Pest Control Workers Salary: $44,730 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 96,110 pest control workers work nationally, and $44,730 is the BLS national median annual wage. Employment in the series shown rose about 5% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 1.4% annual growth.
Pest Control Workers: what the data shows
Common questions about pest control workers careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a pest control workers?
Pest Control Workers is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 37-2021.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 96,110 workers.
What does a pest control workers do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Getting Information, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a pest control workers make?
BLS national median annual wage: $44,730 (May 2024 in our extract).
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $36,797 |
| 25th percentile | $38,021 |
| Median (50th) | $46,660 |
| 75th percentile | $49,282 |
| 90th percentile | $60,863 |
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Critical Thinking, Active Listening, Writing, Monitoring, Speaking, Time Management, and knowledge areas including Customer and Personal Service, Public Safety and Security, English Language, Chemistry. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is pest control workers in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 1.4% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 7.4%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 15.4%.
Current U.S. headcount: 96,110.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do pest control workerss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 96,110 | 16.8% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 93,560 | 16.3% |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 92,430 | 16.1% |
| Administrative and Support Services | 92,430 | 16.1% |
| Services to Buildings and Dwellings | 90,730 | 15.8% |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services | 90,350 | 15.8% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Pest Control Workers in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Airfield Operations Specialists | 16,640 | $56,750 |
| Information Security Analysts | 179,430 | $124,910 |
| Receptionists and Information Clerks | 964,530 | $37,230 |
| Intelligence Analysts | 110,790 | $93,580 |
| Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door | 46,920 | $74,690 |
| Air Traffic Controllers | 22,400 | $144,580 |
| Traffic Technicians | 7,580 | $58,480 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Pest Control Workers workforce.
Employment Over Time
96,110 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Pest Control Workers grew from 38,600 in 2009 to 48,520 in 2025 (25.7%).
Historical employment for Pest Control Workers from the California OEWS series, 2009–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$44,730 Median pay (BLS national)
Pest Control Workers earn $44,730 as the BLS national median annual wage.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Pest Control Workers.
Salary distribution for Pest Control Workers.
Employment Growth Projections
1.4% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
52,114 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 7.4%
55,976 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 15.4%
This occupation is projected to grow at 1.4% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Pest Control Workers.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Pest Control Workers and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Pest Control Workers employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Pest Control Workers.
Wage Trends by Industry
0.6% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Pest Control Workers.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Pest Control Workers.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 12,290 employees, $45,740 avg wage
- FL: 11,130 employees, $47,020 avg wage
- TX: 8,640 employees, $45,800 avg wage
- GA: 5,720 employees, $44,750 avg wage
- NC: 4,550 employees, $41,330 avg wage
- NY: 3,870 employees, $54,240 avg wage
- AZ: 3,370 employees, $45,110 avg wage
- VA: 3,050 employees, $46,320 avg wage
- TN: 2,930 employees, $45,130 avg wage
- SC: 2,700 employees, $40,870 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Pest Control Workers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 4,230 employees, $54,400 avg wage
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 3,300 employees, $46,540 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 2,920 employees, $45,630 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 2,630 employees, $47,710 avg wage
- Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ: 2,370 employees, $46,020 avg wage
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL: 2,300 employees, $48,610 avg wage
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 2,050 employees, $45,490 avg wage
- Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL: 1,590 employees, $47,410 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA: 1,560 employees, $43,880 avg wage
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 1,500 employees, $50,930 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Pest Control Workers.
Diversity
Demographic information on Pest Control Workers in the US.
Gender and Age
The U.S. workforce for Pest Control Workers is about 96,110 people in our OEWS extract.
Gender and age distribution for Pest Control Workers.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Pest Control Workers.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Pest Control Workers.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Pest Control Workers in 2023 were Business Administration, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Pest Control Workers.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Pest Control Workers workers.
Education level distribution for Pest Control Workers.
Skills
Pest Control Workers need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, Writing, Monitoring, Speaking.
Required skills for Pest Control Workers.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Pest Control Workers.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Pest Control Workers include Customer and Personal Service, Public Safety and Security, English Language, Chemistry, Biology.
Knowledge areas required for Pest Control Workers.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Pest Control Workers include Near Vision, Oral Comprehension, Oral Expression, Speech Clarity, Written Expression.
Required abilities for Pest Control Workers.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Pest Control Workers.
Daily Activities
Pest Control Workers spend their time on activities such as Getting Information, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Making Decisions and Solving Problems.
Most important work activities for Pest Control Workers.
About
Pest Control Workers
Pest Control Workers earn $44,730 as the BLS national median annual wage.
SOC Code
37-2021 - Pest Control Workers
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Pest Control Workers reports an average salary of $47,040.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 96,110 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 1.4%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.