Construction and extraction
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.
Median pay
$49,880
Growth to 2035
+8%
faster than average
Openings a year
2,800
Time to qualify*
6 months
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Prior experience
- None
Calculate your switch to septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time sitting
Time standing
Outdoors in all weather
Hazardous conditions
Exposure to disease
Septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners: 60% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core tasks
- 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.
- Measure excavation sites, using plumbers' snakes, tapelines, or lengths of cutting heads within sewers, and mark areas for digging.
- Service, adjust, and make minor repairs to equipment, machines, and attachments.
Also called: Drain Cleaner · Drain Technician · Public Works Technician · Septic Cleaner · Septic Pump Truck Driver · Septic Tank Service Technician · Service Technician · Sewer Bricklayer
Outlook and AI
Septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners held 31,900 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 34,400 by 2035 (+8%, faster than average; all jobs: +3.5%).
Compare with
- Septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners vs. Plumber
- Septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners vs. Pipelayer
- Septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners vs. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners vs. Helpers--pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners vs. Maintenance and repair workers, general
- Septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners vs. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment
- Septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners vs. Construction laborer
- Septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners vs. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners vs. Pump operators, except wellhead pumpers
- Septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners vs. Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining