Pest Control Workers Salary: $47,040 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 96,110 pest control workers nationally earn a mean of $47,040. Employment in the series shown rose about 5% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 1.4% annual growth.
Key Statistics
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 percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $36,797 |
| 25th percentile | $38,021 |
| Median (50th) | $46,660 |
| 75th percentile | $49,282 |
| 90th percentile | $60,863 |
What education do you need?
For Pest Control Workers, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
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 Workforce in 2023
The Pest Control Workers workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Pest Control Workers.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$47,040 Average Wage
In 2023, Pest Control Workers earned an average of $47,040.
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.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 11,340 employees, $46,946 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Pest Control Workers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 1,790 employees, $47,828 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 1,560 employees, $45,128 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 1,420 employees, $44,181 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 1,320 employees, $46,259 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 1,130 employees, $45,505 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 740 employees, $52,468 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 530 employees, $54,898 avg wage
- Fresno MSA: 470 employees, $43,400 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 350 employees, $55,025 avg wage
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA: 340 employees, $46,290 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 workforce of Pest Control Workers in 2023 was 96,110 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
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
The average yearly wage for Pest Control Workers was $47,040 in 2023.
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.