Drain technician vs drain cleaner, plumber

The differences between drain technicians and drain cleaners, plumber can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a drain technician and a drain cleaner, plumber. Additionally, a drain technician has an average salary of $59,122, which is higher than the $55,318 average annual salary of a drain cleaner, plumber.

The top three skills for a drain technician include plumbing, sewer lines and CDL. The most important skills for a drain cleaner, plumber are plumbing, , and .

Drain technician vs drain cleaner, plumber overview

	Drain Technician	Drain Cleaner, Plumber
Yearly salary	$59,122	$55,318
Hourly rate	$28.42	$26.60
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	25,624	42,513
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 51%	High School Diploma, 54%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	4	4

Drain technician vs drain cleaner, plumber salary

Drain technicians and drain cleaners, plumber have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Drain Technician	Drain Cleaner, Plumber
Average salary	$59,122	$55,318
Salary range	Between $38,000 And $89,000	Between $40,000 And $75,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	-
Highest paying state	California	-
Best paying company	American Residential Services	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between drain technician and drain cleaner, plumber education

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

	Drain Technician	Drain Cleaner, Plumber
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 51%	High School Diploma, 54%
Most common major	General Studies	Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians
Most common college	-	-

Drain technician vs drain cleaner, plumber demographics

Here are the differences between drain technicians' and drain cleaners, plumber' demographics:

	Drain Technician	Drain Cleaner, Plumber
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 100.0% Female, 0.0%	Male, 99.2% Female, 0.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.4% Asian, 2.0% White, 66.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%	Black or African American, 7.6% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.5% Asian, 2.0% White, 66.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	2%	2%

Differences between drain technician and drain cleaner, plumber duties and responsibilities

Drain technician example responsibilities.

Used various equipment and tools to unclog drains, camera pipes, install urinals and toilets.
Inspect manholes to locate sewer line stoppages.
Perform trench work, laying pipe, building underground manholes.
Assemble many pieces for custom bags and cushions utilizing good body mechanics.
Install pvc pipe, copper lines and flexible hose for residential water systems.
Remove and replace broken tile section or pipe, using caulking compound and cement to form watertight joint.

Drain cleaner, plumber example responsibilities.

Manage troubleshooting, pump repair, converters, brazing, and soldering.
Repair and maintain plumbing by replacing washers in leaky faucets, mending burst pipes and opening clog drains.
Check plumbing systems for leakage; install water lines, water heater, septic systems and all plumbing relate issues.
Service department manager who coordinate estimates and train apprentice plumbers.
Specialize in new residential construction for local contractors from rough-in through final inspection.

Drain technician vs drain cleaner, plumber skills

Common drain technician skills

Plumbing, 52%
Sewer Lines, 11%
CDL, 9%
Commercial Buildings, 7%
Customer Service, 4%
Water Heaters, 2%

Common drain cleaner, plumber skills

Plumbing, 100%

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Drain Technician vs Drain Cleaner, Plumber

Updated January 8, 2025

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