Find where pests get in
Search doors and walls for gaps, gnaw marks and other pest signs to find the likely way in.
Career profile
Pest Control Worker
Pest control workers find how pests get in, treat infestations and help keep them out.
One mouse raises two questions: how is it getting inside, and what draws it back? Your answers shape a plan for treatment and prevention.
A day in the life
Pick the right response
Identify what the inspection turned up, weigh the monitoring data, then pick prevention, trapping or a targeted pesticide.
Set traps or run sprayers
Place traps or run spray gear, and with pesticides, read the label for application and protective gear.
Point out leaks and gaps
Show a resident or maintenance worker how repairing leaky pipes or door gaps cuts off water or entry.
Log the visit, then follow up
Log the job in service records, then on a later visit compare activity and rethink if pests remain.
Quick facts
High school + job training
United States
$45,250/year
United States · May 2025
6% projected growth
United States · 2025–2035
Quick orientation
Preparation, pay & outlook
Preparation
High school + job trainingLicensing requirements depend on your state and the work you do.
Pay
$45,250/yearNational median employee pay, equivalent to $21.75/hour.
Outlook
6% projected growthAbout 13,700 openings annually, including replacement needs.
Fit, tradeoffs & changing tools
You might like this if…
- You enjoy noticing small clues and checking what caused them.
- You can explain a practical fix without blaming the customer.
- You are willing to finish the record after the hands-on work.
Things to weigh
- Inspections can mean bending into cramped spaces and working outside in uncomfortable weather.
- Pesticide work demands careful label reading, protective equipment, and attention to exposure risks.
- Evening and weekend work is common.
Where AI may help
At some commercial sites, sensors detect rodent activity between visits and send alerts. Reports help you see where activity keeps recurring.
What people still lead
You still investigate the building, choose a response, and explain the changes people need to make.
What we can’t predict yet
How much routine trap-checking shifts to sensors will depend on the site and equipment; an alert may still lead to a hands-on visit.
Pay in context
Earnings
These national wages describe employees, not business-owner income.
Median and spread
The median was $45,250 a year ($21.75 an hour). The lowest-paid 10% earned below $34,680; the highest-paid 10% earned above $61,890. These are not starting and experienced pay grades.
Employer and location matter
In exterminating and pest control services, median pay was $44,930. Location, experience, and responsibility can change earnings.
Openings include replacements
The 2025–35 forecast averages 13,700 openings a year, many replacing people who leave the occupation. Projected employment growth is 6%.
Getting started
Join as a trainee technician
- What the route involves
- Learn pest identification, treatment, and pesticide safety on the job.
- What it can lead to
- Build the skills for technician work.
- What to check
- Check your state’s licensing and supervision rules before applying pesticides; employer training does not replace those requirements.
Take qualifying training first
- What the route involves
- In New York, complete an approved 30-hour course as one route toward Certified Commercial Pesticide Technician certification.
- What it can lead to
- The course meets a training eligibility requirement for the exams. You must also pass the core and appropriate category exams to earn certification.
- What to check
- Applicants must be at least 17. This is a New York route; verify your own state’s requirements before enrolling.
You can learn through employment or complete qualifying training first where state rules allow. A course certificate alone is not permission to apply pesticides.
After entry
Career paths
This starts where the entry routes leave off: early work, growing capability, and advancement or specialization.
Get consistent on visits
Build a repeatable inspection routine, keep clear service records, and practice explaining your findings.
Solve recurring problems
Use results across visits to spot why pests persist. Get better at connecting treatment with repairs and prevention.
Supervise or specialize
With experience, pursue supervisory work or a specialty such as termite control.
Where you can work
Apartment buildings
You coordinate with residents, a housing manager, and maintenance staff. A lasting fix may depend on someone repairing a leak or closing an opening between units.
- Indoors
- Outdoors
- Field work
Commercial facilities with connected monitoring
Some accounts use rodent sensors alongside service visits. You work with alerts and activity reports, and your records can help the facility prepare for audits.
- Indoors
- Outdoors
- Field work
Try it
See whether the job clicks before you commit to the path.
From a normal walking area, inspect one exterior doorway at home. Sketch visible gaps and nearby water or food sources, then explain which condition you would investigate first. Notice whether you enjoy finding clues and explaining a fix.
Stay safe: Keep this visual: do not handle pests, droppings, traps, or pesticides, or enter crawl spaces.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Outlook Handbook: Pest Control Workers. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- O*NET OnLine. 37-2021.00 — Pest Control Workers. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Principles. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Pest Control: Resources for Housing Managers. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. How to Get Certified as a Pesticide Applicator. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Federal Certification Standards for Pesticide Applicators. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Pesticide Applicator/Technician Certification. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- Rentokil. PestConnect: Digital pest control for rodents in your business. Accessed 2026-10-02.