Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation
What Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation Do
Mix or apply pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, or insecticides through sprays, dusts, vapors, soil incorporation, or chemical application on trees, shrubs, lawns, or crops. Usually requires specific training and state or federal certification.
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
- 1.9%
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 3.6/5
- Biologyimportance 3.5/5
- Production and Processingimportance 3.5/5
- English Languageimportance 3.5/5
- Administration and Managementimportance 3.4/5
- Public Safety and Securityimportance 3.1/5
- Education and Trainingimportance 3.1/5
- Mathematicsimportance 3.1/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions4.8/5
- In an Enclosed Vehicle or Operate Enclosed Equipment4.7/5
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets4.7/5
- Frequency of Decision Making4.5/5
- Exposed to Contaminants4.4/5
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results4.4/5
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.
- Fence Erectors96% skill match
- Motorboat Operators96% skill match
- Tree Trimmers and Pruners96% skill match
- Forest and Conservation Workers95% skill match
- Hazardous Materials Removal Workers95% skill match
- Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand95% skill match
- Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals95% skill match
- Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic95% 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 3.1/5
- Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.0/5
- Coordinationimportance 3.0/5
- Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.0/5
- Operations Monitoringimportance 3.0/5
- Operation and Controlimportance 3.0/5
- Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.0/5
- Equipment Maintenanceimportance 2.9/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Other Software Used
- Customer database software
- Geographic information system GIS systems
- Materials inventory software
- Rate calculation software
- Unit conversion software
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Cautiousness
- Dependability
- Attention to Detail
- Integrity
- Stress Tolerance
- Perseverance
- Achievement Orientation
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
- SocialLow
- EnterprisingLow
- 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 pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Billings, MT6.95× national avg
- 2Salinas, CA6.74× national avg
- 3Bozeman, MT6.49× national avg
- 4Naples-Marco Island, FL6.18× national avg
- 5Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor, FL5.79× national avg
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.
- Landscaping and Groundskeeping WorkersLateral Move
- Tree Trimmers and PrunersLateral Move
- Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and TendersCareer Change
- Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive FirersCareer Change
See the full career path from Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation →
Related Education Programs
Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.