Pest Control Workers

Summary

Pest control workers remove unwanted creatures from buildings and surroundings areas.

Quick Facts: Pest Control Workers
2010 Median Pay	$30,340 per year $14.59 per hour
Entry-Level Education	High school diploma or equivalent
Work Experience in a Related Occupation	None
On-the-job Training	Moderate-term on-the-job training
Number of Jobs, 2010	68,400
Job Outlook, 2010-20	26% (Faster than average)
Employment Change, 2010-20	17,900

What Pest Control Workers Do

Pest control workers control, manage, or remove unwanted creatures, such as roaches, rats, ants, termites, and bedbugs, that infest buildings and surrounding areas.

Work Environment

Pest control workers travel to clients' sites. To inspect sites and treat them, workers must often kneel, bend, and crawl in tight spaces. Because there are health risks associated with pesticide use, workers must sometimes wear protective gear, including respirators, gloves, and goggles.

How to Become a Pest Control Worker

State laws require pest control workers to be licensed. Most workers need a high school diploma and receive on-the-job training, which usually lasts less than 3 months.

Pay

The median annual wage of pest control workers was $30,340 in May 2010.

Job Outlook

Employment of pest control workers is expected to grow 26 percent from 2010 to 2020, faster than the average for all occupations. Environmental and health concerns will result in more people hiring professionals rather than trying to control pests themselves. Job opportunities should be very good.

Similar Occupations

Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of pest control workers with similar occupations.

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Contacts for More Information

Learn more about pest control workers by contacting these additional resources.

What Pest Control Workers Do About this section

Pest control workers inspect a building and its premises for signs of pests.

Pest control workers control, manage, or remove unwanted creatures, such as roaches, rats, ants, termites, and bedbugs, that infest buildings and surrounding areas. 

Duties

Pest control workers typically do the following:

• Inspect buildings and premises for signs of pests or infestation
• Determine the type of treatment needed to eliminate pests
• Measure the dimensions of the area needing treatment
• Estimate the cost of their services
• Set bait and traps to remove or kill pests
• Spray or dust pesticides into rooms
• Design and carry out pest management plans
• Drive trucks equipped with power spraying equipment
• Create barriers to prevent pests from entering a building

Unwanted pests that infest buildings or surrounding areas can pose serious risks to the health and safety of occupants. Pest control workers control, manage, or remove these creatures from homes, apartments, offices, and other structures to protect people and to maintain buildings’ structural integrity.

To design and carry out integrated pest management (IPM) plans, pest control workers must know the identity and biology of a wide range of pests. They must also know the best ways to control or remove the pests.

Pest control workers’ position titles and job duties often vary by state. The following are types of pest control workers:

Pest control technicians identify potential pest problems, conduct inspections, and design control strategies. They work directly with customers and, as entry-level workers, use only a limited range of pesticides.

Applicators use a wide range of pesticides and may specialize in a particular area of pest control:

• Termite control technicians use chemicals and modify structures to eliminate termites and prevent future infestations. Some also repair structural damage caused by termites and build barriers to separate pests from their source of food.
• Fumigators use poisonous gases, called fumigants, to treat serious infestations. Fumigators seal infested buildings before using hoses to fill the structure with fumigants. Warning signs are posted to keep people from going into fumigated buildings, and fumigators monitor buildings closely to detect and stop leaks.

Work Environment About this section

Pest control workers must travel to a client’s home or business.

Pest control workers held about 68,400 jobs in 2010. About 87 percent worked in the services to buildings and dwellings industry.

Pest control workers must travel to clients' sites. They work both indoors and outdoors, in all types of weather. To inspect sites and treat them, workers must often kneel, bend, and crawl in tight spaces.

When working with pesticides, pest control workers must wear protective gear, including respirators, gloves, and goggles.

Work Schedules

Most pest control workers are employed full time. Working evenings and weekends is common.

Injuries

Pest control chemicals are toxic and can be harmful when not used properly. Although workers are trained and licensed for pesticide use and wear protective equipment, they still experience injuries and illnesses more frequently than workers in many other occupations.

How to Become a Pest Control Worker About this section

State laws require pest control workers to be licensed.

State laws require pest control workers to be licensed. Most workers need a high school diploma and receive on-the-job training, which usually lasts less than 3 months.

Many pest control companies require that employees have good driving records.

Education and Training

A high school diploma or the equivalent is the minimum qualification for the majority of pest control jobs.

Most pest control workers begin as technicians, receiving both formal technical instruction and on-the-job training from employers. They often study specialties such as rodent control, termite control, fumigation, and ornamental and turf control. Technicians also must complete general training in pesticide use and safety. Pest control training can usually be completed in less than 3 months.

After completing the required training, workers are qualified to provide supervised pest control services. Because pest control methods change, workers often attend continuing education classes, which are frequently provided by product manufacturers.

Licenses

Pest control workers must be licensed. Licensure requirements vary by state, but workers usually must complete training and pass an exam. Some states have additional requirements, such as having a high school diploma or GED, completing an apprenticeship, and passing a background check. States may have more requirements for applicators.

Advancement

Pest control workers typically advance as they gain experience. Applicators with several years of experience often become supervisors. Some experienced workers start their own pest management company.

Important Qualities

Bookkeeping skills. Pest control workers must keep accurate records of the hours they work, chemicals they use, and bills they collect. Self-employed workers need these skills to run their businesses.

Customer-service skills. Pest control workers must be friendly and polite when they interact with customers at the customers’ homes or businesses. 

Detail oriented. Because pest control workers sometimes apply toxic chemicals, they must follow instructions carefully to prevent harm to residents, pets, the environment, and themselves.

Physical Strength. Pest control workers often must spend hours on their feet, frequently crouching, kneeling, and crawling. Applicators, in particular, also must wear heavy protective gear.

Stamina. Pest control workers must be able to withstand uncomfortable conditions, such as heat when they climb into attics in the summertime and cold when they slide into crawl spaces during winter.

Pay About this section

The median annual wage of pest control workers was $30,340 in May 2010. The median wage is the wage at which half of the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $20,340, and the top 10 percent earned more than $46,930. 

In May 2010, median annual wages in industries employing the largest numbers of pest control workers were as follows:

Most pest control workers are employed full time. Working evenings and weekends is common.

Job Outlook About this section

Employment of pest control workers is expected to grow 26 percent from 2010 to 2020, faster than the average for all occupations.

Employment is projected to increase as more people use professional pest control services rather than trying to control pests themselves. Environmental and health concerns also will result in more people hiring professionals.

Population growth, particularly in the South, where pests are more common, should result in more buildings that will require additional pest management.

Job Prospects

Job opportunities are expected to be very good. The limited number of people seeking work in pest control, expected job growth, and the need to replace workers who leave this occupation should result in many job openings.

Contacts for More Information About this section

For information about state licensing requirements, contact the local office of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or the state’s environmental protection (or conservation) agency.

For more information on pest control careers, visit

National Pest Management Association