Occupation Profile

Pesticide Sprayers and Applicators, Vegetation

(SOC Code : 37-3012)

in California

Mix or apply pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, or insecticides through sprays, dusts, vapors, soil incorporation or chemical application on trees, shrubs, lawns, or botanical crops. Usually requires specific training and State or Federal certification. Exclude "Commercial Pilots" (53-2012) who operate aviation equipment to dust or spray crops.

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) .

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Occupational Wages

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Area	Year	Period	Hourly Mean	Hourly by Percentile
				25th	Median	75th
California	2012	1st Qtr	$17.17	$12.86	$15.10	$21.13

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

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Area	Estimated Year-Projected Year	Employment		Employment Change		Annual Avg Openings
		Estimated	Projected	Number	Percent
California	2010 - 2020	3,600	4,300	700	19.4	130

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Job Openings from JobCentral National Labor Exchange

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Possible Licenses Required and Issuing Authority

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License Title

License Authority

Hydroseed Spraying Limited Specialty Contractor

Department of Consumer Affairs
Contractors State License Board
License Information Center
www.cslb.ca.gov

About Licenses

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

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Industry Title

Number of Employers in State of California

Percent of Total
Employment for Occupation in State of California

About Staffing Patterns

Training Programs (click on title for more information)

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Program Title

Landscaping and Groundskeeping

Plant Nursery Operations and Management

Turf and Turfgrass Management

About Training & Apprenticeships

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

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

Fill sprayer tanks with water and chemicals, according to formulas.

Mix pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides for application to trees, shrubs, lawns, or botanical crops.

Cover areas to specified depths with pesticides, applying knowledge of weather conditions, droplet sizes, elevation-to-distance ratios, and obstructions.

Lift, push, and swing nozzles, hoses, and tubes to direct spray over designated areas.

Start motors and engage machinery, such as sprayer agitators or pumps or portable spray equipment.

Connect hoses and nozzles selected according to terrain, distribution pattern requirements, types of infestations, and velocities.

Clean or service machinery to ensure operating efficiency, using water, gasoline, lubricants, or hand tools.

Provide driving instructions to truck drivers to ensure complete coverage of designated areas, using hand and horn signals.

Plant grass with seed spreaders and operate straw blowers to cover seeded areas with mixtures of asphalt and straw.

More Tasks for Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation

Top Skills used in this Job

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.

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

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

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

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

Operation and Control - Controlling operations of equipment or systems.

Operation Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

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

Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.

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

More Skills for Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation

Data for Tasks not available.

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

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

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

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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 Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation