Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation
Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation (SOC 37-3012) earn a median $46,340 a year ($22.28 an hour) in the United States, with 27,050 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Massachusetts.
What pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation do
These workers mix and apply pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides to lawns, trees, shrubs, and crops. A common task is blending chemicals with water to a prescribed formula, filling a sprayer tank, and applying the mix with hoses, nozzles, or portable equipment over assigned areas. Applicators identify the weed, disease, or insect they are dealing with and adjust to wind, droplet size, and obstacles when covering an area. They pick hoses and nozzles to suit the terrain and the pest, start pumps and agitators, and clean and service the machinery. The classification notes that the job usually calls for specific training and certification from the state or federal government. Crop dusters, who spray from aircraft, are counted among commercial pilots, and technicians who treat buildings for pests have a code of their own.
Typical entry: O*NET respondents most often report a high school diploma or equivalent as the usual education level (about 56 percent).
Also called: Agricultural Service Worker, Applicator, Applicator Sprayer, Certified Pesticide Applicator, Chemical Applicator.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $17.10 | $18.83 | $22.28 | $24.63 | $29.53 | $22.63 | 27,050 |
| Annual | $35,570 | $39,160 | $46,340 | $51,240 | $61,420 | $47,070 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | $24.14 | $24.93 | $30.28 | $30.44 | $39.59 | $30.37 | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $50,220 | $51,850 | $62,980 | $63,320 | $82,350 | $63,180 | ||||
| Delaware | Hourly | $23.56 | $23.73 | $26.05 | $26.05 | $26.27 | $24.73 | 40 | 0.08 | 0.43 |
| Annual | $48,990 | $49,360 | $54,190 | $54,190 | $54,650 | $51,440 | ||||
| Oregon | Hourly | $22.41 | $23.09 | $24.80 | $29.45 | $32.79 | $26.80 | 290 | 0.15 | 0.84 |
| Annual | $46,610 | $48,020 | $51,590 | $61,260 | $68,200 | $55,730 | ||||
| Hawaii | Hourly | $15.88 | $18.90 | $24.63 | $26.22 | $29.42 | $23.55 | 60 | 0.10 | 0.57 |
| Annual | $33,030 | $39,310 | $51,240 | $54,540 | $61,180 | $48,990 | ||||
| North Dakota | Hourly | $21.47 | $22.50 | $24.28 | $27.00 | $29.67 | $25.24 | 280 | 0.65 | 3.74 |
| Annual | $44,650 | $46,800 | $50,490 | $56,160 | $61,710 | $52,490 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Florida | Hourly | $16.88 | $18.56 | $21.74 | $22.75 | $26.62 | $21.34 | 4,530 | 0.46 | 2.62 |
| Annual | $35,100 | $38,600 | $45,210 | $47,310 | $55,370 | $44,400 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $18.36 | $18.72 | $21.67 | $25.68 | $31.09 | $23.30 | 2,260 | 0.12 | 0.71 |
| Annual | $38,180 | $38,940 | $45,070 | $53,400 | $64,680 | $48,470 | ||||
| Georgia | Hourly | $15.39 | $17.40 | $18.79 | $22.28 | $24.90 | $19.98 | 1,300 | 0.27 | 1.52 |
| Annual | $32,010 | $36,190 | $39,080 | $46,340 | $51,780 | $41,550 | ||||
| Illinois | Hourly | $18.52 | $20.99 | $23.21 | $24.40 | $28.41 | $23.30 | 1,040 | 0.17 | 0.98 |
| Annual | $38,530 | $43,660 | $48,280 | $50,760 | $59,080 | $48,470 | ||||
| Colorado | Hourly | $20.52 | $21.53 | $22.61 | $29.02 | $31.85 | $25.16 | 960 | 0.33 | 1.92 |
| Annual | $42,670 | $44,780 | $47,020 | $60,370 | $66,250 | $52,340 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | Hourly | $24.32 | $28.40 | $30.28 | $30.44 | $39.59 | $30.86 | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $50,580 | $59,080 | $62,990 | $63,320 | $82,350 | $64,180 | ||||
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | Hourly | $23.59 | $24.80 | $28.15 | $31.56 | $37.16 | $29.50 | 100 | 0.08 | 0.47 |
| Annual | $49,070 | $51,590 | $58,550 | $65,640 | $77,290 | $61,370 | ||||
| Columbus, OH | Hourly | $17.88 | $19.50 | $26.84 | $26.97 | $28.00 | $24.21 | 70 | 0.06 | 0.37 |
| Annual | $37,180 | $40,560 | $55,830 | $56,100 | $58,240 | $50,360 | ||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | $22.02 | $24.46 | $26.22 | $29.53 | $35.18 | $27.65 | 110 | 0.05 | 0.31 |
| Annual | $45,790 | $50,870 | $54,530 | $61,420 | $73,180 | $57,510 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $20.95 | $20.95 | $26.16 | $30.07 | $36.67 | $27.18 | 100 | 0.04 | 0.23 |
| Annual | $43,570 | $43,570 | $54,420 | $62,550 | $76,270 | $56,540 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | Hourly | $17.79 | $19.00 | $22.22 | $22.82 | $28.40 | $22.26 | 870 | 0.31 | 1.78 |
| Annual | $37,000 | $39,530 | $46,210 | $47,470 | $59,080 | $46,300 | ||||
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | Hourly | $16.91 | $18.33 | $19.90 | $22.74 | $25.81 | $20.77 | 440 | 0.31 | 1.76 |
| Annual | $35,180 | $38,130 | $41,390 | $47,290 | $53,680 | $43,200 | ||||
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | Hourly | $21.92 | $21.92 | $24.11 | $31.85 | $33.80 | $26.39 | 430 | 0.27 | 1.52 |
| Annual | $45,590 | $45,590 | $50,150 | $66,250 | $70,310 | $54,890 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $18.42 | $18.42 | $23.14 | $32.24 | $43.36 | $26.73 | 430 | 0.07 | 0.40 |
| Annual | $38,320 | $38,320 | $48,140 | $67,060 | $90,190 | $55,610 | ||||
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | Hourly | $21.02 | $22.85 | $24.63 | $25.46 | $28.48 | $24.55 | 330 | 0.29 | 1.69 |
| Annual | $43,720 | $47,530 | $51,220 | $52,960 | $59,230 | $51,050 | ||||
Top industries employing pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation
Services to Buildings and Dwellings employ 56.9% of pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation nationally (15,400 jobs) at a median $45,780 a year ($22.01 an hour), followed by Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4241, 4247, and 4249 only) (16.7%) and Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) (7.6%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Services to Buildings and Dwellings NAICS 561700 | 15,400 | 56.9% | $45,780 | $22.01 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4241, 4247, and 4249 only) NAICS 4240A3 | 4,520 | 16.7% | $48,460 | $23.30 |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999300 | 2,050 | 7.6% | $46,920 | $22.56 |
| Support Activities for Crop Production NAICS 115100 | 2,020 | 7.5% | $41,450 | $19.93 |
| Other Amusement and Recreation Industries NAICS 713900 | 520 | 1.9% | $45,150 | $21.71 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (27,050). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $38,270 for pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation in May 2021 and $46,340 in May 2025, with employment of 25,820 and 27,050.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $38,270 | $18.40 | 25,820 |
| May 2022 | $41,440 | $19.93 | 22,740 |
| May 2023 | $44,070 | $21.19 | 23,520 |
| May 2024 | $45,200 | $21.73 | 25,200 |
| May 2025 | $46,340 | $22.28 | 27,050 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
44 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts profile | $30.28 | $62,980 | $50,220 | $82,350 | ** | ** | ** |
| 2 | Delaware profile | $26.05 | $54,190 | $48,990 | $54,650 | 40 | 0.08 | 0.43 |
| 3 | Oregon profile | $24.80 | $51,590 | $46,610 | $68,200 | 290 | 0.15 | 0.84 |
| 4 | Hawaii profile | $24.63 | $51,240 | $33,030 | $61,180 | 60 | 0.10 | 0.57 |
| 5 | North Dakota profile | $24.28 | $50,490 | $44,650 | $61,710 | 280 | 0.65 | 3.74 |
| 6 | Ohio profile | $24.07 | $50,060 | $37,180 | $60,580 | 490 | 0.09 | 0.51 |
| 7 | Wyoming profile | $23.65 | $49,190 | $35,870 | $57,420 | 120 | 0.41 | 2.38 |
| 8 | Kansas profile | $23.60 | $49,090 | $38,290 | $62,250 | 520 | 0.36 | 2.06 |
| 9 | Minnesota profile | $23.57 | $49,030 | $38,110 | $59,470 | 950 | 0.32 | 1.86 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania profile | $23.50 | $48,870 | $40,280 | $57,610 | 360 | 0.06 | 0.34 |
| 11 | Arizona profile | $23.38 | $48,630 | $42,890 | $58,980 | 210 | 0.06 | 0.37 |
| 12 | Virginia profile | $23.37 | $48,610 | $29,770 | $60,790 | 240 | 0.06 | 0.33 |
| 13 | Indiana profile | $23.32 | $48,500 | $40,240 | $58,690 | 950 | 0.30 | 1.71 |
| 14 | New York profile | $23.26 | $48,380 | $45,760 | $64,330 | 220 | 0.02 | 0.13 |
| 15 | Rhode Island profile | $23.25 | $48,360 | $39,990 | $82,070 | 100 | 0.21 | 1.19 |
| 16 | Illinois profile | $23.21 | $48,280 | $38,530 | $59,080 | 1,040 | 0.17 | 0.98 |
| 17 | North Carolina profile | $23.19 | $48,240 | $37,330 | $55,270 | 360 | 0.07 | 0.42 |
| 18 | Nevada profile | $23.09 | $48,030 | $40,550 | $76,800 | 100 | 0.06 | 0.37 |
| 19 | Idaho profile | $22.90 | $47,630 | $39,170 | $59,550 | 610 | 0.71 | 4.09 |
| 20 | Nebraska profile | $22.84 | $47,500 | $37,230 | $56,350 | 380 | 0.37 | 2.15 |
| 21 | Washington profile | $22.77 | $47,360 | $40,870 | $65,640 | 470 | 0.13 | 0.77 |
| 22 | Tennessee profile | $22.76 | $47,340 | $44,160 | $56,150 | ** | ** | ** |
| 23 | Colorado profile | $22.61 | $47,020 | $42,670 | $66,250 | 960 | 0.33 | 1.92 |
| 24 | Iowa profile | $22.47 | $46,740 | $37,910 | $55,400 | 600 | 0.39 | 2.23 |
| 25 | South Dakota profile | $22.27 | $46,320 | $36,550 | $55,760 | 460 | 1.00 | 5.75 |
| 26 | Wisconsin profile | $22.21 | $46,190 | $39,480 | $61,590 | 540 | 0.18 | 1.05 |
| 27 | Utah profile | $21.84 | $45,430 | $37,880 | $61,680 | 360 | 0.21 | 1.20 |
| 28 | Florida profile | $21.74 | $45,210 | $35,100 | $55,370 | 4,530 | 0.46 | 2.62 |
| 29 | California profile | $21.67 | $45,070 | $38,180 | $64,680 | 2,260 | 0.12 | 0.71 |
| 30 | Missouri profile | $21.63 | $44,990 | $36,500 | $56,210 | 450 | 0.15 | 0.87 |
| 31 | Michigan profile | $21.37 | $44,460 | $34,940 | $54,540 | 860 | 0.20 | 1.12 |
| 32 | Maryland profile | $21.36 | $44,440 | $38,910 | $56,530 | ** | ** | ** |
| 33 | New Jersey profile | $21.31 | $44,330 | $35,360 | $53,300 | 320 | 0.07 | 0.42 |
| 34 | Alabama profile | $20.88 | $43,440 | $36,860 | $50,200 | 320 | 0.15 | 0.88 |
| 35 | Maine profile | $19.33 | $40,200 | $37,440 | $51,810 | 60 | 0.10 | 0.57 |
| 36 | Kentucky profile | $18.94 | $39,380 | $34,320 | $49,830 | 290 | 0.15 | 0.84 |
| 37 | Georgia profile | $18.79 | $39,080 | $32,010 | $51,780 | 1,300 | 0.27 | 1.52 |
| 38 | New Mexico profile | $18.62 | $38,740 | $29,880 | $49,290 | 120 | 0.14 | 0.79 |
| 39 | South Carolina profile | $18.32 | $38,100 | $31,000 | $50,790 | 610 | 0.27 | 1.53 |
| 40 | Arkansas profile | $18.20 | $37,860 | $32,010 | $51,290 | 490 | 0.38 | 2.17 |
| 41 | Montana profile | $18.15 | $37,760 | $31,600 | $51,700 | 630 | 1.23 | 7.08 |
| 42 | Oklahoma profile | $17.73 | $36,870 | $29,680 | $48,090 | 370 | 0.22 | 1.24 |
| 43 | Mississippi profile | $17.20 | $35,770 | $24,200 | $61,720 | 650 | 0.56 | 3.23 |
| 44 | Louisiana profile | $12.61 | $26,220 | $23,990 | $48,700 | 220 | 0.12 | 0.66 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (37-3010), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 37-3012 Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 37-3012, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 37-3012.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.