SalariesWhat the occupation covers
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.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 47-4071.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $37,040 | $3,087 | $712 | $17.81 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $43,530 | $3,628 | $837 | $20.93 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $49,880 | $4,157 | $959 | $23.98 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $61,060 | $5,088 | $1,174 | $29.36 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $73,490 | $6,124 | $1,413 | $35.33 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners is $49,880, which is 2% lower. Among the 60 occupations of the field Construction and Extraction, it ranks number 44 by median pay. With 30,650 jobs, it makes up about 2.0 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners pay by state
The highest median pay was in Nebraska ($66,890), New Jersey ($64,650) and New Hampshire ($64,590). The lowest was in West Virginia ($36,200), Arkansas ($38,330) and Mississippi ($38,870). The most jobs were in California (3,130), Texas (2,430) and Washington (1,600). The occupation is most concentrated in Alaska, where its share of all jobs is 4.4 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nebraska | 300 | $66,890 | $58,300 | $32.16 |
| New Jersey | 220 | $64,650 | $69,490 | $31.08 |
| New Hampshire | 310 | $64,590 | $65,270 | $31.05 |
| Washington | 1,600 | $63,090 | $65,880 | $30.33 |
| Minnesota | 240 | $62,190 | $62,010 | $29.90 |
| Connecticut | 280 | $60,700 | $63,720 | $29.18 |
| Nevada | 220 | $60,180 | $54,900 | $28.93 |
| Iowa | 630 | $57,980 | $57,200 | $27.87 |
| Oregon | 560 | $57,920 | $55,770 | $27.84 |
| Alaska | 280 | $57,720 | $61,530 | $27.75 |
| Wisconsin | 1,050 | $57,340 | $55,940 | $27.57 |
| Montana | 290 | $56,860 | $55,200 | $27.34 |
| Maryland | 160 | $56,410 | $56,000 | $27.12 |
| California | 3,130 | $55,220 | $57,610 | $26.55 |
| New York | 1,550 | $55,220 | $56,030 | $26.55 |
| Hawaii | 80 | $54,530 | $60,670 | $26.22 |
| Illinois | 1,210 | $53,190 | $57,230 | $25.57 |
| Massachusetts | 620 | $53,080 | $56,940 | $25.52 |
| Pennsylvania | 1,530 | $52,070 | $55,730 | $25.04 |
| Georgia | 590 | $51,880 | $52,080 | $24.94 |
| Colorado | 500 | $51,700 | $56,270 | $24.86 |
| Missouri | 1,160 | $51,560 | $53,050 | $24.79 |
| Ohio | 1,000 | $50,750 | $53,750 | $24.40 |
| Michigan | 1,080 | $50,040 | $51,680 | $24.06 |
| Utah | 200 | $49,770 | $55,390 | $23.93 |
| Louisiana | 500 | $48,900 | $52,900 | $23.51 |
| Maine | 160 | $48,530 | $48,320 | $23.33 |
| Delaware | 30 | $48,440 | $47,890 | $23.29 |
| Indiana | 770 | $48,380 | $50,720 | $23.26 |
| Arizona | 590 | $47,670 | $50,160 | $22.92 |
| Wyoming | 90 | $47,520 | $49,580 | $22.85 |
| Alabama | 400 | $47,370 | $47,630 | $22.78 |
| North Carolina | 1,020 | $47,280 | $50,900 | $22.73 |
| Virginia | 890 | $47,150 | $49,620 | $22.67 |
| Kansas | 150 | $46,960 | $45,870 | $22.58 |
| Idaho | 230 | $46,860 | $48,990 | $22.53 |
| South Carolina | 640 | $46,660 | $46,510 | $22.44 |
| North Dakota | 70 | $46,340 | $52,350 | $22.28 |
| Florida | 1,330 | $46,150 | $48,600 | $22.19 |
| Vermont | 140 | $46,140 | $48,960 | $22.19 |
| Kentucky | 280 | $43,980 | $46,630 | $21.15 |
| Texas | 2,430 | $43,860 | $47,090 | $21.09 |
| Oklahoma | 670 | $40,960 | $43,400 | $19.69 |
| New Mexico | 160 | $40,230 | $43,450 | $19.34 |
| South Dakota | 120 | $40,040 | $45,040 | $19.25 |
| Tennessee | 550 | $39,480 | $43,070 | $18.98 |
| Mississippi | 230 | $38,870 | $42,380 | $18.69 |
| Arkansas | not published | $38,330 | $40,430 | $18.43 |
| West Virginia | 70 | $36,200 | $37,250 | $17.41 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Carpet Installers$50,340 a year
- Highway Maintenance Workers$50,260 a year
- Miscellaneous Construction and Related Workers$49,910 a year
- Hazardous Materials Removal Workers$49,450 a year
- Painters, Construction and Maintenance$49,400 a year
- Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall$49,120 a year
Common questions
How much do Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners earn in the United States?
The median pay was $49,880 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $37,040 and the highest-paid 10% more than $73,490.
How many people work as Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners?
About 30,650 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.