What does a pest controller do?
Pest controller responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real pest controller resumes:
- Apply exterior chemicals to manage and treat for insect and rodent infestations.
- Compile, update, maintain all MSDS sheets.
- Provide and maintain safe physical conditions for employees assign to spray duties, per OSHA standards.
- Help maintain a safe and clean environment by setting traps and disposing properly of mice, snakes, bees, etc.
- Coordinate with supply personnel, maintenance contractors and customers/users to ensure satisfactory conduct of support.
- Enter data into handheld Juno Trimble GPS unit.
Pest controller skills and personality traits
We calculated that 45% of Pest Controllers are proficient in Pest Control, Pest Management, and Pest Problems. They’re also known for soft skills such as Customer-service skills, Detail oriented, and Physical stamina.
We break down the percentage of Pest Controllers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Pest Control, 45%
Delivered timely and appropriate pest control solutions.
- Pest Management, 12%
USE INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES - to control or eradicate pests infestations in and around facilities, base wide.
- Pest Problems, 10%
Provided evaluation of pest problems for residential and commercial clients.
- Rakes, 8%
Cleaned areas that harbor pests using rakes, brooms, shovels, and mops.
- Shovels, 6%
Prepared treatment site by cleaning the area that harbor pests, using rakes, brooms, shovels, and mops.
- Hand Tools, 6%
Adjusted functional parts of devices or controlled instruments, using hand tools, levels, plumb bobs, or straightedges.
Common skills that a pest controller uses to do their job include "pest control," "pest management," and "pest problems." You can find details on the most important pest controller responsibilities below.
Customer-service skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a pest controller to have is customer-service skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "pest control workers should be friendly and polite when they interact with customers at their homes or businesses." Pest controllers often use customer-service skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "travel to customer accounts and treat for all types pest problems"
Detail oriented. Many pest controller duties rely on detail oriented. "because pest control workers apply potentially toxic chemicals, they must be able to follow instructions precisely to prevent harm to residents, pets, the environment, and themselves.," so a pest controller will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways pest controller responsibilities rely on detail oriented: "provide excellent communication and explanation for pest control methods provided with attention to detail. "
Physical stamina. This is an important skill for pest controllers to perform their duties. For an example of how pest controller responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "pest control workers may spend hours standing, bending, kneeling, or crawling." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a pest controller: "provide and maintain safe physical conditions for employees assigned to spray duties, per osha standards. ".
The three companies that hire the most pest controllers are:
- Sprague Pest Solutions25 pest controllers jobs
- Arrow Exterminators12 pest controllers jobs
- KBR2 pest controllers jobs
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Compare different pest controllers
Pest controller vs. Termite exterminator helper
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, pest controller responsibilities require skills like "pest management," "pest problems," "rakes," and "shovels." Meanwhile a typical termite exterminator helper has skills in areas such as "outbound calls," "drill holes," "customer locations," and "insect." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
On average, termite exterminator helpers reach similar levels of education than pest controllers. Termite exterminator helpers are 3.3% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.5% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Pest controller vs. Termite supervisor
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, pest controller responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "pest management," "pest problems," "rakes," and "shovels." Meanwhile, a termite supervisor has duties that require skills in areas such as "adequate equipment," "computer system," "safety standards," and "inspections etc." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
In general, termite supervisors achieve similar levels of education than pest controllers. They're 3.3% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.5% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Pest controller vs. Renewal technician
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, pest controllers are more likely to have skills like "pest control," "pest management," "pest problems," and "rakes." But a renewal technician is more likely to have skills like "customer service," "computer software," "client data," and "proprietary software."
When it comes to education, renewal technicians tend to earn higher degree levels compared to pest controllers. In fact, they're 5.4% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.5% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Pest controller vs. Exterminator
Types of pest controller
Updated January 8, 2025
