Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation
Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance · SOC 37-3012
AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.
Decision card
Career Evidence Passport
SOC 37-3012 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.
- SOC exposure
- 0.0%
- Low · Anthropic AEI
- Automation friction
- 47/100
- Moderate friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
- Wages
- $46,340
- No H-1B offered-wage row for this SOC.
- Projected openings
- 5,000
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change +3.8%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- —
- FY— certified LCAs; 6,526 postings in 2025.
Skill evidence
Transition context
- 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.
AI Exposure Analysis
Across AI measures
Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.
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
Mix or apply pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, or insecticides through sprays, dusts, vapors, soil incorporation, or chemical application on trees, shrubs, lawns, or crops. Usually requires specific training and state or federal certification.
Common titles: Chemical Applicator, Integrated Pest Management Technician (IPM Technician), Lawn Specialist, Lawn Technician, Licensed Pesticide Applicator, Pest Control Technician
Representative Tasks
- •Mix pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides for application to trees, shrubs, lawns, or botanical crops.
- •Fill sprayer tanks with water and chemicals, according to formulas.
- •Lift, push, and swing nozzles, hoses, and tubes to direct spray over designated areas.
- •Identify lawn or plant diseases to determine the appropriate course of treatment.
- •Cover areas to specified depths with pesticides, applying knowledge of weather conditions, droplet sizes, elevation-to-distance ratios, and obstructions.
Detailed Work Activities
- •Prepare chemicals for work application.
- •Treat greenery or surfaces with protective substances.
- •Inspect landscaping to determine treatment needs.
- •Operate grounds maintenance equipment.
- •Clean equipment or supplies.
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 | 0.0% | 0.6% |
| Outlook | Bright ↗ | 100% Bright |
| Median Salary | $46,340 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 100/100 | N/A |