Statewide pay Government data
Septic & sewer technicians in Pennsylvania earn a statewide median of $52,070 a year, 2% above the typical U.S. metro, ranking #19 of 49 states. About 1,530 people work in the trade statewide.
Statewide pay range
States ranked near Pennsylvania
See all states on the septic & sewer technician overview.
Pay by city Government data
BLS publishes septic & sewer technician pay for 9 Pennsylvania metros. The highest-paying is Allentown at $63,420, followed by Philadelphia and Lancaster.
| Metro | Median pay | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| AllentownPENNSYLVANIA · PA | $63,420 | $63,440 | 120 |
| PhiladelphiaPENNSYLVANIA · PA | $59,020 | $57,550 | 480 |
| LancasterPENNSYLVANIA · PA | $58,310 | $59,344 | 60 |
| EriePENNSYLVANIA · PA | $56,210 | $61,803 | 40 |
| ReadingPENNSYLVANIA · PA | $51,920 | $53,493 | 70 |
| YorkPENNSYLVANIA · PA | $51,380 | $53,521 | 50 |
| PittsburghPENNSYLVANIA · PA | $51,220 | $54,103 | 160 |
| HarrisburgPENNSYLVANIA · PA | $47,920 | $48,576 | 100 |
| ScrantonPENNSYLVANIA · PA | $47,530 | $50,804 | 50 |
Pay: BLS OEWS, May 2025 (metro-level). Real pay: BEA price parities, 2024. How we calculate
Pay outside the cities Government data
BLS also reports pay for Pennsylvania's rural (nonmetropolitan) regions.
BLS OEWS nonmetropolitan areas, May 2025.
The job (national)
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.
Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 7.8% from 2025 to 2035, with about 2,800 openings a year. Typical training: moderate-term on-the-job training.
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.
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 Pennsylvania Official source
The main state licensing office in Pennsylvania is the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. Home improvement contractors register with the state; most trades are licensed locally. It can point you to the right license for septic & sewer technicians.
Official Pennsylvania licensing site ↗
Requirements for septic & sewer technicians vary by state and sometimes by city; always confirm with the official agency.
Union membership
In 2025, 10.9% of wage and salary workers in Pennsylvania were union members, above the U.S. rate of about 10% (#20 of 51 states and D.C.), and 11.7% were covered by a union contract. These figures cover all jobs in the state, not only septic & sewer technicians.
BLS Union Members, 2025 (Current Population Survey), table 5.
Cities in Pennsylvania
All trades in Pennsylvania.