Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners
Architecture and ConstructionO*NET 47-4071.00United States
Clean and repair septic tanks, sewer lines, or drains. May patch walls and partitions of tank, replace damaged drain tile, or repair breaks in underground piping.
- Median annual earnings
- $49,538
- Projected change
- +9.9%
- Typical education
- High school diploma or less
- Employment
- 35.7K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
77.5% of the workforce
Growing to 39.22K by 2035
Explore this career by location
Compare nationwide estimates with state or county job-market data.
Showing United States
Loading available locations…
Build the skills
ASU learning related to this career
These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.
Loading related ASU learning
The work
What septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- Drive trucks to transport crews, materials, and equipment.
- Communicate with supervisors and other workers, using equipment such as wireless phones, pagers, or radio telephones.
- Inspect manholes to locate sewer line stoppages.
- Prepare and keep records of actions taken, including maintenance and repair work.
- Operate sewer cleaning equipment, including power rodders, high-velocity water jets, sewer flushers, bucket machines, wayne balls, and vac-alls.
- Measure excavation sites, using plumbers' snakes, tapelines, or lengths of cutting heads within sewers, and mark areas for digging.
- Clean and repair septic tanks, sewer lines, or related structures such as manholes, culverts, and catch basins.
- Locate problems, using specially designed equipment, and mark where digging must occur to reach damaged tanks or pipes.
- Service, adjust, and make minor repairs to equipment, machines, and attachments.
- Dig out sewer lines manually, using shovels.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $36,221
- 25th percentile
- $42,825
- 50th percentile
- $49,538
- 75th percentile
- $61,360
- 90th percentile
- $76,350
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $49,538 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
+9.9%faster than average
202535,696 jobs
2035 projected39,222 jobs
3,526 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- High school diploma or less
- 77.5%
- Certificate
- 22.1%
- Some college
- 0.3%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- Operation and Control
- Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
- Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Repairing
- Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
- Troubleshooting
- Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
- Equipment Maintenance
- Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Quality Control Analysis
- Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Service Orientation
- Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Learning Strategies
- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Equipment Selection
- Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Drain Technicians79 postings
- 02Service Technicians18 postings
- 03Sewers6 postings
- 04Maintenance Repairers5 postings
- 05Drain Cleaners4 postings
- 06Assistant Directors of Public Works2 postings
- 07Public Works Technicians2 postings
- 08Residential Service Technicians2 postings
- 09Water Service Technicians2 postings
- 10Aseptic Technicians1 postings
- 11Customer Experience Technicians1 postings
- 12Electronic Equipment Repairers1 postings
- 13Lead Service Technicians1 postings
- 14Night Drivers1 postings
- 15Plumbing Technicians1 postings
- 16Transportation Maintenance Workers1 postings
Top employers
- 01Roto Rooter Services Company50 postings
- 02Snowbridge8 postings
- 03Any Hour Services4 postings
- 04Rooter Ranger Plumbing4 postings
- 05Scott Hale Plumbing Heating And Air4 postings
- 06Aiello Home Services3 postings
- 07Roto-Rooter Plumbing And Drain3 postings
- 08County Of Hawai`I2 postings
- 09E F Winslow Plumbing & Heating2 postings
- 10Mayor And City Council Of Baltimore2 postings
- 11Miami-Dade County2 postings
- 12R K Industries2 postings
- 13All Hours Air1 postings
- 14Aoh Rockland County NY Division No. 11 postings
- 15Aztec Plumbing1 postings
- 16Black Diamond Experts1 postings
- 17Bonfe Builders1 postings
- 18Capps Plumbing And Sewer1 postings
- 19City Of Susanville1 postings
- 20County Of Hawaii1 postings
Keep looking