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Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation in Puerto Rico

Thinking about a career as a Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation in Puerto Rico? Here’s what the data says. 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).

$23,290 Median Annual Wage (Puerto Rico)

$34,037 National Median Annual Wage

100 Puerto Rico Employment

Some Preparation Needed Typical Preparation

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

The pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation working in Puerto Rico, the median annual wage is $23,290 per year (or about $11.20/hour).Earnings range from $23,270 at the 10th percentile to $32,900 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic	Annual	Hourly
10th percentile	$23,270	$11.19
25th percentile	$23,290	$11.20
Median (50th)	$23,290	$11.20
75th percentile	$28,220	$13.57
90th percentile	$32,900	$15.82

Salary ranges for Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation in Puerto Rico

The location quotient — a measure of how concentrated this occupation is in Puerto Rico relative to the national average — is 0.65, indicating 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), below the Puerto Rico median.

Employment Outlook

There are roughly 59,019 pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation nationwide. In Puerto Rico alone, approximately 100 people work in this role. That trails the typical state, which employs around 340 pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation.

Forecasted number of jobs for Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation

Top Puerto Rico Metros for Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation

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

Metro Area	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR	90	$23,290

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

The highest-paying states 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

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

Active Listening 3.2 / 5

Critical Thinking 3.1 / 5

Time Management 3.1 / 5

Speaking 3.1 / 5

Operations Monitoring 3.0 / 5

Social Perceptiveness 3.0 / 5

Knowledge Areas

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

Customer and Personal Service 3.6 / 5

Biology 3.5 / 5

Production and Processing 3.5 / 5

English Language 3.5 / 5

Administration and Management 3.4 / 5

Public Safety and Security 3.1 / 5

Abilities

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

Near Vision 3.5 / 5

Arm-Hand Steadiness 3.4 / 5

Control Precision 3.4 / 5

Oral Comprehension 3.2 / 5

Speech Recognition 3.2 / 5

Problem Sensitivity 3.2 / 5

Daily Tasks

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

Technologies frequently used: Hot technologies: Facebook

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

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

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