Drain cleaner vs plumber

The differences between drain cleaners and plumbers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a plumber has an average salary of $55,337, which is higher than the $37,578 average annual salary of a drain cleaner.

The top three skills for a drain cleaner include sewer lines, plumbing and customer service. The most important skills for a plumber are plumbing, hand tools, and plumbers.

Drain cleaner vs plumber overview

	Drain Cleaner	Plumber
Yearly salary	$37,578	$55,337
Hourly rate	$18.07	$26.60
Growth rate	6%	2%
Number of jobs	35,746	12,307
Job satisfaction	-	4.4
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 59%	High School Diploma, 53%
Average age	38	42
Years of experience	-	4

Drain cleaner vs plumber salary

Drain cleaners and plumbers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Drain Cleaner	Plumber
Average salary	$37,578	$55,337
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $56,000	Between $36,000 And $84,000
Highest paying City	-	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	-	Oregon
Best paying company	-	Kern Community College District
Best paying industry	-	Finance

Differences between drain cleaner and plumber education

There are a few differences between a drain cleaner and a plumber in terms of educational background:

	Drain Cleaner	Plumber
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 59%	High School Diploma, 53%
Most common major	Psychology	Business
Most common college	-	-

Drain cleaner vs plumber demographics

Here are the differences between drain cleaners' and plumbers' demographics:

	Drain Cleaner	Plumber
Average age	38	42
Gender ratio	Male, 95.9% Female, 4.1%	Male, 96.5% Female, 3.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 13.5% Asian, 3.7% White, 64.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 20.2% Asian, 1.9% White, 63.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	5%	2%

Differences between drain cleaner and plumber duties and responsibilities

Drain cleaner example responsibilities.

Perform basic plumbing services as needed.
Clear blockages in plumbing systems utilizing a roto-rooter.
Operate backhoes to dig up lines and replace.

Plumber example responsibilities.

Train and manage less experience plumbers and achieve significant improvements in their productivity.
Replace old copper and cast iron plumbing, install PEX water lines, CPVC lines and PVC lines.
Learned how to read blueprints, use plumbing math and read sub/spec data.
Assemble pipe sections, tubing, or fittings, using various techniques, including caulking, soldering, and brazing.
Install, repair and maintain plumbing systems and components including toilets, urinals, faucets, hose bibs drains, etc.
Dig trenches for new pipeline.

Drain cleaner vs plumber skills

Common drain cleaner skills

Sewer Lines, 52%
Plumbing, 26%
Customer Service, 12%
Service Calls, 4%
Commercial Buildings, 3%
Snakes, 3%

Common plumber skills

Plumbing, 23%
Hand Tools, 7%
Plumbers, 6%
Customer Service, 6%
Cast Iron, 4%
Pipe Systems, 4%