Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators vs Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners: $60K vs $50K Median Pay

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators vs Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners: what changes?

Consider Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators if you want to operate one or several types of power construction equipment, such as motor graders, bulldozers, scrapers, compressors, pumps, derricks, shovels, tractors, or front-end loaders to excavate, move, and grade…. Consider Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners if you would rather clean and repair septic tanks, sewer lines, or drains. Both list high school diploma or equivalent; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators and Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators

National median pay (2025): $59,850
Route into the job: High school diploma or equivalent; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Learn and follow safety regulations.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 39,200

Know before you choose

Errors can seriously affect people, equipment, or operations. Checking and accountability are part of the job, not optional polish.

See the full Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators brief

Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners

National median pay (2025): $49,880
Route into the job: High school diploma or equivalent; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Communicate with supervisors and other workers, using equipment such as wireless phones, pagers, or radio telephones.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 2,800

Know before you choose

The work can involve real occupational hazards. Training, protective equipment, and routine safety discipline matter every day.

See the full Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners brief

How the national numbers differ

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators has the edge on annual openings

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators is at 39,200 annual openings, compared with 2,800 annual openings for Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners.

Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners has the edge on projected growth

Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners is at 7.8% projected growth, compared with 4.6% projected growth for Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators.

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators has the edge on median pay

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators is at $59,850, compared with $49,880 for Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners.

68.8/ 100

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators

55.1/ 100

Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators vs Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners

Dimension	Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators	Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners
Median pay (2025)	$59,850	$49,880
Pay percentile	47.6 percentile	32.1 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	4.6%	7.8%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	39,200	2,800
2025 employment	489,500	31,900
How you qualify	High school diploma or equivalent; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing	High school diploma or equivalent; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
O*NET preparation group	Job Zone 2	Job Zone 2
Related work experience	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job training	More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.	More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators brief Read Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners brief

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators vs Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators

Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners

How the national numbers differ

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators has the edge on annual openings

Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners has the edge on projected growth

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators has the edge on median pay

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators vs Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners

Try another comparison

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators vs Helpers--Extraction Workers

Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners vs Helpers--Extraction Workers