Occupation Profile

Pest Control Workers

(SOC Code : 37-2021)

in California

Spray or release chemical solutions or toxic gases and set traps to kill pests and vermin, such as mice, termites, and roaches, that infest buildings and surrounding areas.

Employers usually expect an employee in this occupation to be able to do the job after Moderate-term on-the-job training (1-12 months) .

View a Career Video for this occupation from America's Career InfoNet (requires Windows Media Player)

Occupational Wages

[Top]

Area	Year	Period	Hourly Mean	Hourly by Percentile
				25th	Median	75th
California	2012	1st Qtr	$17.24	$13.09	$15.75	$19.65

View Wages for All Areas About Wages

Occupational Projections of Employment (also called "Outlook" or "Demand")

[Top]

Area	Estimated Year-Projected Year	Employment		Employment Change		Annual Avg Openings
		Estimated	Projected	Number	Percent
California	2010 - 2020	9,000	11,600	2,600	28.9	660

View Projections for All Areas About Projections

Job Openings from JobCentral National Labor Exchange

[Top]

Enter a Zip Code Find a Zip code in California

Within miles of Zip Code.

Possible Licenses Required and Issuing Authority

[Top]

License Title

License Authority

Qualified Applicator Certificate

Department of Pesticide Regulation
Licensing and Certification Program
www.cdpr.ca.gov

Qualified Applicator License

Department of Pesticide Regulation
Licensing and Certification Program
www.cdpr.ca.gov

Applicator License (Structural Pest Control)

Department of Pesticide Regulation
Structural Pest Control Board
www.pestboard.ca.gov

Field Representative (Structural Pest Control)

Department of Pesticide Regulation
Structural Pest Control Board
www.pestboard.ca.gov

Operator License (Structural Pest Control)

Department of Pesticide Regulation
Structural Pest Control Board
www.pestboard.ca.gov

About Licenses

Industries Employing This Occupation (click on Industry Title to View Employers List)

[Top]

Industry Title

Number of Employers in State of California

Percent of Total
Employment for Occupation in State of California

Services to Buildings and Dwellings

28,067

90.1%

About Staffing Patterns

Data for Training Programs not available.

About Training & Apprenticeships

About This Occupation (from O*NET - The Occupation Information Network)

[Top]

Top Tasks (Specific duties and responsibilities of this job.)

Record work activities performed.

Inspect premises to identify infestation source and extent of damage to property, wall, or roof porosity and access to infested locations.

Spray or dust chemical solutions, powders, or gases into rooms, onto clothing, furnishings, or wood, or over marshlands, ditches, or catch basins.

Clean work site after completion of job.

Direct or assist other workers in treatment or extermination processes to eliminate or control rodents, insects, or weeds.

Drive truck equipped with power spraying equipment.

Measure area dimensions requiring treatment, using rule, calculate fumigant requirements, and estimate cost for service.

Post warning signs and lock building doors to secure area to be fumigated.

Cut or bore openings in building or surrounding concrete, access infested areas, insert nozzle, and inject pesticide to impregnate ground.

Study preliminary reports or diagrams of infested area and determine treatment type required to eliminate and prevent recurrence of infestation.

More Tasks for Pest Control Workers

Top Skills used in this Job

Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Time Management - Managing one`s own time and the time of others.

Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others` reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

More Skills for Pest Control Workers

Top Abilities (Attributes of the person that influence performance in this job.)

Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.

Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

More Abilities for Pest Control Workers

Top Work Values (Aspects of this job that create satisfaction.)

Independence - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions.

Support - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees.

More Work Values for Pest Control Workers

Top Interests (The types of activities someone in this job would like.)

Realistic - Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Conventional - Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

More Interests for Pest Control Workers

Alternate Titles

Exterminators; Exterminator Helpers; Pest Control Technicians; and Service Technicians.