Residential & commercial
Pest Control Technician
Recession-proof, route-based, and nobody wants your job.
Typical pay
$36k-$70k
How you get in
Employer training plus a state applicator license
Outlook
Steady; the industry is consistently short-staffed
Pest control technicians inspect properties and apply treatments for insects and rodents. Recurring service contracts make it one of the more predictable service trades, and the low competition for applicants keeps hiring open.
A day in the life
- 7:00aLoad chemicals and equipment, check the route
- 7:45aFirst quarterly service — inspect, treat, document
- 10:00aRodent exclusion job in a crawlspace
- 12:00pLunch in the truck
- 1:00pTermite inspection and a treatment quote
- 4:30pFinish the route, log applications for compliance
How to get in
Employer-trained
Duration
2-8 weeks
Cost
$0 — the company trains and licenses you
Credential
State pesticide applicator license
- Get hired by a pest control company with no experience
- Complete their training and ride along with a senior technician
- Pass your state's applicator licensing exam
- Take your own route once you are licensed
Specialize in termite or wildlife
Duration
1-3 years
Cost
$500-$3,000 in additional licensing
Credential
Termite or wildlife control endorsements
- Start in general pest and learn the route
- Add termite certification — inspections and treatments pay far more
- Or move into wildlife exclusion, a smaller and better-paid niche
- Specialists command higher rates and better schedules
Technician to owner
Duration
3-6 years
Cost
$15,000-$60,000 for truck, equipment and licensing
Credential
Certified applicator plus business licensing and insurance
- Work as a technician until you understand pests, chemicals and pricing
- Get your certified applicator license, which is required to own an operation
- Buy a truck and equipment, register and insure the business
- Recurring contracts make a route a genuinely sellable asset
What people love
- · Hired with no experience, licensed in weeks
- · Recurring contracts mean steady work
- · Truck and route independence — no one over your shoulder
- · Commission on sales adds real income
What wears people down
- · Crawlspaces, attics and what lives in them
- · Chemical handling and heat exposure
- · Sales quotas on top of service work
- · Summer is relentless