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 pay ranges from $36,350 to $75,010 depending on the metro. Most people train through: moderate-term on-the-job training. Job growth and openings are national figures.
Nationally, septic & sewer technicians have 162 injuries or illnesses serious enough to miss work per 10,000 full-time workers, 1.9× the rate for all jobs (87). The most common cause is overexertion and repetitive strain.
Find the best city for septic & sewer technicians based on what matters to you →
What the work is like Government data
How often septic & sewer technicians deal with each condition, from surveys of workers in the job.
Getting started usually takes some preparation (high school plus months of training).
O*NET 31.0 Work Context and Job Zones (U.S. Department of Labor), national.
Highest-paying metros
Best real pay after local prices
What the median buys once each metro's price level is factored in.
Pay: BLS OEWS, May 2025 (metro-level). Real pay: BEA price parities, 2024. How we calculate
Best-paying states Government data
Statewide, septic & sewer technicians earn the most in Nebraska ($66,890) and the least in West Virginia ($36,200), a gap of $30,690 a year.
BLS OEWS statewide medians, May 2025.
Septic & Sewer Technician pay by state
Compare with another trade
Side-by-side pay, job growth, training and safety for septic & sewer technicians and 11 similar trades.