Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Pesticide Applicator

Find Schools Near

What Does it Take to Be a Pesticide Applicator?

Pesticide Applicator Definition 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.

Pesticide Applicator Responsibilities

  • Provide driving instructions to truck drivers to ensure complete coverage of designated areas, using hand and horn signals.
  • Lift, push, and swing nozzles, hoses, and tubes to direct spray over designated areas.
  • Mix pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides for application to trees, shrubs, lawns, or botanical crops.
  • Clean or service machinery to ensure operating efficiency, using water, gasoline, lubricants, or hand tools.
  • Connect hoses and nozzles selected according to terrain, distribution pattern requirements, types of infestations, and velocities.
  • Plant grass with seed spreaders and operate straw blowers to cover seeded areas with mixtures of asphalt and straw.

Pesticide Applicator Needed Skills

When polled, Pesticide Applicators say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:

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.

Time Management: Managing one’s own time and the time of others.

Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.

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

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

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

  • Weed Inspector
  • Knapsack Sprayer
  • Hand Sprayer
  • Pesticide Applicator
  • Pest Technician

Is There Job Demand for Pesticide Applicators?

In the United States, there were 38,000 jobs for Pesticide Applicator in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 7.9% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 3,000 new jobs for Pesticide Applicator by 2026. There will be an estimated 5,000 positions for Pesticide Applicator per year.

undefined

The states with the most job growth for Pesticide Applicator are Nevada, Washington, and Tennessee. Watch out if you plan on working in Ohio, Illinois, or Alaska. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

Pesticide Applicator Salary

The average yearly salary of a Pesticide Applicator ranges between $23,890 and $56,370.

undefined

Pesticide Applicators who work in Vermont, Hawaii, or Oregon, make the highest salaries.

How much do Pesticide Applicators make in different U.S. states?

State Annual Mean Salary
Alabama $33,140
Arizona $38,580
Arkansas $29,520
California $50,560
Colorado $38,600
Connecticut $40,240
Delaware $33,640
Florida $31,790
Georgia $36,960
Hawaii $40,900
Illinois $39,930
Indiana $41,180
Iowa $36,670
Kansas $34,680
Kentucky $31,790
Louisiana $29,700
Maryland $40,560
Massachusetts $33,230
Michigan $32,600
Minnesota $39,220
Mississippi $28,950
Missouri $38,510
Montana $34,450
Nebraska $34,880
Nevada $31,960
New Hampshire $38,840
New Jersey $36,970
New Mexico $34,930
New York $42,530
North Carolina $37,470
North Dakota $43,820
Ohio $34,600
Oklahoma $37,220
Oregon $51,040
Pennsylvania $37,480
South Carolina $34,930
South Dakota $33,360
Tennessee $35,070
Texas $35,650
Utah $34,940
Vermont $54,520
Virginia $35,790
Washington $37,920
West Virginia $35,170
Wisconsin $35,080
Wyoming $38,500

Tools & Technologies Used by Pesticide Applicators

Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Pesticide Applicators may use on a daily basis:

Becoming a Pesticide Applicator

What kind of Pesticide Applicator requirements are there?

undefined

How many years of work experience do I need?

undefined

Who Employs Pesticide Applicators?

undefined

Below are examples of industries where Pesticide Applicators work:

undefined

You May Also Be Interested In…

Those interested in being a Pesticide Applicator may also be interested in:

References:

Image Credit: {} via Creative Commons CC0

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Featured Schools

Find Schools Near You

Our free school finder matches students with accredited colleges across the U.S.