Career profile · 47-4071
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 the work can involve
- 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.
Selected core tasks from O*NET 31.0. Responsibilities vary by employer, specialization and experience.
Preparation and entry routes
This broad O*NET group commonly involves some prior preparation and on-the-job learning. Check the specific employer, occupational credential and state requirements.
Check the route for the specific occupation where you plan to work. Education, employer experience requirements, occupational licensing and industry certification can be separate steps.
Understand the different credentials →Skills used in this occupation
- Critical Thinking
- Active Listening
- Monitoring
- Active Learning
- Reading Comprehension
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Knowledge to build
- Customer and Personal Service
- Transportation
- Mechanical
- English Language
- Public Safety and Security
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Common work activities
- Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment
- Getting Information
- Performing General Physical Activities
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Training subjects to investigate
The federal education-to-occupation crosswalk connects this role to the subjects below. These links do not endorse a school or guarantee that any particular award qualifies a graduate for the job.
Working conditions to consider
These are the most common published responses to selected O*NET work-setting questions. They describe occupation-level survey findings, not every employer or a particular job.
| Work-setting question | Most common response | Share giving that response |
|---|---|---|
| Contact With Others | Constant contact with others | 67.7%07/2017 · sample 23 |
| Exposed to Contaminants | Every day | 67.7%07/2017 · sample 22 |
| Exposed to Disease or Infections | Every day | 51.2%07/2017 · sample 22 |
| Exposed to Hazardous Conditions | Once a year or more but not every month | 32.2%07/2017 · sample 22 |
| Spend Time Sitting | Less than half the time | 58.9%07/2017 · sample 22 |
| Spend Time Standing | About half the time | 52.1%07/2017 · sample 22 |
| Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls | Continually or almost continually | 59.8%07/2017 · sample 22 |
| Time Pressure | Once a week or more but not every day | 38.8%07/2017 · sample 23 |
| Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets | Every day | 64.1%07/2017 · sample 23 |
| Work Schedules | Regular (established routine, set schedule) | 64.6%07/2017 · sample 23 |
O*NET 31.0 Work Context, selected topics. Only unsuppressed source responses with sample size at least 10 are shown. A most-common response need not be a majority. Sampling uncertainty applies; source dates vary. Ask employers about actual schedules, accessibility, protective equipment and working conditions.
Software used in the workplace
Use these O*NET examples to ask how a course builds practical digital skills. They are workplace examples, not a required shopping list or confirmation of a school’s curriculum.
- Accounting software: Intuit QuickBooks
- Calendar and scheduling software: Work scheduling software
- Internet browser software: Web browser software
- Route navigation software: Route mapping software
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word
Selected categories and examples from O*NET 31.0 Software Skills. Products and employer requirements change. These examples are not endorsements; check the complete official occupation profile.
Pay & employment outlook
Salary estimates for septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners
The median divides workers into two equally sized groups by pay. It is not a starting salary, a school’s graduate outcome or a promise of employment. Lower percentiles are not automatically new graduates.
National outlook: 2025–2035
- Typical education for entry
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Related work experience
- None
- Typical on-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
BLS national employment projections, 2025–2035. Openings include people leaving occupations or the labor force; these are not advertised vacancies. Education categories describe typical entry, not legal eligibility or a guarantee that any specific program is sufficient.
Compare wages across 49 state/DC estimates
| State | Annual median | Hourly median | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $47,370 | $22.78 | 400 |
| Alaska | $57,720 | $27.75 | 280 |
| Arizona | $47,670 | $22.92 | 590 |
| Arkansas | $38,330 | $18.43 | Not published |
| California | $55,220 | $26.55 | 3,130 |
| Colorado | $51,700 | $24.86 | 500 |
| Connecticut | $60,700 | $29.18 | 280 |
| Delaware | $48,440 | $23.29 | 30 |
| Florida | $46,150 | $22.19 | 1,330 |
| Georgia | $51,880 | $24.94 | 590 |
| Hawaii | $54,530 | $26.22 | 80 |
| Idaho | $46,860 | $22.53 | 230 |
| Illinois | $53,190 | $25.57 | 1,210 |
| Indiana | $48,380 | $23.26 | 770 |
| Iowa | $57,980 | $27.87 | 630 |
| Kansas | $46,960 | $22.58 | 150 |
| Kentucky | $43,980 | $21.15 | 280 |
| Louisiana | $48,900 | $23.51 | 500 |
| Maine | $48,530 | $23.33 | 160 |
| Maryland | $56,410 | $27.12 | 160 |
| Massachusetts | $53,080 | $25.52 | 620 |
| Michigan | $50,040 | $24.06 | 1,080 |
| Minnesota | $62,190 | $29.90 | 240 |
| Mississippi | $38,870 | $18.69 | 230 |
| Missouri | $51,560 | $24.79 | 1,160 |
| Montana | $56,860 | $27.34 | 290 |
| Nebraska | $66,890 | $32.16 | 300 |
| Nevada | $60,180 | $28.93 | 220 |
| New Hampshire | $64,590 | $31.05 | 310 |
| New Jersey | $64,650 | $31.08 | 220 |
| New Mexico | $40,230 | $19.34 | 160 |
| New York | $55,220 | $26.55 | 1,550 |
| North Carolina | $47,280 | $22.73 | 1,020 |
| North Dakota | $46,340 | $22.28 | 70 |
| Ohio | $50,750 | $24.40 | 1,000 |
| Oklahoma | $40,960 | $19.69 | 670 |
| Oregon | $57,920 | $27.84 | 560 |
| Pennsylvania | $52,070 | $25.04 | 1,530 |
| South Carolina | $46,660 | $22.44 | 640 |
| South Dakota | $40,040 | $19.25 | 120 |
| Tennessee | $39,480 | $18.98 | 550 |
| Texas | $43,860 | $21.09 | 2,430 |
| Utah | $49,770 | $23.93 | 200 |
| Vermont | $46,140 | $22.19 | 140 |
| Virginia | $47,150 | $22.67 | 890 |
| Washington | $63,090 | $30.33 | 1,600 |
| West Virginia | $36,200 | $17.41 | 70 |
| Wisconsin | $57,340 | $27.57 | 1,050 |
| Wyoming | $47,520 | $22.85 | 90 |
Metropolitan and nonmetropolitan wages
Search the 225 published local-area estimates for this occupation. Metropolitan areas can cross state lines; a city’s postal name is not necessarily the statistical area’s name.
Sources: BLS May 2025 OEWS public downloads and 2025–2035 employment projections, retrieved September 9, 2026. Unpublished estimates stay unavailable. “+” means BLS’s upper reporting threshold ($239,200 annually or $115 hourly). Wages exclude self-employment and nonwage benefits. How to interpret these figures.
Compare the route and prepare for work
Questions to test the fit
- What does an entry-level working day look like, and how does it differ from the experienced role described here?
- Which tasks, work environments and schedules would I enjoy or find difficult?
- What education, supervised practice and credentials do local employers actually request?
- Can I speak with someone in the occupation or arrange a suitable workplace visit?
- How does the complete training cost compare with my realistic budget and available routes?
Related occupations to compare
- First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers→
- Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters→
- Solar Energy Installation Managers→
- Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians→
Related through shared training-subject mappings. Entry requirements can differ substantially.
Sources and attribution
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. Trade School Guides selects and organizes the material and adds explanatory guidance. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. Occupation code: 47-4071.00.
Training connections: CIP 2020–SOC 2018 crosswalk. Snapshot: September 8, 2026. See the methodology.