Jet pumps are another type of pump used for drawing water from a well. Jet well pumps work under the principle of pumping water under high-pressure through an ejector and into a discharge pipe that comes up from the well. When the jet of water under high-pressure is forced through the discharge pipe, a vacuum is created that causes the water to be drawn from the well. At surface level, some of the water is pumped into the plumbing of a building while some is rerouted back to the ejector for the purpose of raising additional water from the well. Due to the difference in operation procedures, jet well pumps use more electricity than submersible well pumps. Manufacturers of jet well pumps produce three different types, including shallow well jet pumps, deep well jet pumps, and water well jet pumps.

Shallow well jet pumps are used in about thirty-two percent of homes in the United States. As the name of the shallow well jet pump implies, these well pumps are not effective at any depth below 25 feet. With a shallow well jet pump, the motor and pump are not located within the well itself. Typically they are located close to the well in some type of basement or utility room. The main advantage of shallow well jet pumps is that they can be used in a well with a narrow diameter since they have no working parts down inside of the well.