Chimney Sweeps
Overview
Introduction
Chimney sweeps, also known as sweeps and chimney technicians, inspect—or evaluate, as it is known in the industry—chimneys, fireplaces, stoves, and vents according to safety codes. They clean, or sweep, the chimneys and make repairs, which may involve masonry work and relining. They also educate homeowners and building maintenance crews about how to properly care for their stoves and fireplaces, as well as train apprentice chimney sweeps.
Quick Facts
Median Salary
Employment Prospects
Minimum Education Level
Experience
Skills
Personality Traits
Earnings
Chimney sweeps earned median annual salaries of $38,923 in 2024, according to ZipRecruiter.com. Salaries ranged from $19,000 to $52,500. GlassDoor.com reports higher salaries for chimney sweeps. The job-search site reports that sweeps earned average salaries of $56,000 in 2024. Earnings ranged from $44,000 to $73,000 or more.
Chimney sweeps who own their own company will generally earn c...
Work Environment
Chimney sweeps work both indoors and outdoors. Some deskwork is required to manage scheduling and finances, but sweeps spend most of their time climbing and bending, working in and around the homes of their customers. They climb ladders to the roofs of the homes to sweep and evaluate, and they spend some time down at the hearth within the home. This work can be noisy and physically demanding. C...
Outlook
The U.S. Department of Labor does not make projections about the growth of jobs for the field of chimney sweeping. However, it does report that employment for "building cleaning workers, not otherwise classified" will grow as fast as the average for all careers from 2022 through 2032.
In addition, the field of chimney care and fire safety continue to be important issues to the public. Th...
