SOC 37-2021.00Bright outlook

    Pest Control Workers

    Apply or release chemical solutions or toxic gases and set traps to kill or remove pests and vermin that infest buildings and surrounding areas.

    Median pay
    $45,250
    Growth
    +5.5%
    Faster than average
    Openings a year
    13,700
    Typical education
    High school diploma

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

    See the pathway

    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $34,680
    Median
    $45,250
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $61,890
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    102,620 people work in this occupation.

    What pest control workers do

    Job Zone 2: Some preparation

    Apply or release chemical solutions or toxic gases and set traps to kill or remove pests and vermin that infest buildings and surrounding areas.

    Usually a high school diploma; some on-the-job training or experience.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R) · strongest
    98 / 100
    Investigative (I)
    32 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    0 / 100
    Social (S)
    11 / 100
    Enterprising (E)
    20 / 100
    Conventional (C)
    53 / 100
    How strongly each interest area describes the work, from O*NET (scores rescaled to 0–100). The interest code lists the strongest areas in order.

    Interest code RCI. Compare it with yours

    What you'd do

    Getting Information
    83
    Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
    82
    Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment
    80
    Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
    79
    Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    76
    Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
    75
    Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
    72
    Communicating with People Outside the Organization
    72
    Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
    70
    Performing General Physical Activities
    69
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

    • Active Listening
    • Critical Thinking
    • Monitoring
    • Speaking
    • Writing
    • Time Management
    • Social Perceptiveness
    • Complex Problem Solving
    • Service Orientation
    • Active Learning

    Knowledge

    • Customer and Personal Service
    • Chemistry
    • Mathematics
    • Biology
    • Law and Government
    • Public Safety and Security
    • English Language
    • Sales and Marketing
    • Education and Training
    • Transportation

    Abilities

    • Near Vision
    • Oral Comprehension
    • Oral Expression
    • Speech Clarity
    • Deductive Reasoning
    • Problem Sensitivity
    • Speech Recognition
    • Written Expression
    • Far Vision
    • Inductive Reasoning

    Work styles

    • Dependability
    • Attention to Detail
    • Cautiousness
    • Integrity
    • Perseverance
    • Self-Control
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Achievement Orientation
    • Cooperation
    • Initiative

    Also called

    Bed Bug Exterminator · Commercial Pest Control Representative · Commercial Pest Control Technician (Commercial Pest Control Tech) · Commercial Technician (Commercial Tech) · Extermination Inspector · Exterminator · Fumigator · Hand Spray Operator · Insecticide Sprayer · Mosquito Control Technician (Mosquito Control Tech)

    CareerOneStop

    Certifications, licenses and pay by state

    What pest control workers may need beyond a degree, where a license is required, and what the work pays in each state.

    Certifications

    Core certifications employers recognise for this work.

    Search all certifications on CareerOneStop

    Licenses by state

    14 states list a license for this work. Open your state for the license and the agency that issues it.

    Check license requirements on CareerOneStop

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 6, 2026.

    Your plan

    Build my pathway plan

    Courses, majors, colleges, scholarships and a timeline for this career, built from your profile.

    Related careers

    Careers with similar work, interests or skills.

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    Sources and attribution

    Every figure on this page comes from these public datasets. Missing values are shown as not reported, never estimated.

    O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 6, 2026.

    Page data updated November 5, 2026.