Career Explorer Construction and trades
Human edge, growing
Septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners
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.
Among the most resilient careers: more resilient than 93% of the 831 careers we score. AI exposure is low (the Bureau of Labor Statistics rates it low), and US jobs are projected to change by +7.8% by 2035, faster than average. The work leans on physical dexterity.
AI struggles with much of this work, and US employers are expected to hire more people into it than average.
- Median pay (2025)
- $49,880
- Job growth to 2035
- +7.8%
- Openings a year
- 2,800
- People doing it (2025)
- 31,900
- Usual route in
- High school diploma, then moderate on-the-job training
Where people already use AI for this work
- Maintain facilities or equipment
- Communicate with others about operational plans or activities
- Set up equipment
From Microsoft Research, Working with AI (2025).
Work AI rarely helps with
- Clean tools, equipment, facilities, or work areas
- Inspect commercial, industrial, or production systems or equipment
- Perform general construction or extraction activities
What the work looks like
- 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.
From O*NET 31.0, US Department of Labor.
Careers using similar strengths, with a stronger outlook
- Roustabouts, oil and gasHuman edge, growing, Index 95, +3.6%
- Solar photovoltaic installersHuman edge, growing, Index 99, +36.5%
- Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workersHuman edge, growing, Index 99, +5.3%
- Tree trimmers and prunersHuman edge, growing, Index 98, +4.2%
Also known as: Drain Cleaner, Septic Pump Truck Driver, Septic Tank Service Technician, Service Technician, Drain Technician, Public Works Technician, Septic Cleaner, Sewer Bricklayer.
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Sources: US Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2025 to 2035; O*NET 31.0; Microsoft Research (2025); Anthropic Economic Index (2026); Eloundou and colleagues (Science, 2024); Felten, Raj and Seamans (2023). How we score. Updated 12 October 2026.