Pest Control Workers
Also called: Pest Control Applicator, Pest Control Technician (Pest Control Tech), Pest Technician (Pest Tech), Termite Technician (Termite Tech)Apply or release chemical solutions or toxic gases and set traps to kill or remove pests and vermin that infest buildings and surrounding areas.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 5 of its 14 tasks, and jobs are projected to grow 5.5% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 3.5% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 7.9 hires for every 10 job openings in professional and business services, which employs about 97% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.7.9 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $38,410 | $36,970 to $43,830 | 2,540 |
| Alaska | $46,900 | $44,080 to $58,290 | 40 |
| Arizona | $44,430 | $38,180 to $50,560 | 3,200 |
| Arkansas | $37,710 | $34,690 to $46,790 | 1,030 |
| California | $47,190 | $41,620 to $56,880 | not published |
| Colorado | $48,650 | $46,280 to $60,430 | 970 |
| Connecticut | $49,010 | $47,160 to $50,110 | 880 |
| Delaware | $45,300 | $35,010 to $60,710 | 300 |
| Florida | $44,320 | $36,570 to $49,470 | 12,400 |
| Georgia | $37,860 | $35,590 to $46,920 | 5,770 |
| Guam | $28,340 | $24,020 to $36,440 | 40 |
| Hawaii | $48,570 | $44,220 to $58,090 | 740 |
| Idaho | $40,220 | $38,340 to $46,060 | 620 |
| Illinois | $46,450 | $38,350 to $49,360 | 2,470 |
| Indiana | $38,600 | $36,450 to $48,410 | 1,670 |
| Iowa | $45,290 | $37,240 to $48,640 | 540 |
| Kansas | $38,690 | $36,050 to $47,410 | 760 |
| Kentucky | $42,310 | $36,790 to $46,890 | 1,030 |
| Louisiana | $44,570 | $35,660 to $48,450 | 1,930 |
| Maine | $48,340 | $47,490 to $56,590 | 320 |
| Maryland | $47,360 | $42,860 to $56,470 | 1,670 |
| Massachusetts | $45,560 | $41,900 to $59,480 | 1,900 |
| Michigan | $44,470 | $41,060 to $47,020 | 1,460 |
| Minnesota | $41,640 | $36,770 to $59,920 | 670 |
| Mississippi | $37,200 | $32,010 to $46,660 | 960 |
| Missouri | $42,690 | $37,320 to $46,490 | 1,440 |
| Montana | $41,730 | $39,190 to $47,230 | 100 |
| Nebraska | $38,960 | $34,540 to $57,290 | 460 |
| Nevada | $49,240 | $39,300 to $60,530 | 790 |
| New Hampshire | $48,000 | $45,570 to $51,150 | 260 |
| New Jersey | $48,780 | $46,550 to $58,560 | 2,270 |
| New Mexico | $37,070 | $34,540 to $41,850 | 320 |
| New York | $48,530 | $45,840 to $59,970 | 4,220 |
| North Carolina | $44,740 | $36,890 to $48,530 | 4,870 |
| North Dakota | $48,020 | $46,680 to $61,020 | 120 |
| Ohio | $40,110 | $37,300 to $46,610 | 2,170 |
| Oklahoma | $39,050 | $35,510 to $47,640 | 1,310 |
| Oregon | $46,570 | $44,290 to $49,270 | 740 |
| Pennsylvania | $45,720 | $39,190 to $47,840 | 2,260 |
| Puerto Rico | $23,410 | $22,770 to $32,170 | 300 |
| Rhode Island | $45,030 | $42,140 to $56,650 | 270 |
| South Carolina | $43,130 | $37,180 to $48,140 | 2,660 |
| South Dakota | $49,920 | $47,090 to $62,460 | 190 |
| Tennessee | $39,690 | $37,020 to $46,480 | 3,340 |
| Texas | $37,660 | $35,570 to $45,110 | 9,470 |
| Utah | $44,740 | $36,460 to $46,610 | 1,050 |
| Vermont | $46,320 | $40,620 to $55,230 | 80 |
| Virgin Islands | $36,330 | $33,790 to $46,740 | 30 |
| Virginia | $45,950 | $38,690 to $49,940 | 3,040 |
| Washington | $51,300 | $47,390 to $59,420 | 1,430 |
| West Virginia | $37,510 | $35,450 to $43,830 | 460 |
| Wisconsin | $45,350 | $38,070 to $48,120 | 1,060 |
| Wyoming | $44,500 | $36,590 to $48,550 | 50 |
Nationally: $45,250. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 5 of its 14 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| AI + software | Record work activities performed. | 0.01% |
| AI alone | Recommend treatment and prevention methods for pest problems to clients. | 0.01% |
| Not much | Drive truck equipped with power spraying equipment. | Not published |
| Not much | Inspect premises to identify infestation source and extent of damage to property, wall, or roof porosity and access to infested locations. | Not published |
| Not much | Direct, or assist other workers in, treatment or extermination processes to eliminate or control rodents, insects, or weeds. | Not published |
| Not much | Spray or dust chemical solutions, powders, or gases into rooms, onto clothing, furnishings, or wood, or over marshlands, ditches, or catch basins. | Not published |
See all 14 tasks
| Not much | Clean work site after completion of job. | Not published |
| AI + software | Measure area dimensions requiring treatment, calculate fumigant requirements, and estimate cost for service. | Not published |
| AI + software | Study preliminary reports or diagrams of infested area and determine treatment type required to eliminate and prevent recurrence of infestation. | Not published |
| Not much | Set mechanical traps, or place poisonous paste or bait in sewers, burrows, or ditches. | Not published |
| AI + software | Post warning signs and lock building doors to secure area to be fumigated. | Not published |
| Not much | Clean and remove blockages from infested areas to facilitate spraying procedures and provide drainage, using brooms, mops, shovels, or rakes. | Not published |
| Not much | Cut or bore openings in building or surrounding concrete, access infested areas, insert nozzle, and inject pesticide to impregnate ground. | Not published |
| Not much | Position and fasten edges of tarpaulins over building, and tape vents to ensure air-tight environment and to check for leaks. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 2 of the 14 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 14 tasks fall under 14 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #8 Read documents or materials to inform work processes
- #34 Advise others on products or services
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apply protective solutions or coatings | |||
| Read documents or materials to inform work processes | |||
| Advise others on products or services | |||
| Maintain safety or security | |||
| Estimate project development or operational costs | |||
| Inspect completed work or finished products | |||
| Position tools or equipment | |||
| Clean tools, equipment, facilities, or work areas |
Show all 14 activities
| Maintain operational records | |||
| Notify others of emergencies or problems | |||
| Inspect facilities or equipment | |||
| Operate transportation equipment or vehicles | |||
| Set up protective structures or coverings near work areas | |||
| Supervise personnel activities |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- Advice or a recommendation41%
- A document or report14%
- An explanation or answer12%
- Data or a spreadsheet10%
- A plan or strategy5%
How they worked with Claude
32% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for pest control workers specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 7,443 moves out
- 1 Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers Moderate +2.5% 5%
- 2 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 4%
- 3 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
- 4 Management Analysts Very high +10.1% 4%
- 5 First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers High -3.7% 4%
Where people moved in from
of 8,393 moves in
- 1 Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers Moderate +2.5% 6%
- 2 First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers High -3.7% 5%
- 3 Bartenders Moderate +5.0% 5%
- 4 Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products Very high -0.9% 3%
- 5 Retail Salespersons Very high -0.3% 3%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 8% less than high school
- 49% high school
- 24% some college
- 8% associate's
- 10% bachelor's
- 1% master's
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 1,021 people surveyed.
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
BLS publishes no credential figures for this occupation.
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeship Finder ↗ DOL lists 1 registered apprenticeship in this occupation (EXTERMINATOR, TERMITE). Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Pest Control Workers” there.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
See it online, and explore any career: https://www.pathmosaic.com/card/37-2021.00