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Skilled Trades

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 salary (BLS)

$49,880

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$37k – $73k

Job outlook

+8% (faster than average)

AI exposure

Plan a path to Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners

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Education

Typical entry: No degree required

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How to qualify

EstimateLicense required

Cost to qualify

$100–$2,600

Time to qualify

3.1 yr

Renewal

$50/yr

  1. 1

    Registered apprenticeship (paid)

    Experience

    Earn-while-you-learn training — apprentices are paid during the program; fees are tools/books, not tuition.

    $0–$2,000 · 36 months · varies by state source

  2. 2

    Journeyman exam & state/local license

    License

    Most states and municipalities test and license journeyman-level trades workers.

    $100–$600 · 1 months · varies by state · renews every 2 yr source

Estimated typical U.S. route for "Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.

Typical progression

  1. Junior Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners

    Entry / Junior

    $37,040

    ~2 yrs to advance

  2. Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners

    Established

    $49,880

    ~3 yrs to advance

  3. Senior Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners

    Senior

    $61,685

Key skills

A typical 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.
  • •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.

Fields of study

Any field

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Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.