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Pest Control Workers: Career Overview
Apply or release chemical solutions or toxic gases and set traps to kill or remove pests and vermin that infest buildings and surrounding areas.
What Do Pest Control Workers Do?
The day-to-day responsibilities of pest control workers span:
- Record work activities performed.
- Inspect premises to identify infestation source and extent of damage to property, wall, or roof porosity and access to infested locations.
- Recommend treatment and prevention methods for pest problems to clients.
- Spray or dust chemical solutions, powders, or gases into rooms, onto clothing, furnishings, or wood, or over marshlands, ditches, or catch basins.
- Clean work site after completion of job.
- Drive truck equipped with power spraying equipment.
- Measure area dimensions requiring treatment, calculate fumigant requirements, and estimate cost for service.
- Study preliminary reports or diagrams of infested area and determine treatment type required to eliminate and prevent recurrence of infestation.
Skills and Knowledge
Effective pest control workers combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
The abilities most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Other Pest Control Workers Job Titles
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Bed Bug Exterminator
- Certified Pest Control Technician
- Chemical Applicator
- Commercial Pest Control Representative
- Commercial Pest Control Technician
- Commercial Technician
- Extermination Inspector
- Exterminator
Employment and Demand
There are about 336,869 pest control workers working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +8.0% over the projection horizon.
Pest Control Workers Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $34,377 |
| Hourly median | $16.53 |
| 10th percentile | $23,405 |
| 25th percentile | $28,891 |
| 75th percentile | $39,863 |
| 90th percentile | $45,349 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Colorado | $50,450 |
| Washington | $50,190 |
| Maine | $49,940 |
| North Dakota | $48,840 |
| New Hampshire | $48,750 |
| New York | $48,470 |
| Hawaii | $48,420 |
| Wisconsin | $48,370 |
| Alaska | $47,930 |
| Indiana | $47,130 |
| Connecticut | $46,830 |
| Rhode Island | $46,660 |
| New Jersey | $46,370 |
| Illinois | $46,310 |
| Vermont | $46,280 |
| Minnesota | $45,830 |
| Massachusetts | $45,790 |
| Florida | $45,790 |
| California | $45,370 |
| Kansas | $45,370 |
| Michigan | $45,320 |
| Pennsylvania | $45,310 |
| Montana | $44,820 |
| Nevada | $44,320 |
| Virginia | $44,180 |
| Tennessee | $43,870 |
| Maryland | $43,790 |
| Georgia | $43,610 |
| Texas | $43,470 |
| Ohio | $43,420 |
| Oregon | $42,930 |
| Idaho | $42,650 |
| Utah | $42,460 |
| Louisiana | $41,600 |
| Alabama | $40,020 |
| Arizona | $38,960 |
| South Dakota | $38,850 |
| Missouri | $38,570 |
| Kentucky | $38,250 |
| South Carolina | $37,960 |
| West Virginia | $37,930 |
| Mississippi | $37,620 |
| North Carolina | $37,530 |
| Arkansas | $37,240 |
| Nebraska | $37,090 |
| Wyoming | $37,030 |
| Oklahoma | $36,880 |
| Iowa | $36,510 |
| New Mexico | $36,340 |
| Guam | $29,240 |
| Puerto Rico | $27,170 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Compensation for pest control workers differ across the country. The following regions pay the most:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| New England | $46,744 | 3.5% | 0.74 |
| Great Lakes | $45,773 | 8.2% | 0.59 |
| Far Western US | $45,715 | 17.0% | 1.06 |
| Rocky Mountains | $45,580 | 2.7% | 0.73 |
| Middle Atlantic | $45,296 | 10.8% | 0.75 |
| Southeast | $42,306 | 39.3% | 1.66 |
| Southwest | $41,574 | 14.1% | 1.18 |
| Plains States | $40,886 | 3.9% | 0.64 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Pest Control Workers
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. George, UT | UT | $51,540 | 40 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $51,200 | 660 |
| Kingston, NY | NY | $50,970 | 50 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | CO | $50,760 | 620 |
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | HI | $50,710 | 90 |
| Portland-South Portland, ME | ME | $50,550 | 200 |
| Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | CO | $50,380 | 50 |
| Rochester, NY | NY | $49,560 | 250 |
Top Industries Employing Pest Control Workers
The largest employers of pest control workers are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 92,430 | $44,660 |
| Educational Services | 260 | $49,520 |
| Manufacturing | 160 | $56,990 |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 150 | $42,720 |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 110 | $37,000 |
| Wholesale Trade | 100 | $44,630 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 90 | $48,530 |
| Construction | 40 | $46,490 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Tech Stack
- Accounting software: Intuit QuickBooks (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Document management software: Microsoft SharePoint (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
Daily working conditions for pest control workers is shaped by the following characteristics:
- In an Enclosed Vehicle or Operate Enclosed Equipment
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions
- Telephone Conversations
- Exposed to Contaminants
Getting Started in This Career
Entry-level pest control workers positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Brownfield Redevelopment Specialists and Site Managers (Supplemental)
- Environmental Engineers (Supplemental)
- Environmental Engineering Technologists and Technicians (Supplemental)
- Soil and Plant Scientists (Supplemental)
- Agricultural Technicians (Primary-Long)
- Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health (Supplemental)
- Occupational Health and Safety Specialists (Supplemental)
- First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers (Primary-Long)
Sources
Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 37-2021.00 (Pest Control Workers).
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