Home / Apprenticeships / Occupations / Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners
Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners: apprenticeship hours and pay
O*NET-SOC 47-4071.00
Approved apprenticeship titles
One apprenticeship title on the Department of Labor's approved list fall under Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners, trained competency-based, hybrid, time-based. The shortest approved term is 4,000 hours, for Wastewater Utilities Maintenance Technician (competency-based).
| Title | RAPIDS code | Approach and term |
|---|---|---|
| Wastewater Utilities Maintenance Technician | 4006 | Competency-Based: 4,000 hours Hybrid: 4,000 to 6,000 hours Time-Based: 4,000 hours |
Time-based programs count hours on the job; competency-based programs move on when the apprentice shows the skills; hybrid programs use both, within a range of hours (29 CFR 29.5(b)(2)). Each registered program sets its own term inside what the approved title allows.
What septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners earn, by state
Nebraska has the highest state median for septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners ($66,890) and West Virginia the lowest ($36,200), across the 49 states with a published figure.
| State | Median pay | Hourly | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nebraska | $66,890 | $32.16 | 300 |
| New Jersey | $64,650 | $31.08 | 220 |
| New Hampshire | $64,590 | $31.05 | 310 |
| Washington | $63,090 | $30.33 | 1,600 |
| Minnesota | $62,190 | $29.90 | 240 |
| Connecticut | $60,700 | $29.18 | 280 |
| Nevada | $60,180 | $28.93 | 220 |
| Iowa | $57,980 | $27.87 | 630 |
| Oregon | $57,920 | $27.84 | 560 |
| Alaska | $57,720 | $27.75 | 280 |
| Wisconsin | $57,340 | $27.57 | 1,050 |
| Montana | $56,860 | $27.34 | 290 |
| Maryland | $56,410 | $27.12 | 160 |
| California | $55,220 | $26.55 | 3,130 |
| New York | $55,220 | $26.55 | 1,550 |
| Hawaii | $54,530 | $26.22 | 80 |
| Illinois | $53,190 | $25.57 | 1,210 |
| Massachusetts | $53,080 | $25.52 | 620 |
| Pennsylvania | $52,070 | $25.04 | 1,530 |
| Georgia | $51,880 | $24.94 | 590 |
| Colorado | $51,700 | $24.86 | 500 |
| Missouri | $51,560 | $24.79 | 1,160 |
| Ohio | $50,750 | $24.40 | 1,000 |
| Michigan | $50,040 | $24.06 | 1,080 |
| Utah | $49,770 | $23.93 | 200 |
| Louisiana | $48,900 | $23.51 | 500 |
| Maine | $48,530 | $23.33 | 160 |
| Delaware | $48,440 | $23.29 | 30 |
| Indiana | $48,380 | $23.26 | 770 |
| Arizona | $47,670 | $22.92 | 590 |
| Wyoming | $47,520 | $22.85 | 90 |
| Alabama | $47,370 | $22.78 | 400 |
| North Carolina | $47,280 | $22.73 | 1,020 |
| Virginia | $47,150 | $22.67 | 890 |
| Kansas | $46,960 | $22.58 | 150 |
| Idaho | $46,860 | $22.53 | 230 |
| South Carolina | $46,660 | $22.44 | 640 |
| North Dakota | $46,340 | $22.28 | 70 |
| Florida | $46,150 | $22.19 | 1,330 |
| Vermont | $46,140 | $22.19 | 140 |
| Kentucky | $43,980 | $21.15 | 280 |
| Texas | $43,860 | $21.09 | 2,430 |
| Oklahoma | $40,960 | $19.69 | 670 |
| New Mexico | $40,230 | $19.34 | 160 |
| South Dakota | $40,040 | $19.25 | 120 |
| Tennessee | $39,480 | $18.98 | 550 |
| Mississippi | $38,870 | $18.69 | 230 |
| Arkansas | $38,330 | $18.43 | Not published |
| West Virginia | $36,200 | $17.41 | 70 |
Finding a program
The public sponsor file names the organizations that run registered apprenticeships but not the occupations each one trains, so this guide names no sponsor. Search apprenticeship.gov's Apprenticeship Finder for this title, or ask your American Job Center which local programs train it.
Apprenticeship sponsors by state (25,633) · All approved occupations
Sources: apprenticeship.gov approved occupations list (Last-Modified October 8, 2026); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (all industries; blanks are figures BLS does not publish).