Septic Service and Drain Cleaning Jobs Projected to Increase 26 Percent

A new study says septic service and sewer pipe cleaning jobs are on the rise. Find out what this means for your small business.


Infrastructure jobs, including septic tank contractors and sewer pipe cleaners, are on the rise. A new report from Brookings.edu estimates that septic service and sewer pipe cleaning jobs will increase 25.8 percent over the next decade. Occupations related to plumbing (pipefitters, pipelayers, steamfitters) are also forecasted to rise 27.5 percent during that time.

The report defines infrastructure as a “broad range of systems and facilities designed, constructed, operated and governed across the public and private sector.” The study breaks infrastructure jobs down into seven sectors, with septic tank contractors and sewer pipe cleaners falling in the public works category.

Pumping and cleaning contractors rank No. 5 for projected growth on the top 10 infrastructure occupations from a 2012-2022 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics list.

The BLS projects an overall employment growth nationally of 10.8 percent — or 15.6 million — during the next 10 years, while all infrastructure occupations are close behind with a projected growth rate of 9.1 percent.

A 2012 list ranked septic tank contractors and sewer pipe cleaners in a top 20 list of the largest infrastructure occupations with 25,400 employees. Based on the projected growth of 25.8 percent, those 25,400 employees will become 31,953 employees by 2022.

The reasons for this forecasted growth include increased on-the-job training and hands-on experience for employees.

As the economic crash of 2008 waves fades into memory, this hopeful study sheds light on the need for increased government spending for job creation, and funding for new infrastructure projects would create these anticipated jobs.

The effect of additional jobs on the onsite installation, septic pumping and drain cleaning industries is crucial. There’s no doubt an industry employment gap is growing as baby boomers retire and first-generation small business owners step away from running the businesses. This community of hardworking contractors seems to be growing smaller as people retire and fewer young people pursue careers in these fields, but this study should offer some hope.

As a small business owner, this new information shows you’ll be able to land more work and need additional employees in the coming years.

The Brookings findings estimate that by 2022 the infrastructure workforce could grow by 1.1 million workers. Now that you know demand will grow for those positions, you will need some tools to amp up your hiring efforts.

George Hedley, owner Hedley Construction and Hardhat Presentations and speaker on business-building topics, says employees are pretty basic creatures to please.

“Exceptional employees require two things: money and happiness,” he says in a 2011 article in Pumper. “Money includes fair pay and competitive benefits, plus working for a strong company with a good reputation in the community. Happiness is the same, being motivated.

Move forward with efforts to grow your business knowing the work you perform will be in greater demand in the years to come.