A commercial pest control COO runs field work across every route and branch, from schedules to quality checks at plants, kitchens and hospitals. The COO sets the safety programs, staffing and route plans that let technicians meet each client's visit days and audit needs.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, building and home services companies · BLS, May 2025
Annual pay: 10th percentile $93,610, middle half $102,340 to $208,630, 90th percentile $275,020. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, building and home services companies.
Reports to
Chief Executive Officer
Department
Operations
Schedule
Weekdays 8 to 6, plus travel · Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 6 PM, with some evenings and weekends for urgent issues and on-call time in peak periods
Also called
VP of operations · Director of operations · VP of field operations · Commercial operations director
Commercial pest control COO job description template
This is our Role Blueprint, word for word. Replace the highlighted fields and adjust the example targets and pay to fit your company.
Pest Control - Commercial - Chief Operating Officer
Company Name:
[INSERT COMPANY NAME HERE]
Department:
Operations
Reports to:
[Chief Executive Officer]
Location:
[INSERT LOCATION HERE]
1. Position Summary
Lead and optimize all field operations for our commercial pest control business. Drive operational excellence by enhancing route efficiency and maintaining superior service standards. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure outstanding customer experiences and continuous process improvement.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Oversee daily commercial pest control operations to ensure timely and effective service delivery.
Optimize field routes and schedules for maximum efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
Ensure all service standards and safety protocols meet or exceed industry benchmarks.
Develop strategic initiatives that drive operational improvements and innovation.
Mentor and support field teams to achieve performance and productivity goals.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Monitor and review field operations performance and address any issues promptly.
Coordinate with dispatch and logistics to optimize service routes daily.
Conduct quality assurance checks and site inspections to uphold service standards.
Engage in regular communication with team leaders and frontline staff.
Analyze operational metrics and implement strategies to improve efficiency.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Field Operations Efficiency: Achieve route optimization >90%.
Service Quality Rating: Maintain customer satisfaction rating >4.8 stars.
On-Time Service Delivery: Ensure >95% on-time appointments.
Operational Cost Management: Limit cost variance within 15%.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Operations Management, or a related field.
8+ years of leadership experience in operations management.
Strong analytical, strategic planning, and decision-making skills.
Proficient in using route optimization software and field management systems.
Excellent interpersonal and team leadership abilities.
6. Preferred Experience
Experience in the commercial pest control or home services industry.
Proven track record of managing large-scale field operations.
Familiarity with industry regulatory standards and safety protocols.
Background in process improvement and operational strategy development.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to travel frequently to operational locations.
Flexibility to work in variable weather conditions.
Capability to occasionally lift up to 25 lbs.
Endurance to stand for extended periods during site assessments.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Typical work hours: Monday – Friday, 8 AM – 6 PM.
Occasional evening and weekend work to address urgent issues.
On-call responsibilities during peak operational periods.
Frequent travel across multiple service locations.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Salary range: $150,000 - $200,000 USD per year.
Performance-based bonuses available.
Comprehensive Health, Dental, and Vision coverage.
401(k) retirement plan with company matching.
Additional fringe benefits including Life Insurance and Employee Assistance Program.
10. Company Culture and Overview
At [INSERT COMPANY NAME HERE], we foster a culture of excellence, innovation, and continuous growth.
Our inclusive environment empowers team members to excel and drive operational success.
We value collaboration and proactive problem-solving, ensuring that every employee contributes to our shared goal of superior customer satisfaction.
Join our dynamic team and be part of a forward-thinking organization focused on career development and operational excellence.
11. How to Apply
If you meet the above criteria and want to be part of a growth-oriented company focused on customer satisfaction, please send your resume to [INSERT EMAIL HERE] or apply online at [INSERT WEBSITE LINK HERE].
Need help filling this role? HireBus posts the ad, Iris interviews every applicant by phone before you do, and you decide who to hire. Start hiring now
What makes a commercial pest control COO different
Every COO runs the field. Here, the COO also decides which hazardous jobs the company staffs itself and how routes fit each client's required visit days.
Fumigation is its own certification
EPA's applicator rules list non-soil fumigation as its own category. It covers commercial applicators who use or supervise the use of a restricted use pesticide to fumigate anything other than soil. Warehouse and food plant clients may ask for this work. The COO decides whether to certify a crew in that category through your state's program or send the job to a fumigation firm. Source: eCFR: 40 CFR 171.101, certification categories for commercial applicators.
Respirators bring a written program
Sometimes technicians must wear respirators, for example when a product label calls for one. Then OSHA requires a written respiratory protection program with worksite-specific procedures. Fit testing is required before anyone first wears a tight-fitting respirator, again whenever the facepiece changes, and at least annually. That program, in every branch, belongs to the COO, along with records ready for an inspector. Source: eCFR: 29 CFR 1910.134, respiratory protection (OSHA).
Routes are built around required visit days
A food plant may need its interior devices checked on a fixed day, while an office takes an occasional visit. Lock each account's frequency and access window into the routing software, and review missed or late visits every week. A gap in the service log is easy for a client's auditor to spot and hard to explain afterward.
Quality checks follow every route
Follow-up site checks answer three questions. Do device maps match what's on the wall? Do reports name the conditions found? Do trucks carry the right products for each account type? Put every route on a check schedule and make the findings part of each field supervisor's review. Then standards hold when the COO isn't there.
How much commercial pest control COOs make
The closest BLS group for commercial pest control COOs is chief executives. Chief executives who work for building and home services companies earned a median of $130,000 a year ($62.50 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s below the $213,990 median for chief executives in all industries. About 430 of the 204,350 chief executives in that survey work for building and home services companies.
COOs here mostly earn a salary, plus a bonus for service quality and cost goals. The template's figures sit between the middle and the high end of what BLS shows for chief executives across building services.
Building and home services companies
$130,000$130,000 median Middle half $102,340–$208,630 10th–90th $93,610–$275,020
All industries
$213,990$213,990 median Middle half $129,540–$356,200 10th–90th $75,700–$507,730
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Building and home services companies
$93,610
$102,340
$130,000
$208,630
$275,020
All industries
$75,700
$129,540
$213,990
$356,200
$507,730
BLS doesn’t publish pay for chief executives at pest control companies on their own, so these figures cover building and home services companies. Post a real range for your market in the ad.
The pay line in the template above is an example from our Role Blueprint. Set yours from these figures and what local companies pay.
Skills to hire for, and what you can teach
Hire for these
Has run multi-branch field operations with route technicians
Builds and audits safety programs, including respirator and chemical handling
Uses route and field service software to plan capacity, not just view schedules
Holds field leaders to written service standards
Reads cost reports and fixes the cause of a variance
Teach these on the job
Your clients' audit requirements and record formats
State pesticide rules in the states you serve
Your service software and electronic monitoring systems
Your contract terms for extra work
The COO spends the day in the routing and scheduling screens of a platform like PestPac or ServSuite, plus barcode scanners for device checks and any electronic rodent monitoring. Say in the ad which systems are live and which ones the COO should roll out.
Commercial pest control COO interview questions
Two of the 6 questions we'd ask, and what a strong answer sounds like. Ask every candidate the same questions, and rate each answer on your own before you compare notes.
Situational · Documentation failures
Three audited accounts were cited for incomplete pest documentation in the same quarter. What do you do?
A strong answer: Treats it as a system problem: standard logbook contents, supervisor reviews before audits, technician training, and a named owner for each audited account.
Behavioral · Scaling for big clients
Tell me about a time you scaled field operations to take on a large new client.
A strong answer: Planned staffing, training and site setup before the start date, and the launch went as planned.
The template's numbers suit some companies and not others. Pick targets from your route logs and client audit scores, and check them monthly with each branch manager.
Field Operations Efficiency
Compare planned route time with actual service, drive and report time from the software, route by route, and find out why routes run over.
Service Quality Rating
Combine client survey scores with your own quality check results, so a happy client with a weak service record still gets flagged.
On-Time Service Delivery
Roll up each branch's on-time share every month and compare branches, then ask the branch whose rate dropped what changed, such as staffing, new accounts or route design.
Operational Cost Management
Compare budgeted and actual labor, vehicle and materials cost by branch each month, and explain any line that moved more than the others.
Should a commercial pest control COO roll out electronic rodent monitoring?
Start with a pilot, not every route. Pick a few accounts that value alerts between visits, such as food plants with frequent audits, and compare technician time, captures found and client feedback with similar accounts still on manual checks. Confirm the device data lands in the service report the client's auditor reads. Agree with the CFO on how the hardware gets paid for before you expand.
How much does a commercial pest control COO make?
Chief executives who work for building and home services companies earned a median of $130,000 a year ($62.50 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $102,340 and $208,630 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and bonus terms.
When a client's auditor finds pests, what is the COO's part?
Leave the client call and any same-day visit to the branch. The COO's question is whether the same cause could show up on other routes. If a device was missed or a visit ran late, pull that report for the other accounts in the segment. Then make one change, to training, routing or the report form, and tell every branch what changed and why.
Who owns the chemical inventory, the COO or the warehouse manager?
The warehouse manager or inventory specialist runs counts, receiving and storage. The COO sets the rules: which products are approved for which account types, how much a truck may carry, and how use is recorded so state records and client reports match. Keep the approved list short and review it when labels or clients change.
What work matches the COO template's lifting and standing lines?
The template wording stays. The real tasks are carrying a case of bait stations, a light trap or a sprayer from a truck into a site, walking a plant floor or warehouse during a site assessment, and checking outdoor devices in rain or snow. Spell those out in the posting. When a candidate raises a different way to handle one, hear them out.
