Pest Control Technician Salaries By State And City 2023

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The median salary for technicians with up to two years of experience is up in 49 of 50 states, compared to 2022 figures and according to research by Payscale.com.

Oklahoma experienced the largest state increase for technicians in the 50th percentile of salary, an annual pay boost of 4.99% to $35,800. That's an hourly raise of 82 cents, from $16.39 to $17.21.

As for increases among select cities, no love for pest technicians was greater than in Philadelphia, PA. The median technician salary rose 6.54% to $39,100. That's an hourly gain of $1.16, from $17.64 to $18.80.

California ranks as the top state with a median salary of $42,300 in the Payscale research that is dated Jan. 1, 2023.

Nationally, the median salary checks in at $37,800. By comparison, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a median salary of $37,540 for pest control workers, regardless of experience, in May 2021. The National Pest Management Association (NPMA) reported median earnings of $38,000 in its Compensation and Benefits Survey researched in fall 2021.

The Payscale data is for base salaries only and does not include commissions, bonuses, or benefit costs such as health care or 401(k) contribution matches.

And that’s where businesses have to show their employees they care, says Trevor Jones, the general manager of Admiral Pest Control in southern California.

Admiral Pest Control, a business based in Los Angeles County in California and founded by Jones' great-grandfather in 1947, offers annual raises and bonuses. But its compensation structure includes hourly pay and commission, so when prices rise, Jones says, technicians' take-home pay rises, too.

Work-life balance and the people they work with are important, too. And it's not always about earning the "tip-top pay," he says, but incentives.

"We buy a little bit nicer trucks," Jones says. "We try to get trucks that have CarPlay, so the guys can plug their phones in, see the navigation. They have nice equipment, newer vehicles. Nice uniforms. When it starts raining or gets cold, we order jackets for everybody. Things like that. Get them electric backpack sprayers. All those little things that just make their day a little bit easier and show that you care."

That can limit the amount of hiring required for a business owner during a time when finding employees has been more challenging.

“The last two years, every technician hire I've made has been an employee referral,” Jones says. “If you take care of them, they'll tell their friends.”

During economic times that have proven challenging, Jones says, Admiral Pest Control has tried to treat employees as family.

"Explaining to them, ‘Hey, look guys, it's a little bit slower, we’re going to do this and that to try to get through this rough patch or these slow times,’" Jones says. "During COVID, we got a PPP (Paycheck Protection Program) loan like everybody else, and we were padding all of their paychecks to make sure they were making the same wages they were making the year prior.

"Trying to, I guess, just be a good human. I don't know how to say it any other way."

On a citywide basis, San Francisco leads the list – one from each state was selected by Payscale.com – at $44,500.

And that brings us to a key disclaimer involving any comparisons of states or cities. "Location, location, location," an often-used term in real estate, must be factored in first.

And here's an example of why. Jackson, MS, ranks as the city with the lowest median salary, $34,200. But according to the Cost of Living Calculator at BestPlaces.net, living in top-ranked San Francisco costs three times more than in Jackson. And speaking of real estate, the site shows a median home cost of $92,400 in Jackson but $1.2 million in San Francisco.

“That’s way higher than we are,” says Jones, whose best technicians can take home well above the California average that Payscale found. “California is a big state, so there are sections of the state that are much cheaper to live in than the one we’re in. $40,000 is low for where we are.”

Wage increases for any U.S. workers also must be tempered against inflation. The Consumer Price Index, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, rose 0.4% in February, the most recent month available, and climbed 6.0% over the previous 12 months.

The database from Payscale.com, which works with human resources and compensation specialists in an effort to modernize compensation and salary benchmarking through technology, was developed based on more than 2,000 commercially available, reputable compensation surveys. Each survey complies with generally accepted principles and practices of WorldatWork and U.S. Department of Justice compensation survey standards. The database covers all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The key findings from Payscale.com:

Notable Findings

• State with the highest salary, 90th percentile: California, $49,400.

• State with the lowest salary, 10th percentile: West Virginia, $29,800.

• Eight cities in 50 states and the District of Columbia reported median salary decreases for 2023 compared to 2022.

2023 Pest Control Technician Salaries

For 0-2 years of experience

Median Salaries (50th Percentile), States

Top Five

California, $42,300 ($20.34 per hour)

Connecticut, $40,400 ($19.42)

New Jersey, $40,400 ($19.42)

Washington, $40,400 ($19.42)

Massachusetts, $40,100 ($19.28)

Bottom Five

West Virginia, $33,600 ($16.15)

Wyoming, $33,800 ($16.25)

Arkansas, $34,000 ($16.35)

Mississippi, $34,600 ($16.63)

Idaho, $34,600 ($16.63)

Year-Over-Year Increases (50th Percentile), States

Top Five

Oklahoma, 4.99% ($34,100 annual in 2022 to $35,800 in 2023; $16.39 per hour to $17.21)

Arkansas, 4.94% ($32,400 to $34,000; $15.58 to $16.35)

Michigan, 4.93% ($34,500 to $36,200; $16.59 to $17.40)

Mississippi, 4.85% ($33,000 to $34,600; $15.87 to $16.63)

New York, 4.84% ($37,200 to $39,000; $17.88 to $18.75)

Bottom Five

Alaska, -0.74% ($40,300 to $40,000; $19.38 to $19.23)

Delaware, 0.27% ($36,700 to $36,800; $17.64 to $17.69)

Vermont, 0.28% ($35,200 to $35,300; $16.92 to $16.97)

Maryland, 1.08% ($37,100 to $37,500; $17.84 to $18.03)

Iowa, 1.16% ($34,500 to $34,900; $16.59 to $16.78)

Median Salaries (50th Percentile), Cities

Top Five

San Francisco, CA, $44,500 ($21.39 hourly)

New York, NY, $42,300 ($20.34)

Anchorage, AK, $41,400 ($19.90)

Bridgeport, CT, $41,200 ($19.81)

Honolulu, HI, $41,000 ($19.71)

Bottom Five

Jackson, MS, $34,200 ($16.44)

Wichita, KS, $34,700 ($16.88)

Little Rock, AR, $34,800 ($16.73)

Birmingham, AL, $35,100 ($16.88)

Virginia Beach, VA, $35,300 ($16.97)

Year-Over-Year Increases (50th Percentile), Cities

Top Five

Philadelphia, PA, 6.54% ($36,700 annual in 2022 to $39,100 in 2023; $17.64 hourly to $18,80)

Kansas City, MO, 5.57% ($35,900 to $37,900; $17.26 to $18.22)

Baltimore, MD, 4.03% ($37,200 to $38,700; $17.88 to $18.61)

Charlotte, NC, 3.91% ($35,800 to $37,200; $17.21 to $17.88)

Columbus, OH, 3.37% ($35,600 to $36,800; $17.12 to $17.69)

Bottom Five

Wichita, KS, -1.98% ($35,400 to $34,700; $17.02 to $16.68)

Jackson, MS, -1.72% ($34,800 to $34,200; $16.73 to $16.44)

Billings, MT, -1.11% ($35,900 to $35,500; $17.26 to $17.07)

Atlanta, GA, -1.05% ($38,000 to $37,600; $18.27 to $18.08)

Washington, DC, -0.74% ($40,700 to $40,400; $19.57 to $19.42)

How FieldRoutes Can Pay Off For You

Base salaries, commissions, incentives, and cost-of-living calculations are all important when it comes to compensating your pest control technicians.

FieldRoutes also assists businesses in making life easier for your technicians. Whether it's optimized routing that reduces a technician's windshield time or Tech Tipping that can put extra money in their pockets, FieldRoutes wants your employees to be happy and productive.

And there are other ways we are invested in your business’ success. FieldRoutes is a Gold Suppliers Club member of the National Pest Management Association’s Workforce Development Program, which promotes careers in professional pest control. The program offers job postings to NPMA members and an online toolkit of resources, including sample job descriptions, customizable recruitment brochures, and more to help pest control companies attract and retain talented employees.

Schedule a demo to see how FieldRoutes can help your technicians and empower your business' growth so you achieve your ultimate success.