Pest Control Workers
Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance · SOC 37-2021
AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.
Decision card
Career Evidence Passport
SOC 37-2021 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.
- SOC exposure
- 4.6%
- Medium · Anthropic AEI
- Automation friction
- 47/100
- Moderate friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
- Wages
- $45,250
- No H-1B offered-wage row for this SOC.
- Projected openings
- 12,600
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change +4.9%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- —
- FY— certified LCAs; 18,833 postings in 2025.
Skill evidence
- H-1B values are certified Labor Condition Applications, not visa approvals.
- Job postings are seed-static / seed-derived; treat as provider-ready proxy coverage until observed provider data is wired in.
- Transition matches are directional skill-overlap context, not placement guarantees.
- This release is a FutureGrid broad-SOC seed derived from public BLS ORS requirement concepts and categories, not direct occupation-level ORS survey estimates. It describes job requirements, not worker ability, AI capability, or displacement probability. Automation friction is a FutureGrid derived score and should be read alongside exposure, demand, wage, and projection signals.
Best transitions from here
Explore all pathways→Lower AI-exposure roles that reuse your skills, ranked by a transition score (skills that transfer, safety gain, pay and retraining effort).
AI Exposure Analysis
Across AI measures
Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.
AI could do ~25% of this role but only ~4.6% is currently done with AI — a large capability-vs-adoption gap.
Top Skills
H-1B Visa Sponsorship Demand
View full H-1B trends →No H-1B certified LCA filings recorded for this occupation in FY2016–FY2025.
O*NET occupation profile
What this work involves
Apply or release chemical solutions or toxic gases and set traps to kill or remove pests and vermin that infest buildings and surrounding areas.
Common titles: Certified Pest Control Technician, Commercial Pest Control Technician, Exterminator, Pest Control Applicator, Pest Control Chemical Technician, Pest Control Operator
Representative Tasks
- •Record work activities performed.
- •Inspect premises to identify infestation source and extent of damage to property, wall, or roof porosity and access to infested locations.
- •Recommend treatment and prevention methods for pest problems to clients.
- •Spray or dust chemical solutions, powders, or gases into rooms, onto clothing, furnishings, or wood, or over marshlands, ditches, or catch basins.
- •Clean work site after completion of job.
Detailed Work Activities
- •Document work hours or activities.
- •Inspect buildings or grounds to determine condition.
- •Recommend products or services to customers.
- •Block physical access to restricted areas.
- •Notify others of emergencies, problems, or hazards.
Tools & Technologies
Employment Projections & AI Exposure
Employment & Wage Trend
BLS OEWS, 2019–2025
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). See /sources.
Sector Comparison
| Metric | This Career | Sector Average |
|---|---|---|
| AI Exposure | 4.6% | 0.6% |
| Outlook | Bright ↗ | 100% Bright |
| Median Salary | $45,250 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 95/100 | N/A |