How to start a hauling business

To start a hauling business, you need to consider the costs, get the proper insurance, and determine your services. For details on each of these steps and others you can take to start a hauling business, use this guide:

How To Become A Pest Control Technician: What It Is and Career Path

Q: What are the pros and cons of being a pest control technician?

The pros of being a pest control technician include job security, working with little to no supervision, and decent pay, while the cons are susceptibility to the elements, working in small cramped spaces, and dealing with job hazards such as snakes, spiders, wild animals, and dangerous chemicals.

What is a pest control technician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

A pest control technician specializes in eliminating pests from homes, businesses, and other areas. They may use traps, baits, and pesticides to remove rodents, insects, and more. These technicians also provide preventative measures to avoid future infestations. They assess and develop custom plans with their clients to best handle pest infestation problems. Pest control technicians educate their clients on how to avoid attracting pests and promote a consistently healthy living environment.

ScorePest Control TechnicianUS Average

Salary

2.9

Avg. Salary $37,340

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.8

Growth rate 7%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.90%

Asian 2.08%

Black or African American 12.55%

Hispanic or Latino 17.76%

Unknown 4.82%

White 61.88%

Gender

female 6.70%

male 93.30%

Age - 38

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 38

Stress level

6.8

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.6

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.3

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a pest control technician?

Pros

Job security, competitive pay, and benefits due to consistent demand for pest control services
Opportunities for advancement within the company
Opportunity to work with and learn about different pests and their behaviors
Satisfaction of helping people solve their pest problems
Opportunity to work flexible hours or overtime

Cons

Exposure to potentially hazardous chemicals and materials
Physically demanding work that can involve crawling, climbing, and lifting heavy equipment
Risk of bites or stings from pests or wildlife
Potentially unpleasant working conditions, such as dirty or confined spaces
Potential for seasonal fluctuations in workload and income

Key steps to become a pest control technician

Explore pest control technician education requirements

Most common pest control technician degrees

High School Diploma

45.2 %

Bachelor's

19.8 %

Associate

19.7 %

Start to develop specific pest control technician skills

Skills	Percentages
Safety Procedures	16.36%
Work Ethic	15.32%
Basic Math	15.03%
Crawl Spaces	14.23%
Pest Management	5.17%

Complete relevant pest control technician training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New pest control technicians learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a pest control technician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real pest control technician resumes.

Gain additional pest control technician certifications

Pest control technician certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific pest control technician certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for pest control technicians include Commercial Driver License (CDL) and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT).

More About Certifications

Research pest control technician duties and responsibilities

Apply exterior chemicals to manage and treat for insect and rodent infestations.
Clean areas that harbor pests using rakes, brooms, shovels, and mops.
Follow all OSHA safety guidelines while performing work on rooftops, ladders, and man lifts.
Used simple and power tools, compress air sprayer, power sprayer, ladders and pest control specific equipment.

Prepare your pest control technician resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your pest control technician resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a pest control technician resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable pest control technician resume templates

Build a professional pest control technician resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your pest control technician resume.