Septic & Sewer Technicians in the Salem area earn a median of $59,390 a year, 16% above the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #35 of 150 U.S. metros nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Portland and Bend, but less in Albany.
Salem scorecard for septic & sewer technicians Our calculation
Grades compare Salem 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).
Pay over time
The median pay for septic & sewer technicians in the Salem area went from $44,550 in 2020 to $59,390 in 2025, up 33.3%. Prices rose 25% over the same period, so after inflation that's +6.3% — a real raise.
BLS OEWS, May 2020–May 2025; inflation: CPI-U (May to May). Year-to-year changes can include survey noise.
Compared with nearby metros
What the pay is really worth in Salem Our calculation
Prices in the Salem area run 4% above the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $57,299 would in a typical place, ranking #42 of 150 on real pay.
Two different views, don't combine them. 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.
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 Oregon Official source
The main state licensing office in Oregon is the Oregon Construction Contractors Board. It can point you to the right license for septic & sewer technicians.
Official Oregon 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 OR metros for septic & sewer technicians
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| BendOREGON · OR | $62,840 | $60,652 | 50 |
| PortlandOREGON · OR | $60,310 | $57,209 | 280 |
| SalemOREGON · OR | $59,390 | $57,299 | 40 |
| EugeneOREGON · OR | $57,540 | $56,652 | 40 |
| MedfordOREGON · OR | $55,770 | $54,982 | 40 |
| AlbanyOREGON · OR | $53,370 | $52,272 | 40 |
See every metro in Oregon.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Salem area's unemployment rate was 5.0% in 2025 (all workers, not just septic & sewer technicians), above the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 5.0% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Salem area is 25 minutes each way, longer than the typical metro (24 min). 13% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 71% drive alone, 1% take transit and 11% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The Salem area's population grew 2.7% from 2020 to 2025 (434,267 → 445,814), ranking #188 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). People moving in (net +9,291) account for most of the change.
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
Homes in Salem
The Salem area has about 171,685 homes. 48% were built before 1980 (typical metro 45%), so its housing is about as old as most; 13% were built in 2010 or later. 62% of households own their home, and the median home value is $447,000.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
New construction
New-home permits in Salem are down 34% from 2021 to 2025 (2,154 → 1,426).
In 2025 the Salem area approved permits for 1,426 new homes (873 single-family), or 3.2 per 1,000 residents, ranking #210 of 393 metros.
Employee vs. working for yourself Your scenario
A model, not a market rate. It shows the minimum you'd need to bill to match a $59,390 employee salary once you cover what an employer normally pays for. Change any number.
Minimum billing rate
How this calculator works. 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 Salem with another city →
About this data
- Pay: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2025, local to this metro.
- Pay over time: BLS OEWS May 2020–2025, local; inflation from the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U).
- Real pay: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024, local.
- Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027, local (county rents weighted by population).
- Job outlook, education, training: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national.
- Duties: O*NET 31.0, national.
- Safety: BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024, national.
- New construction: Census Building Permits, 2021–2025, local.
- Housing: Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year, local (age of homes, ownership, home values).
- Population: Census Bureau population estimates, 2020–2025, local.
- Commute: Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year, local, all workers.
- Unemployment: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, 2021–2025 annual averages, local, all workers (2025 preliminary).
- Competition: Census Nonemployer Statistics 2024 and County Business Patterns 2023, local, reported by industry, so related trades can share one figure.
- Jobs are employment estimates, not open positions. Grades rank this metro against all others for the same trade.
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.