A pest control technician drives a daily route of homes on recurring service plans. They inspect for ants, roaches, spiders and rodents, treat inside and out by each product's label, point out what invites pests, and leave the homeowner a clear note.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, pest control companies · BLS, May 2025
Responsible for executing routine pest control treatments and preventative measures to protect customer properties and enhance satisfaction. Serves as a key representative of the company during customer interactions and service calls. Contributes to the overall success of pest management operations by ensuring high-quality service delivery and adherence to safety standards.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Perform routine pest control treatments and preventative measures as per company guidelines.
Identify pest infestations and implement appropriate control techniques for residential and commercial properties.
Effectively communicate treatment plans, safety precautions, and preventative recommendations to customers.
Maintain detailed records of service calls, treatments applied, and any follow-up actions required.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Conduct scheduled field visits and perform pest control treatments with precision.
Engage in thorough inspections to identify potential pest issues and recommend preventative options.
Interact with customers to explain procedures, answer questions, and ensure satisfaction.
Document service details in the company’s digital log and follow up on customer feedback.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Customer Satisfaction Rating: >4.8 stars.
Callback Rate: <5%.
Daily Service Completion Rate: 85% of scheduled appointments.
Revenue per Treatment: $150 per service call.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
High school diploma or equivalent, with additional training or certification in pest control preferred.
1-3 years of experience in pest control or a related field.
Strong communication and customer service skills.
Ability to follow specific safety protocols and operate pest control equipment efficiently.
6. Preferred Experience
Previous employment in the pest control industry or home services sector.
Familiarity with integrated pest management (IPM) strategies.
Experience handling routine maintenance and preventative service programs.
Proven ability to build rapport with customers and manage service call documentation.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to lift up to 50 lbs.
Comfortable with outdoor work in various weather conditions.
Required to stand, walk, and perform repetitive physical tasks during service calls.
Occasionally work in confined spaces or elevated areas as needed.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Typical work hours from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday.
Occasional evening or weekend appointments may be required.
Minimal office work with the majority of time spent in the field.
On-call duties during peak seasons or emergency treatment scenarios.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Hourly wage range of $18 - $25 per hour, based on experience and qualifications.
Performance bonuses based on customer satisfaction and service completion metrics.
Health, Dental, and Vision insurance coverage.
401(k) plan with company matching contributions.
10. Company Culture and Overview
Our company is dedicated to fostering a supportive and growth-oriented environment where every team member is valued.
We pride ourselves on our commitment to excellence in customer service and continuous professional development.
Our inclusive culture encourages innovation and rewards dedication, ensuring you have the opportunity to level up your skills and succeed.
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 sets residential pest control technician work apart
On a pest route, the products are regulated, the homes are lived in, and the license comes from the state. Those three facts set the rules for every stop.
The label is the law
Every pesticide label says it's a violation of federal law to use the product in a way that doesn't match its labeling. EPA calls the label the law: it sets who may use a product, and where, how, how much and how often. A good tech rereads the label for a new product or an odd spot, like a garage or a child's room, instead of working from memory. Source: U.S. EPA: Introduction to pesticide labels.
Most of the day is a route
Recurring service plans fill most days, not one-off emergencies. A typical stop is a treatment around the foundation, eaves and entry points, knocking down webs and wasp nests, and checking bait stations, with inside service when the customer asks. Many homeowners aren't home, so the tech leaves a note that says what they found, what they treated and what the homeowner can fix.
Bait stations where kids and pets play
EPA says professional rodent bait labels require tamper-resistant bait stations in two cases. One is anywhere children under six, pets or wildlife could reach the bait. The other is any outdoor use above ground. On each visit the tech checks that every station is locked, in place and logged. A missing or broken station is a reason to call the office, not just swap it. Source: U.S. EPA: Restrictions on rodenticide products.
The license comes from your state
BLS reports that most states require pest control workers to be licensed. The usual path is training and an exam, and some states add steps for applicators. License names and limits change at state lines, so a job title an applicant held somewhere else tells you little about what they may do in yours. Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Pest control workers.
Look and identify before you spray
The template lists integrated pest management as a plus. EPA describes it in steps. Watch for pests and name them correctly. Prevent problems first. Then pick effective, less risky controls before broader spraying. It also says seeing a single pest doesn't always mean control is needed. On a home route, that means sealing gaps, pointing out leaks and naming the pest before reaching for the sprayer. Source: U.S. EPA: Integrated pest management (IPM) principles.
Residential vs. commercial pest control technician
A commercial route serves businesses that answer to health inspectors and food safety auditors, and that changes the technician's day.
Topic
Residential
Commercial
Accounts
Families and renters on recurring plans
Restaurants, food plants, warehouses and apartment managers
What a visit covers
The outside of the house and entry points, with inside service on request
Kitchens, storage rooms, loading docks and rows of monitoring devices
When the work happens
Daytime, often while the homeowner is out
Early morning, late night or a set day each week, around the client's hours
Paperwork
A service note or email after each visit
An on-site logbook, trap maps and activity reports for the client's auditor
Common pests
Ants, spiders, roaches, rodents, termites and mosquitoes
Rodents, roaches, flies and pests in stored food
How much pest control technicians make
The closest BLS group for pest control technicians is pest control workers. Pest control workers who work for pest control companies earned a median of $21.60 an hour ($44,930 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s about the same as the $45,250 median for pest control workers in all industries. About 96,000 of the 102,620 pest control workers in that survey work for pest control companies.
Techs in the template earn an hourly wage plus bonuses for customer ratings and finished stops, and some companies add a commission on termite, mosquito or other add-on sales. Under federal rules, a bonus the tech knows about and expects counts when you work out their overtime rate, and so does commission.
Pest control companies
$44,930$44,930 median Middle half $37,300–$49,190 10th–90th $34,370–$61,580
All industries
$45,250$45,250 median Middle half $37,440–$49,600 10th–90th $34,680–$61,890
$20k$30k$40k$50k$60k$70k
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Pest control companies
$34,370
$37,300
$44,930
$49,190
$61,580
All industries
$34,680
$37,440
$45,250
$49,600
$61,890
BLS reports residential and commercial pest control companies together. 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
Tells a German roach from an American roach, and mouse signs from rat signs
Reads the whole label and follows it, including rates, sites and protective gear
Points out leaks, gaps and clutter to a homeowner without lecturing
Leaves service notes a homeowner who wasn't there can follow
Willing to inspect crawl spaces and attics most days
A valid driver's license
Teach these on the job
Your state's license exam and category rules
Your service steps for each pest and each plan
The route app on their phone and the notes it needs
Termite, mosquito and rodent exclusion services
How to spot and pass along a termite or wildlife lead
Route techs work from a truck with a power sprayer and hose reel, plus a backpack sprayer, hand sprayer, duster, bait gun and strong flashlight. They log each stop on a phone tied to the office's route software (PestPac, FieldRoutes and ServSuite are three). Tell candidates if the truck is a take-home vehicle and who pays the license exam fee.
Pest control technician interview questions
They have their own page: 6 questions that test this job, what strong and weak answers sound like, and a work exercise to run with your finalists.
Your own route history is a better guide than the template's sample goals. Expect spring ant season to push callbacks up for a few weeks every year.
Customer Satisfaction Rating
Average the post-visit survey scores for each technician's stops. Gates left open, missing notes or a pest back within days show up in comments before they move the score.
Callback Rate
Re-service requests between scheduled visits, divided by the tech's completed stops for the month. Track brand-new accounts on their own, since a first treatment often needs a follow-up.
Daily Service Completion Rate
Stops finished out of stops scheduled each day, from your route software. Look at why stops were missed, such as a locked gate, rain or a route that's simply too long.
Revenue per Treatment
Add up what the tech's completed stops billed, including add-ons they sold or flagged, and split it by the stop count. Termite and mosquito work bill differently from general pest, so report them apart.
Career path
Apprentice / helperCarries gear, studies and works toward the state license.
Pest control technicianRuns a route of homes on recurring plans.
Which license does a pest control technician need?
State law decides, and the name of the license varies. In California, the entry-level license is the applicator license from the Structural Pest Control Board. It lets the holder apply pesticides for household pests and wood-destroying pests. They can only do it while working for a registered pest control company, never for their own customers. Your state pesticide agency can tell you which license lets a tech work without a supervisor on site.
How much does a pest control technician make?
Pest control workers who work for pest control companies earned a median of $21.60 an hour ($44,930 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $37,300 and $49,190 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and overtime.
Can a pest control technician use restricted use pesticides?
Only certified applicators, and trained workers they supervise. Federal rules set the minimum age for both at 18. EPA puts the most acutely toxic products, and those that need special care, in the restricted group. The public can't buy them. EPA keeps a list, so check your shelf against it before a new tech loads the truck.
Do pest control technicians work evenings and weekends?
BLS says most pest control workers are full time, evening and weekend work is common, and some work more than 40 hours a week. On a home route, that usually means Saturday stops for customers who want to be there, plus longer days from spring through fall. Tell applicants how often Saturdays come around.
Should a pest control technician sell add-on services?
Techs often see problems the plan doesn't cover, like termite damage, standing water that breeds mosquitoes, or a gap where mice get in. Pointing them out is part of good service, and it's different from a sales quota. Decide whether techs close add-ons themselves or pass leads to a sales rep, and train them to recommend only what they actually saw.
What should a pest control technician job ad include?
The services they'll do, such as general pest, termite, mosquito or wildlife, the route area and stops per day, and the license you require or will help them earn. Describe how the bonus works and what counts toward it, and whether exam study happens on paid time.
