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What You Need to Know About Pesticide Applicator
Pesticide Applicator Definition Mix or apply pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, or insecticides through sprays, dusts, vapors, soil incorporation, or chemical application on trees, shrubs, lawns, or botanical crops. Usually requires specific training and State or Federal certification.
Life As a Pesticide Applicator
- Provide driving instructions to truck drivers to ensure complete coverage of designated areas, using hand and horn signals.
- Plant grass with seed spreaders and operate straw blowers to cover seeded areas with mixtures of asphalt and straw.
- Lift, push, and swing nozzles, hoses, and tubes to direct spray over designated areas.
- Fill sprayer tanks with water and chemicals, according to formulas.
- Connect hoses and nozzles selected according to terrain, distribution pattern requirements, types of infestations, and velocities.
- Clean or service machinery to ensure operating efficiency, using water, gasoline, lubricants, or hand tools.
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Qualities of a Pesticide Applicator
When polled, Pesticide Applicators say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Time Management: Managing one’s own time and the time of others.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Types of Pesticide Applicator Jobs
- Lawn Specialist
- Sprayer
- Applicator
- Lawn and Garden Technician
- Fruit Sprayer
Job Outlook for Pesticide Applicators
There were about 38,000 jobs for Pesticide Applicator in 2016 (in the United States). New jobs are being produced at a rate of 7.9% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 3,000 new jobs for Pesticide Applicator by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 5,000 job openings in this field each year.
The states with the most job growth for Pesticide Applicator are Nevada, Washington, and Tennessee. Watch out if you plan on working in Ohio, Illinois, or Alaska. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Do Pesticide Applicators Make A Lot Of Money?
The typical yearly salary for Pesticide Applicators is somewhere between $23,890 and $56,370.
Pesticide Applicators who work in Vermont, Hawaii, or Oregon, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Pesticide Applicators in different U.S. states.
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $33,140 |
Arizona | $38,580 |
Arkansas | $29,520 |
California | $50,560 |
Colorado | $38,600 |
Connecticut | $40,240 |
Delaware | $33,640 |
Florida | $31,790 |
Georgia | $36,960 |
Hawaii | $40,900 |
Illinois | $39,930 |
Indiana | $41,180 |
Iowa | $36,670 |
Kansas | $34,680 |
Kentucky | $31,790 |
Louisiana | $29,700 |
Maryland | $40,560 |
Massachusetts | $33,230 |
Michigan | $32,600 |
Minnesota | $39,220 |
Mississippi | $28,950 |
Missouri | $38,510 |
Montana | $34,450 |
Nebraska | $34,880 |
Nevada | $31,960 |
New Hampshire | $38,840 |
New Jersey | $36,970 |
New Mexico | $34,930 |
New York | $42,530 |
North Carolina | $37,470 |
North Dakota | $43,820 |
Ohio | $34,600 |
Oklahoma | $37,220 |
Oregon | $51,040 |
Pennsylvania | $37,480 |
South Carolina | $34,930 |
South Dakota | $33,360 |
Tennessee | $35,070 |
Texas | $35,650 |
Utah | $34,940 |
Vermont | $54,520 |
Virginia | $35,790 |
Washington | $37,920 |
West Virginia | $35,170 |
Wisconsin | $35,080 |
Wyoming | $38,500 |
What Tools do Pesticide Applicators Use?
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Pesticide Applicators may use on a daily basis:
How do I Become a Pesticide Applicator?
Learn what Pesticide Applicator education requirements there are.
How Long Does it Take to Become a Pesticide Applicator?
Similar Careers
Those thinking about becoming a Pesticide Applicator might also be interested in the following careers:
- Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
- Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers
- Locomotive Firers
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