939 · 26.6% of spot2026-02-17 · avg $0.143 · $0.050–$0.260 · 34 sources · spot $0.888 · 16.1% of spot2026-02-25 · avg $0.200 · $0.200–$0.200 · 1 sources · spot $0.885 · 22.6% of spot2026-03-22 · avg $0.183 · $0.150–$0.210 · 6 sources · spot $0.860 · 21.3% of spot2026-03-30 · avg $0.200 · $0.200–$0.200 · 1 sources · spot $0.858 · 23.3% of spot2026-04-14 · avg $0.240 · $0.240–$0.240 · 1 sources · spot $0.865 · 27.7% of spot2026-04-15 · avg $0.230 · $0.230–$0.230 · 1 sources · spot $0.871 · 26.4% of spot2026-04-17 · avg $0.150 · $0.150–$0.150 · 1 sources · spot $0.887 · 16.9% of spot2026-04-23 · avg $0.250 · $0.250–$0.250 · 1 sources · spot $0.892 · 28% of spot2026-04-25 · avg $0.195 · $0.160–$0.230 · 2 sources · spot $0.889 · 21.9% of spot2026-04-30 · avg $0.120 · $0.120–$0.120 · 1 sources · spot $0.883 · 13.6% of spot2026-05-02 · avg $0.100 · $0.100–$0.100 · 1 sources · spot $0.884 · 11.3% of spot2026-05-04 · avg $0.100 · $0.100–$0.100 · 1 sources · spot $0.884 · 11.3% of spot2026-05-11 · avg $0.150 · $0.150–$0.150 · 2 sources · spot $0.895 · 16.8% of spot2026-05-27 · avg $0.200 · $0.200–$0.200 · 1 sources · spot $0.915 · 21.9% of spot2026-06-09 · avg $0.220 · $0.220–$0.220 · 1 sources · spot $0.996 · 22.1% of spot2026-06-29 · avg $0.230 · $0.230–$0.230 · 1 sources · spot $0.949 · 24.2% of spot2026-07-01 · avg $0.110 · $0.110–$0.110 · 1 sources · spot $0.850 · 12.9% of spot2026-07-13 · avg $0.210 · $0.210–$0.210 · 1 sources · spot $0.849 · 24.7% of spot2026-07-27 · avg $0.250 · $0.250–$0.250 · 1 sources · spot $0.862 · 29% of spot2026-08-01 · avg $0.170 · $0.170–$0.170 · 1 sources · spot $0.854 · 19.9% of spot2026-08-25 · avg $0.188 · $0.120–$0.250 · 5 sources · spot $0.864 · 21.8% of spot2026-09-01 · avg $0.155 · $0.070–$0.240 · 2 sources · spot $0.871 · 17.8% of spot2026-09-02 · avg $0.150 · $0.150–$0.150 · 1 sources · spot $0.861 · 17.4% of spot2026-09-07 · avg $0.220 · $0.220–$0.220 · 1 sources · spot $0.862 · 25.5% of spot2026-09-11 · avg $0.230 · $0.230–$0.230 · 1 sources · spot $0.859 · 26.8% of spot2026-10-02 · avg $0.100 · $0.100–$0.100 · 1 sources · spot $0.839 · 11.9% of spot2026-10-05 · avg $0.100 · $0.100–$0.100 · 1 sources · spot $0.850 · 11.8% of spot$0.996$0.0502025-10-152026-10-05
Hover or tap the chart for date, average, range, and source count.

Hover or tap any date to see the exact yard scale average, exchange spot price, and scrap recovery ratio. Yards pay ~75–85% of spot on clean grades to cover freight, processing, and mill deductions. Compare all exchange benchmarks →

How to get the best price for Battery

Straightforward sorting, stripping, and prep tips to upgrade your Battery into top-tier grades and prevent scale downgrades.

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Bring car batteries whole. Do not drain them.

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Keep lithium-ion, NiCad, and alkaline batteries away from lead-acid batteries.

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Stand forklift and telecom batteries separately if you have volume.

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Contain cracked or leaking batteries. They are often deducted.

How scrap batteries are priced

The main scrap battery is the car, truck, or marine lead-acid battery. Yards pay for it as a whole battery, often by weight, and not as soft lead. Forklift, telecom, and AGM or gel batteries are priced separately because of their size, chemistry, and handling. Lithium-ion batteries are a different product and are not covered by this average.

Car batteries are the benchmark

Car, truck, and marine flooded batteries are the standard grade. Deliver them whole, with intact cases. Cracked cases, missing caps, or drained batteries are deducted or refused, because they are a handling problem.

Industrial, AGM, and lithium batteries

Forklift and telecom batteries are heavier and are sometimes quoted differently. AGM and gel batteries are also lead-acid but may be priced separately. Most scrap yards do not accept lithium-ion batteries. Use a battery recycler or a retailer take-back program for those.

Battery Prices by State

Regional Battery scale rates vary with local mill demand and freight distance to shredders or port docks. Compare state averages to find top-paying markets.

State Average Price Min Price Max Price Reporting Yards
Georgia $0.100 $0.100 $0.100 1 State Scale Rates →
Kentucky $0.180 $0.180 $0.180 1 State Scale Rates →
Massachusetts $0.350 $0.350 $0.350 1 State Scale Rates →
Missouri $0.100 $0.100 $0.100 1 State Scale Rates →
New York $0.280 $0.280 $0.280 1 State Scale Rates →
Texas $0.200 $0.200 $0.200 1 State Scale Rates →

Frequently Asked Questions

Common answers on scrap metal grading standards, scale payout rules, sorting methods, and scale ticket calculations.

What is the current battery scrap price?

The headline figure is $0.100/lb for Automotive Batteries (Car & Truck) as of Oct 5, 2026. Other grades pay more or less, so check the table above.

How are battery scrap prices set?

Lead-acid battery prices follow the lead price, plus smelter demand for whole batteries, minus the cost of handling cases and acid. They do not equal soft lead prices.

Are scrap batteries paid like lead flashing?

No. Whole car batteries have their own price. Soft lead such as flashing and pipe is a different grade on the lead scrap prices page. The two are related through the lead market but are not the same price per pound.

Do lithium car batteries belong here?

No. This average covers lead-acid batteries. Lithium-ion EV and pack batteries are handled differently and should not be mixed with lead-acid batteries.

Should I drain batteries before selling them?

No. Yards want whole, undrained lead-acid batteries. Draining makes a mess and a deduction, and does not raise the price.