How to hire septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Clean and repair septic tanks, sewer lines, or related structures such as manholes, culverts, and catch basins. • 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. • Measure excavation sites, using plumbers' snakes, tapelines, or lengths of cutting heads within sewers, and mark areas for digging. • 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. • Service, adjust, and make minor repairs to equipment, machines, and attachments. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: High school diploma or equivalent] • Strong critical thinking and active listening skills • Working knowledge of customer and personal service and transportation • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $23.98 an hour ($49,880 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to clean and repair septic tanks, sewer lines, or related structures such as manholes, culverts, and catch basins. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to communicate with supervisors and other workers, using equipment such as wireless phones, pagers, or radio telephones. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to drive trucks to transport crews, materials, and equipment. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to inspect manholes to locate sewer line stoppages. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Describe a decision at work where the obvious answer was wrong. How did you work out the better choice?
- Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners do
- Clean and repair septic tanks, sewer lines, or related structures such as manholes, culverts, and catch basins.
- 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.
- Measure excavation sites, using plumbers' snakes, tapelines, or lengths of cutting heads within sewers, and mark areas for digging.
- 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.
- Service, adjust, and make minor repairs to equipment, machines, and attachments.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners
- Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent (BLS)
- Related work experience most have: 1 to 3 months (O*NET)
- Training on the job: Moderate-term on-the-job training (BLS)
- Job outlook: +7.8% over ten years, faster than average · about 2,800 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| Washington | $63,090 |
| Iowa | $57,980 |
| Oregon | $57,920 |
| Wisconsin | $57,340 |
| New York | $55,220 |
| Texas | $43,860 |
| Oklahoma | $40,960 |
| Tennessee | $39,480 |
See septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners pay in every state
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Post this job on JAI Bot. Free to start: JAI Bot reads every applicant against your must-haves, shows the resume evidence behind each one, and helps you reply to everyone. People make every decision.
Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.