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Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation in Maryland

Want to work as a Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation in Maryland? Here’s what you need to know. Mix or apply pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, or insecticides through sprays, dusts, vapors, soil incorporation, or chemical application on trees, shrubs, lawns, or crops. Usually requires specific training and state or federal certification. Crop dusters are included in “Commercial Pilots” (53-2012).

What do Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation Make in Maryland?

For pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation working in Maryland, the median annual wage is $45,250 per year (or about $21.75/hour).Pay can range from $39,990 at the 10th percentile to $53,410 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic	Annual	Hourly
10th percentile	$39,990	$19.23
25th percentile	$42,030	$20.21
Median (50th)	$45,250	$21.75
75th percentile	$50,110	$24.09
90th percentile	$53,410	$25.68

The location quotient — a measure of how concentrated this occupation is in Maryland relative to the national average — is 0.22, meaning fewer pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation per worker than the national average.

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation earn a median of $34,037 per year ($16.36/hour), exceeding the Maryland median.

Employment Outlook

There are roughly 59,019 pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation in the U.S.. In Maryland alone, about 100 people work in this role. That’s below the typical state, which employs around 340 pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation.

Top Maryland Metros for Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation

The metro areas below employ the most pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation in Maryland.

Metro Area	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD	60	$43,780

Top States for Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation Employment

The table below shows the states where the most pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation work.

State	Number Employed
Florida	4,420
California	1,930
Minnesota	1,440
Illinois	1,240
Indiana	1,230
Texas	1,140
Colorado	890
Washington	750
Ohio	730
South Dakota	690
New Jersey	680
Georgia	660
Missouri	550
Mississippi	530
Montana	500
Idaho	450
Michigan	440
Kansas	410
Nebraska	380
North Carolina	370

Highest-Paying States for Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation

These states pay the most for pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation.

State	Annual Median Salary
Massachusetts	$59,550
New Jersey	$55,680
North Dakota	$50,670
Hawaii	$50,040
Oregon	$49,400
New York	$49,390
New Mexico	$49,070
Pennsylvania	$48,840
Washington	$48,570
Virginia	$48,400

Skills

Key pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Knowledge Areas

Core knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Abilities

Key abilities for pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Daily Tasks

Day-to-day, pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation typically:

• Mix pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides for application to trees, shrubs, lawns, or botanical crops.
• Fill sprayer tanks with water and chemicals, according to formulas.
• Lift, push, and swing nozzles, hoses, and tubes to direct spray over designated areas.
• Identify lawn or plant diseases to determine the appropriate course of treatment.
• Cover areas to specified depths with pesticides, applying knowledge of weather conditions, droplet sizes, elevation-to-distance ratios, and obstructions.
• 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.
• Clean or service machinery to ensure operating efficiency, using water, gasoline, lubricants, or hand tools.
• 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.

Work Activities

• Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment
• Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
• Getting Information
• Performing General Physical Activities
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
• Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
• Handling and Moving Objects
• Documenting/Recording Information
• Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
• Communicating with People Outside the Organization

Tools & Technology

Common tools and software used in this occupation include: Hot technologies: Facebook

Related Careers

Related occupations to pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation include:

• Soil and Plant Scientists
• Agricultural Technicians
• Pest Control Workers
• Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers
• Tree Trimmers and Pruners
• Agricultural Equipment Operators

Also Known As

Agricultural Service Worker, Applicator, Applicator Sprayer, Certified Pesticide Applicator, Chemical Applicator, Commercial Lawn Specialist, Crop Applicator, Custom Applicator, Eradicator, Fertilizer Applicator, Fruit Sprayer, Fumigator, Hand Spray Operator, Hand Sprayer, Herbicide Sprayer.

References

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
• O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
• BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
• O*NET-SOC code: 37-3012.00