Septic & Sewer Technicians in the Merced area earn a median of $61,150 a year, 20% above the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #21 of 150 metros for septic & sewer technicians nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in San Jose and Stockton, but less in Modesto.
It's one of 17 California metros with published pay for this trade; see septic & sewer technician pay in California.
Septic & Sewer Technician pay in Merced at a glance
- Septic & sewer technicians in the Merced, CA metro earn a median $61,150 a year ($29.40 an hour), #21 of 150 U.S. metros (BLS, May 2025).
- The middle 80% earn between $47,340 and $63,110.
- After local prices, that median buys what $62,223 would in a typical U.S. place (BEA, 2024).
- A typical 1-bedroom rents for $1,262 a month, 25% of the median pay (HUD, FY2027).
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Enter a rate to see where it falls among septic & sewer technicians in Merced.
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What this means Our calculation
Pay for septic & sewer technicians here is in the top 20% of U.S. metros, and also in the top 20% once local prices are factored in. For the wider job market, unemployment is higher than in most metros (10.2%) and the population is growing faster than most (+5.1% since 2020).
Merced scorecard for septic & sewer technicians Our calculation
Grades compare Merced with every other U.S. metro for this trade (A = top 20%).
Pay Government data
Pay range
Shaded: the middle half of workers. Grey line: typical U.S. metro ($50,990).
Compared with nearby metros
What the pay is really worth in Merced Our calculation
Prices in Merced run 2% below the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $62,223 would in a typical place, ranking #19 of 150 on real pay.
Real pay or rent burden?
Real pay already accounts for housing, because the price index includes rent. Rent burden shows what share of pay a typical 1-bedroom takes. Use either one, not both together.
Want the full picture? Build a cost-of-living budget for Merced from this pay, local rent and prices.
What septic & sewer technicians do
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.
Most important day-to-day tasks
- 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.
Outlook & getting started
Nationally, septic & sewer technician jobs are projected to grow 7.8% from 2025 to 2035 (all jobs: 3.5%), with about 2,800 openings a year. About 3% are self-employed.
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.
Licensing in California Official source
The main state licensing office in California is the Contractors State License Board. Licenses all trades by classification (e.g. C-10 electrical; C-36 plumbing). It can point you to the right license for septic & sewer technicians.
Official California licensing site ↗
Requirements for septic & sewer technicians vary by state and sometimes by city; always confirm with the official agency.
On-the-job safety Government data
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.
BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024 (national, cases with days away from work).
Highest-paying CA metros for septic & sewer technicians
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| San FranciscoCALIFORNIA · CA | $68,990 | $59,673 | 350 |
| StocktonCALIFORNIA · CA | $66,870 | $63,632 | 70 |
| San JoseCALIFORNIA · CA | $61,200 | $55,423 | 200 |
| MercedCALIFORNIA · CA | $61,150 | $62,223 | 30 |
| Santa RosaCALIFORNIA · CA | $59,400 | $55,110 | 70 |
| NapaCALIFORNIA · CA | $58,720 | $52,171 | 50 |
| SacramentoCALIFORNIA · CA | $56,940 | $53,380 | 280 |
| Los AngelesCALIFORNIA · CA | $55,420 | $48,800 | 600 |
| BakersfieldCALIFORNIA · CA | $53,430 | $52,961 | 100 |
| San Luis ObispoCALIFORNIA · CA | $52,510 | $48,354 | 30 |
See every metro in California.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Merced area's unemployment rate was 10.2% in 2025 (all workers, not just septic & sewer technicians), above the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 10.3% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Merced area is 32 minutes each way, longer than the typical metro (24 min). 25% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 74% drive alone, 1% take transit and 6% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The Merced area's population grew 5.1% from 2020 to 2025 (282,895 → 297,260), ranking #97 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). People moving in (net +6,472) account for part of the change.
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
Homes in Merced
The Merced area has about 92,947 homes. 38% were built before 1980 (typical metro 45%), so its housing is newer than most; 10% were built in 2010 or later. 55% of households own their home, and the median home value is $397,800.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
New construction
New-home permits in Merced are down 23% from 2021 to 2025 (1,017 → 780).
In 2025 the Merced area approved permits for 780 new homes (697 single-family), or 2.7 per 1,000 residents, ranking #244 of 393 metros.
Licensed contractors
The Merced area has 1 active C-42 Sanitation System contractor licenses, about 0.0 per 10,000 residents (#24 of 24 California metros, where #1 is the most crowded). That's the competition you'd face bidding your own jobs.
California Contractors State License Board, License Master file, October 2026. Counted by the county in each license's address.
Working outdoors in Merced Government data
In an average year, Merced has 100 days at 90°F or hotter (more than most metros; typical metro 33), including 23 at 100°F or more, 28 nights below freezing (typical 90) and 27 days with a tenth of an inch of rain or more. Summer afternoons average 94°F and winter nights 37°F. That matters for septic & sewer technicians: heat and freezes shape the working season and the hours.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 averages, Merced Muni Airport, CA station. Compare cities on outdoor work weather.
Employee vs. working for yourself Your scenario
A model, not a market rate. It shows the break-even rate to match a $61,150 employee salary once you cover what an employer normally pays for (including the employer half of Social Security and Medicare, 7.65%), then adds your profit margin. Change any number.
Break-even rate
With your profit margin
How this calculator works. Weighing a contractor job against a W-2 one? Try the 1099 vs. W-2 comparison. Billable hours are hours you can charge a customer. Driving, quoting, paperwork and slow weeks aren't billable, which is why 1,400 is a common starting point versus 2,080 paid hours as an employee.
Get septic & sewer technician pricing & estimate templates →Compare Merced with another city →
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ToolMerced budgetMonthly take-home, HUD rent and local prices on this pay.About this data
Local to the Merced metro: pay (BLS, May 2025) and pay over time (2020–2025, CPI-adjusted), prices (BEA, 2024), rent (HUD, FY2027), new construction, housing, population and commuting (Census), unemployment (BLS) and business counts (Census, by industry). National: job outlook and training (BLS projections), injury rates (BLS) and duties (O*NET). Jobs are employment estimates, not open positions; grades rank Merced against every other metro for septic & sewer technicians. Every source, year and formula is on our data page.
Report a data issue on this page
The Census doesn't publish one-person business or competition figures for septic & sewer technicians as a separate industry, so that section is left out.