Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners
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.
What it pays
Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners earn a median of $23.98/hr — about $50,000 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $17.81/hr; the top 10% earn $35.33/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners earn a median of $23.98/hr — about $50,000 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $17.81/hr; the top 10% earn $35.33/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually do
- Communicate with supervisors and other workers, using equipment such as wireless phones, pagers, or radio telephones.
- Drive trucks to transport crews, materials, and equipment.
- Inspect manholes to locate sewer line stoppages.
- Operate sewer cleaning equipment, including power rodders, high-velocity water jets, sewer flushers, bucket machines, wayne balls, and vac-alls.
- Prepare and keep records of actions taken, including maintenance and repair work.
- Clean and repair septic tanks, sewer lines, or related structures such as manholes, culverts, and catch basins.
How you get there
Typical entry-level education: High school diploma. Overall preparation: little or no preparation (Job Zone 1 of 5).
The feel of the work
Much of the work happens outdoors; you're around people constantly. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 2.8% of septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners are self-employed.
Who it tends to fit
This work tends to fit people who are hands-on and organized and detail-focused.
Work a simulated shift in this job — freeMake the real decisions this job involves, then see what your choices say about you.Related careers
- Structural Iron and Steel Workers
- Electricians
- Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters
- Construction and Building Inspectors
- First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers
- Highway Maintenance Workers
Quick questions
- How much does a septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaner make?
- The median pay is $23.98 per hour — roughly $50,000 a year, with the real range running from about $17.81/hr (10th percentile) to $35.33/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaner?
- The typical entry-level education is: High school diploma. Overall preparation level: little or no preparation (Job Zone 1 of 5).
- What does a septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaner actually do all day?
- Communicate with supervisors and other workers, using equipment such as wireless phones, pagers, or radio telephones. Drive trucks to transport crews, materials, and equipment. Inspect manholes to locate sewer line stoppages.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.