"How do I get into this mess?" A Porta Potty Cleaner Career Outlook

Often the best career options come from unexpected places. Although many people try to avoid portable toilets as much as possible, these facilities are absolutely essential for keeping public areas clean and safe. Porta potty cleaners perform a necessary role in providing sanitation services. It may be a dirty job, but the career path is filled with opportunities for people who work hard and don't mind the mess.

Portable Toilet Technician Career Outlook

Falling under the janitorial and cleaning category, porta potty cleaner jobs will grow faster than average according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This dirty job has so much potential as a career in large part because finding qualified, interested workers can pose a real challenge. This creates strong opportunities for those who decide to take up this work.

Average salaries in this field hover around $36,550 annually according to ZipRecruiter. Some portable toilet cleaners earn $50k or even as much as $100k a year. Since self-employment generally offers workers more control over their income and hours, the best opportunities for earning go to small business owners who provide porta potty cleaning services.

Finding a Portable Toilet Cleaning Job

Generally speaking, employers struggle to find interested candidates. You may not have much difficulty at all finding a portable toilet cleaning job.

To locate a new job, ask around. Make a list of local and regional porta potty service businesses and let them know you're looking for them. If possible, spend some time learning about the job and what employers in your area look for.

These skills are usually important to hiring managers:

• Interest and work ethic: This is a dirty job. In some areas, turnover is high and it can be challenging to fill open positions. Your own interest is a significant factor. You may visit as many as 60 units in a typical day, so you'll have often have to settle in and go for the long haul.
• Sanitation knowledge and standards: You must be able to maintain high sanitation standards when you clean. Sewage has specific laws and guidelines for management. Follow them carefully and know how your area deals with and disposes waste.
• Commercial driving: If you'll drive a pump truck (and you probably will), then you'll also need commercial driving skills and probably a commercial drivers' license.

If you do choose to start your own business, you'll need other skills, too.

Starting a Porta Potty Business

Feel like jumping in the deep end? (Sorry, had to say that!) Starting a new portable toilet business might make sense for you. There's a real opportunity to stand out and set yourself apart with great service and a clean reputation. You can get started with the right equipment and background. Consider developing your new business by:

• Checking out licensing: Some states and localities demand that portable restroom cleaners get specific licenses from the local public health or environmental health board before providing cleaning service or driving public restroom facilities to their new locations. Since workers in this field spend time around, um, hazardous contents and may have to respond to spills or even overturned porta potties, cleaning technicians must remain prepared to safely manage human waste. Licensing requirements ensure that you understand how to safely do this work.
• Learning more about local sewage facilities: Of course, after pumping sewage from a portable restroom, you do need to dispose of that waste properly. You can do this at a local sewage treatment facility. As you plan your business, think about where these places are located and how they accept refuse from businesses like yours.
• Buying or renting equipment: Some equipment you should probably own—like a truck or the porta potties you'll typically rent to your customers. Other equipment you may not use everyday, but you'll probably need at some point. Think beyond the blue, bucket-like outhouse we all know and love. Did you know, for instance, that there are luxury porta potty trailers with granite countertops and even fireplaces? You may have corporate or event customers willing to pay more to have these brought on site and serviced. Concerts and campsites may want a unit with showers, too. If you want to stand out, you could specialize in niche portable restroom needs and emphasize the cleanliness and luxury that gets customers to pay up.
• Training: To get the training you need, follow the guidance provided by the manufacturer of the units you service. Generally, you'll need standard training in operating a pump truck and cleaning vacuum. You may learn this on the job or go through specific training provided by the licensing authority granting your license.

Depending on other decisions you make with your new business, you may need other skills as well. Many portable restroom cleaning companies hire additional workers, for instance, so you'll probably need hiring and management skills.

The Modern Outhouse Could Be Your Goldmine

For the right person, porta potties represent a solid career choice. Providing the necessities we all require can make you a great living if you know how to offer great service and account for your customers' needs.