Pest control applicators apply or release chemical solutions or toxic gases and set traps to kill or remove pests and vermin, such as mice, termites and roaches, that infest buildings and surrounding areas. This report looks at what is required to run one’s own pest control business only.
All 50 states and D.C. license pest control applicators. On average, these laws cost aspiring pest control applicators $260 in fees and 274 days in education and experience and require them to pass about two exams—the 50th most burdensome requirements of the 102 occupations studied. However, because pest control applicators are licensed everywhere, the occupation ranks as the seventh most widely and onerously licensed.
License requirements vary widely. For example, while Louisiana requires four years (1,460 days) of education and another 11 states require two or more years of education or experience, 22 states require no education or experience. Similarly, while Arizona, Maine, New Hampshire and New York require four exams, six states require only one. Fees also vary greatly, from $0 in Mississippi to $2,200 in New York.
Burden Rank | State | States Licensed | Fees | Estimated Calendar Days Lost | Education | Experience | Exams | Minimum Grade | Minimum Age |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Louisiana | 51 | $210 | 1460 | 4 years | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
2 | California | 51 | $716 | 742 | 16 clock hours | 40 clock hours and 2 years | 2 | 0 | 18 |
3 | Hawaii | 51 | $355 | 730 | 2 years | 3 | 0 | 18 | |
4 | North Carolina | 51 | $318 | 731 | 8 clock hours | 2 years | 3 | 0 | 18 |
5 | Massachusetts | 51 | $450 | 730 | 2 years | 2 | 0 | 18 | |
6 | South Carolina | 51 | $300 | 730 | 2 years | 2 | 0 | 18 | |
7 | Tennessee | 51 | $175 | 730 | 2 years | 2 | 0 | 18 | |
8 | Missouri | 51 | $150 | 730 | 2 years | 2 | 0 | 18 | |
9 | Colorado | 51 | $513 | 728 | 24 months | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
10 | Minnesota | 51 | $400 | 730 | 2 years | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
11 | Kentucky | 51 | $95 | 730 | 2 years | 1 | 0 | 18 | |
12 | Delaware | 51 | $55 | 730 | 2 years | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
13 | Florida | 51 | $760 | 533 | 24 credit hours | 1 years | 1 | 12 | 18 |
14 | New York | 51 | $2,200 | 375 | 42 clock hours | 1 years | 4 | 0 | 17 |
15 | Arizona | 51 | $645 | 449 | 12 credit hours | 1 years | 4 | 0 | 18 |
16 | Arkansas | 51 | $350 | 365 | 1 years | 2 | 0 | 18 | |
17 | Texas | 51 | $678 | 379 | 28 clock hours | 1 years and 40 clock hours | 2 | 0 | 0 |
18 | Maryland | 51 | $225 | 365 | 1 years | 2 | 0 | 18 | |
19 | Virginia | 51 | $120 | 365 | 1 years | 2 | 0 | 18 | |
20 | Nevada | 51 | $450 | 294 | 16 credit hours | 6 months | 3 | 0 | 18 |
21 | D C | 51 | $135 | 365 | 1 years | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
22 | West Virginia | 51 | $90 | 365 | 1 years | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
23 | Alabama | 51 | $295 | 365 | 1 years | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
24 | Illinois | 51 | $325 | 112 | 16 credit hours | 2 | 12 | 0 | |
25 | Mississippi | 51 | $0 | 105 | 15 credit hours | 2 | 0 | 18 | |
26 | New Hampshire | 51 | $40 | 1 | 8 clock hours | 4 | 0 | 18 | |
27 | Connecticut | 51 | $400 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 18 | ||
28 | Maine | 51 | $280 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | ||
29 | New Jersey | 51 | $230 | 10 | 4 clock hours | 40 clock hours | 2 | 0 | 18 |
30 | Oregon | 51 | $206 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 18 | ||
31 | Pennsylvania | 51 | $135 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 18 | ||
32 | Kansas | 51 | $90 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 18 | ||
33 | Michigan | 51 | $75 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 18 | ||
34 | North Dakota | 51 | $65 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 18 | ||
35 | Utah | 51 | $140 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 16 | ||
36 | Rhode Island | 51 | $45 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 18 | ||
37 | New Mexico | 51 | $185 | 28 | 4 credit hours | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
38 | Alaska | 51 | $25 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 18 | ||
39 | Nebraska | 51 | $90 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 16 | ||
40 | Wyoming | 51 | $25 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 16 | ||
41 | Oklahoma | 51 | $150 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | ||
42 | Wisconsin | 51 | $152 | 1 | 1 days | 1 | 0 | 16 | |
43 | Idaho | 51 | $70 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 18 | ||
44 | Washington | 51 | $240 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
45 | Georgia | 51 | $185 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
46 | Vermont | 51 | $105 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
47 | Indiana | 51 | $90 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
48 | Iowa | 51 | $75 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
49 | Ohio | 51 | $70 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
50 | Montana | 51 | $55 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
51 | South Dakota | 51 | $25 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |