What is a Septic Tank Servicer or Sewer Pipe Cleaner?

Career Description 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.

Life As a Septic Tank Servicer or Sewer Pipe Cleaner

• Measure excavation sites, using plumbers’ snakes, tapelines, or lengths of cutting heads within sewers, and mark areas for digging.
• Update sewer maps and manhole charts.
• Install rotary knives on flexible cables mounted on machine reels, according to the diameters of pipes to be cleaned.
• Locate problems, using specially designed equipment, and mark where digging must occur to reach damaged tanks or pipes.
• Requisition or order tools and equipment.
• Drive trucks to transport crews, materials, and equipment.

Septic Tank Servicer or Sewer Pipe Cleaner Required Skills

When polled, Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:

Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.

Operation 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.

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.

Equipment Maintenance: Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.

Related Job Titles

• High Reach Operator
• Sewer Bricklayer
• Laborer
• Septic Cleaner
• Priming Machine Operator

Septic Tank Servicer or Sewer Pipe Cleaner Employment Estimates

There were about 28,500 jobs for Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners in 2016 (in the United States).

New jobs are being produced at a rate of 17.2% which is lower than average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 4,900 new jobs for Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners by 2026. There will be an estimated 4,300 positions for Septic Tank Servicer or Sewer Pipe Cleaner per year.

The states with the most job growth for Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners are Texas, Florida, and New York.

Watch out if you plan on working in North Dakota, Vermont, or South Dakota. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

Septic Tank Servicer or Sewer Pipe Cleaner Average Salary

The average yearly salary of a Septic Tank Servicer or Sewer Pipe Cleaner ranges between $25,900 and $61,320. The median salary is $38,970.

Below is a list of the median annual salaries for jobs of this type in different U.S. states.

Annual Mean Salary by State

State	Annual Mean Salary
New Jersey	$56,060
Alaska	$50,370
Illinois	$50,090
Massachusetts	$49,770
Oregon	$47,860
Colorado	$47,320
Nevada	$47,050
Wisconsin	$45,930
Hawaii	$45,530
Pennsylvania	$45,520
Utah	$45,090
Connecticut	$44,840
North Dakota	$44,790
Wyoming	$44,190
California	$44,160
Washington	$44,070
Minnesota	$43,930
Iowa	$43,430
Ohio	$43,150
New York	$42,090
Virginia	$41,800
Rhode Island	$41,700
Nebraska	$41,420
Kentucky	$41,090
Maryland	$40,340
New Hampshire	$40,170
Arizona	$40,100
Michigan	$40,040
Delaware	$39,650
Indiana	$39,300
West Virginia	$39,090
Florida	$37,890
Vermont	$36,350
Missouri	$36,290
Montana	$36,110
Kansas	$35,920
Louisiana	$35,740
Maine	$35,640
Georgia	$35,560
Alabama	$35,560
Tennessee	$34,880
North Carolina	$34,210
New Mexico	$34,190
South Dakota	$34,100
South Carolina	$34,090
Texas	$32,960
Idaho	$31,900
Arkansas	$31,790
Oklahoma	$31,710
Mississippi	$30,000

Tools & Technologies Used by Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners

Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners may use on a daily basis:

• Intuit QuickBooks
• Data entry software

How to Become a Septic Tank Servicer or Sewer Pipe Cleaner

Education needed to be a Septic Tank Servicer or Sewer Pipe Cleaner:

How many years of work experience do I need?

Where Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners Are Employed

Other Jobs You May be Interested In

Those interested in being a Septic Tank Servicer or Sewer Pipe Cleaner may also be interested in:

• Structural Iron and Steel Workers

References

Bureau of Labor Statistics

College Factual

O*NET Online

Image Credit: Via Wikimedia Commons