What is a Pesticide Applicator?
Pesticide Applicator Example 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.
Daily Life Of a Pesticide Applicator
- Plant grass with seed spreaders and operate straw blowers to cover seeded areas with mixtures of asphalt and straw.
- Start motors and engage machinery, such as sprayer agitators or pumps or portable spray equipment.
- Connect hoses and nozzles selected according to terrain, distribution pattern requirements, types of infestations, and velocities.
- Fill sprayer tanks with water and chemicals, according to formulas.
- Lift, push, and swing nozzles, hoses, and tubes to direct spray over designated areas.
- Clean or service machinery to ensure operating efficiency, using water, gasoline, lubricants, or hand tools.
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Skills Needed to be a Pesticide Applicator
Below is a list of the skills most Pesticide Applicators say are important on the job.
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
- Pest Control Technician
- Weed Eradicator
- Herbicide Sprayer
- Pesticide Applicator
- Applicator Sprayer
Is There Job Demand for Pesticide Applicators?
In the United States, there were 38,000 jobs for Pesticide Applicator in 2016. 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. The BLS estimates 5,000 yearly job openings in this field.

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.
Average Pesticide Applicators Salary
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.
How much do Pesticide Applicators make in each U.S. state?
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 to Become a Pesticide Applicator
What education is needed to be a Pesticide Applicator?

What work experience do I need to become a Pesticide Applicator?

Pesticide Applicators Sector

Below are examples of industries where Pesticide Applicators work:

Other Jobs You May be Interested In
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
References:
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