Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners
Also called: Septic Tank Servicers
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.
Also called: Aseptic Tech (Aseptic Technician), Drain and Sewer Technician, Drain Cleaner, Drain Technician, Electric Sewer Cleaning Machine Operator, High Reach Operator
Median pay
$49,880
per year, U.S.
Pay range (10th–90th)
$37,040 – $73,490
People employed
30,650
Holland code
RCI
Realistic · Conventional · Investigative
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Is this career right for you?
These are the things that stand out in this job compared with other U.S. jobs (O*NET 31.0 work context). Answer honestly.
- 1.Are you OK working outdoors in all kinds of weather?
- 2.Do you enjoy serving customers or the public?
- 3.Are you OK with physical risk, such as hazardous equipment or conditions, with proper training?
- 4.Do you want to lead or coordinate other people’s work?
The hard parts
- Work outdoors in all weather
- Tight deadlines are common
- Exposure to disease or infection
Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners pay by state
Highest-paying states
Annual median pay by state (49 states with published data). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners salary in every state →
What septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners do
- 01Communicate with supervisors and other workers, using equipment such as wireless phones, pagers, or radio telephones.
- 02Drive trucks to transport crews, materials, and equipment.
- 03Inspect manholes to locate sewer line stoppages.
- 04Operate sewer cleaning equipment, including power rodders, high-velocity water jets, sewer flushers, bucket machines, wayne balls, and vac-alls.
- 05Prepare and keep records of actions taken, including maintenance and repair work.
- 06Clean and repair septic tanks, sewer lines, or related structures such as manholes, culverts, and catch basins.
Skills that matter most
- Critical Thinking
- Active Listening
- Monitoring
- Active Learning
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
Knowledge
- Customer and Personal Service
- Transportation
- Mechanical
- English Language
- Public Safety and Security
Work styles that stand out
- Dependability
Education and first steps
Share of workers by required education, as reported to O*NET.
How people get started
- Usually needs a high school diploma (O*NET Job Zone 2).
- Related work experience: none.
- On-the-job training: anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month.
Most common answers from O*NET 31.0 Education, Training and Experience.
Interest fit (Holland code)
O*NET occupational interest scores, scale 1–7. Take the Free Career Test to compare with your own.
Career changes
Change from septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners
- Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators89% · +20%
- Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining87% · +15%
- Pipelayers86% · −2%
- Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas85% · +21%
- Roustabouts, Oil and Gas84% · −6%
Change into septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners
Jobs whose skills carry over best (skill match, their median pay).
- Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment88% · $35,830
- Pipelayers86% · $49,000
- Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors86% · $49,690
- Meter Readers, Utilities81% · $48,150
- Recycling and Reclamation Workers81% · $40,240
Majors that lead here
- Plumbing Technology/Plumber
From the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk.