Pest Control Workers
What Pest Control Workers Do
Apply or release chemical solutions or toxic gases and set traps to kill or remove pests and vermin that infest buildings and surrounding areas.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Self-employed
- 0.9%
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 2 of 5Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Job training
- Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Key Knowledge Areas
Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.
- Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 3.8/5
- Public Safety and Securityimportance 3.1/5
- English Languageimportance 3.1/5
- Chemistryimportance 3.0/5
- Biologyimportance 2.9/5
- Law and Governmentimportance 2.9/5
- Sales and Marketingimportance 2.9/5
- Mechanicalimportance 2.6/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- In an Enclosed Vehicle or Operate Enclosed Equipment5.0/5
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.7/5
- Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions4.7/5
- Telephone Conversations4.6/5
- Exposed to Contaminants4.5/5
- Freedom to Make Decisions4.5/5
Careers With Similar Skills
Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.
- Veterinary Technologists and Technicians96% skill match
- Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers94% skill match
- First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers94% skill match
- Butchers and Meat Cutters94% skill match
- First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers93% skill match
- Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers93% skill match
- First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers93% skill match
- First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers92% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Time Managementimportance 3.5/5
- Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.4/5
- Service Orientationimportance 3.3/5
- Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.3/5
- Coordinationimportance 3.1/5
- Persuasionimportance 3.1/5
- Negotiationimportance 3.1/5
- Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.1/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Hot Technologies
Other Software Used
- Database software
- Email software
- Marathon Data Systems PestPac
- Report writing software
- Supply inventory software
- Work scheduling software
- YouTube
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Dependability
- Attention to Detail
- Cautiousness
- Integrity
- Perseverance
- Stress Tolerance
- Self-Control
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- RealisticHigh
- ConventionalMedium
- InvestigativeLow
- EnterprisingLow
- SocialLow
- ArtisticLow
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Where This Career Is Most Concentrated
Metro areas where pest control workers make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Punta Gorda, FL5.36× national avg
- 2Homosassa Springs, FL4.43× national avg
- 3Brunswick-St. Simons, GA3.71× national avg
- 4Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ3.39× national avg
- 5Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC3.29× national avg
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.