How much do pest control technicians make in 2026?
Pest control technicians earned a national median of $45,250 a year ($21.75/hr) in the latest federal wage data available (BLS OEWS, May 2025 estimates). BLS counts about 102,620 people employed in this occupation in the U.S.
Annual and hourly wages, all U.S. industries. Occupation used: Pest Control Workers (SOC 37-2021). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
What the percentiles mean
The median is the middle: half of pest control technicians earned more and half earned less. The 25th–75th percentile range ($37,440–$49,600) is what the middle half of workers earned. Newer workers and apprentices tend to be near the low end, and experienced, licensed or specialized workers near the high end. BLS does not publish pay by years of experience, so treat any experience-based number as an estimate.
Pest control technicians pay by state
BLS OEWS May 2025 state estimates. "Not published" means BLS did not release that estimate (too few survey responses, or not enough workers to publish).
| State | Median / yr | Median / hr | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $38,410 | $18.47 | $31,100 | $50,110 | 2,540 |
| Alaska | $46,900 | $22.55 | $35,580 | $75,180 | 40 |
| Arizona | $44,430 | $21.36 | $36,820 | $62,910 | 3,200 |
| Arkansas | $37,710 | $18.13 | $30,900 | $55,970 | 1,030 |
| California | $47,190 | $22.69 | $37,110 | $65,580 | Not published |
| Colorado | $48,650 | $23.39 | $38,610 | $71,230 | 970 |
| Connecticut | $49,010 | $23.56 | $39,470 | $58,590 | 880 |
| Delaware | $45,300 | $21.78 | $31,200 | $74,090 | 300 |
| District of Columbia | Not published by BLS for this state | ||||
| Florida | $44,320 | $21.31 | $34,960 | $61,890 | 12,400 |
| Georgia | $37,860 | $18.20 | $29,310 | $61,520 | 5,770 |
| Hawaii | $48,570 | $23.35 | $35,500 | $62,670 | 740 |
| Idaho | $40,220 | $19.34 | $35,940 | $47,340 | 620 |
| Illinois | $46,450 | $22.33 | $36,120 | $62,450 | 2,470 |
| Indiana | $38,600 | $18.56 | $35,290 | $60,920 | 1,670 |
| Iowa | $45,290 | $21.78 | $35,750 | $57,250 | 540 |
| Kansas | $38,690 | $18.60 | $27,590 | $60,000 | 760 |
| Kentucky | $42,310 | $20.34 | $30,130 | $61,670 | 1,030 |
| Louisiana | $44,570 | $21.43 | $27,850 | $58,220 | 1,930 |
| Maine | $48,340 | $23.24 | $46,130 | $60,300 | 320 |
| Maryland | $47,360 | $22.77 | $37,810 | $65,500 | 1,670 |
| Massachusetts | $45,560 | $21.90 | $36,750 | $62,170 | 1,900 |
| Michigan | $44,470 | $21.38 | $38,630 | $61,850 | 1,460 |
| Minnesota | $41,640 | $20.02 | $27,180 | $70,720 | 670 |
| Mississippi | $37,200 | $17.89 | $28,700 | $53,890 | 960 |
| Missouri | $42,690 | $20.53 | $29,850 | $48,560 | 1,440 |
| Montana | $41,730 | $20.06 | $38,360 | $60,350 | 100 |
| Nebraska | $38,960 | $18.73 | $29,330 | $66,200 | 460 |
| Nevada | $49,240 | $23.67 | $36,680 | $81,420 | 790 |
| New Hampshire | $48,000 | $23.08 | $45,570 | $58,960 | 260 |
| New Jersey | $48,780 | $23.45 | $39,830 | $59,680 | 2,270 |
| New Mexico | $37,070 | $17.82 | $28,600 | $70,410 | 320 |
| New York | $48,530 | $23.33 | $37,550 | $71,960 | 4,220 |
| North Carolina | $44,740 | $21.51 | $31,990 | $61,900 | 4,870 |
| North Dakota | $48,020 | $23.09 | $44,600 | $62,580 | 120 |
| Ohio | $40,110 | $19.28 | $35,590 | $58,890 | 2,170 |
| Oklahoma | $39,050 | $18.77 | $29,220 | $58,160 | 1,310 |
| Oregon | $46,570 | $22.39 | $39,890 | $59,270 | 740 |
| Pennsylvania | $45,720 | $21.98 | $36,910 | $60,000 | 2,260 |
| Rhode Island | $45,030 | $21.65 | $36,920 | $65,250 | 270 |
| South Carolina | $43,130 | $20.73 | $32,850 | $59,890 | 2,660 |
| South Dakota | $49,920 | $24.00 | $39,460 | $68,950 | 190 |
| Tennessee | $39,690 | $19.08 | $30,570 | $56,270 | 3,340 |
| Texas | $37,660 | $18.11 | $29,550 | $59,630 | 9,470 |
| Utah | $44,740 | $21.51 | $33,280 | $47,640 | 1,050 |
| Vermont | $46,320 | $22.27 | $36,510 | $63,940 | 80 |
| Virginia | $45,950 | $22.09 | $37,020 | $61,510 | 3,040 |
| Washington | $51,300 | $24.66 | $44,340 | $61,190 | 1,430 |
| West Virginia | $37,510 | $18.03 | $26,080 | $50,780 | 460 |
| Wisconsin | $45,350 | $21.81 | $36,800 | $59,750 | 1,060 |
| Wyoming | $44,500 | $21.40 | $29,380 | $71,920 | 50 |
| Puerto Rico | $23,410 | $11.25 | $21,840 | $51,870 | 300 |
How to earn more as a pest control technician
- Get your state pesticide applicator license or certification. States require it, and licensed techs are paid more.
- Add termite (WDI/WDO), fumigation or commercial categories.
- Commission or production pay on routes can add to base pay, so ask how it is calculated.
- Move to route lead, branch inspector or service manager.
- Commercial and food-facility accounts often have stricter requirements and pay more.
Find pest control technician work
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FAQ
How much do pest control technicians make an hour?
The national median wage for Pest Control Workers (SOC 37-2021) was $21.75 an hour, or $45,250 a year, in the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates. Half earned more and half earned less.
What do the highest-paid pest control technicians earn?
The top 10% earned at least $61,890 a year ($29.75/hr). The bottom 10% earned less than $34,680 ($16.67/hr).
Which states pay pest control technicians the most?
By median annual wage in the BLS OEWS May 2025 state estimates: Washington ($51,300); South Dakota ($49,920); Nevada ($49,240). Living costs differ by state, too.
Where do these numbers come from?
From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program, May 2025 estimates, occupation code 37-2021 (Pest Control Workers). They cover wage and salary workers in all industries, not the self-employed, and are not broken out by experience.
Source and method
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates. Files oesm25nat and oesm25st from bls.gov, downloaded Nov 8, 2026. Occupation: Pest Control Workers (SOC 37-2021), cross-industry, all ownerships. OEWS wages are straight-time gross pay: they include commissions, production bonuses, tips and on-call pay, and exclude overtime, shift differentials and nonproduction bonuses. Annual wages are generally the hourly wage times 2,080 hours. "Not published" = estimate not released by BLS. BLS occupation profile · All pay guides