Vegetation pesticide applicators mix or apply pesticides, herbicides, fungicides or insecticides through sprays, dusts, vapors, soil incorporation or chemical application on trees, shrubs, lawns or botanical crops. This report looks at what is required to run one’s own vegetation pesticide business only.
All 50 states and D.C. license vegetation pesticide applicators. On average, these laws require $259 in fees, 134 days of education and experience, and three exams—the 63rd most burdensome requirements of the 102 occupations studied here. However, because vegetation pesticide applicators are licensed everywhere, the occupation ranks as the 10th most widely and onerously licensed.
License requirements vary across states. For example, while 31 states require no education or experience, four states—Delaware, Hawaii, Massachusetts and Tennessee—require two years (730 days) of experience. Maine, New Hampshire and New York require between six and eight exams, while Alabama and Florida require only one each. Fees also vary greatly, from $0 in Mississippi to $3,000 in New York.
Burden Rank | State | States Licensed | Fees | Estimated Calendar Days Lost | Education | Experience | Exams | Minimum Grade | Minimum Age |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Hawaii | 51 | $355 | 730 | 2 years | 3 | 0 | 18 | |
2 | Tennessee | 51 | $325 | 730 | 2 years | 3 | 0 | 18 | |
3 | Massachusetts | 51 | $450 | 730 | 2 years | 2 | 0 | 18 | |
4 | Delaware | 51 | $55 | 730 | 2 years | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
5 | Florida | 51 | $760 | 533 | 24 credit hours | 1 years | 1 | 12 | 18 |
6 | New York | 51 | $3,000 | 380 | 66 clock hours | 1 years | 8 | 0 | 17 |
7 | Arizona | 51 | $645 | 449 | 12 credit hours | 1 years | 4 | 0 | 18 |
8 | Maryland | 51 | $75 | 365 | 1 years | 4 | 0 | 18 | |
9 | Virginia | 51 | $120 | 365 | 1 years | 3 | 0 | 18 | |
10 | Texas | 51 | $678 | 379 | 28 clock hours | 1 years and 40 clock hours | 2 | 0 | 0 |
11 | West Virginia | 51 | $90 | 365 | 1 years | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
12 | D C | 51 | $135 | 365 | 1 years | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
13 | Nevada | 51 | $450 | 294 | 16 credit hours | 6 months | 3 | 0 | 18 |
14 | Mississippi | 51 | $0 | 210 | 30 credit hours | 3 | 0 | 18 | |
15 | Colorado | 51 | $576 | 121 | 4 months | 4 | 0 | 0 | |
16 | New Jersey | 51 | $230 | 29 | 4 clock hours | 120 clock hours | 4 | 0 | 18 |
17 | New Hampshire | 51 | $45 | 4 | 24 clock hours | 6 | 0 | 18 | |
18 | Arkansas | 51 | $700 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 18 | ||
19 | Wyoming | 51 | $25 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 16 | ||
20 | Kansas | 51 | $180 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 18 | ||
21 | Pennsylvania | 51 | $155 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 18 | ||
22 | New Mexico | 51 | $240 | 28 | 4 credit hours | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
23 | Connecticut | 51 | $400 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 18 | ||
24 | Maine | 51 | $195 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | ||
25 | Oregon | 51 | $264 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 18 | ||
26 | Idaho | 51 | $90 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 18 | ||
27 | Michigan | 51 | $75 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 18 | ||
28 | North Dakota | 51 | $65 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 18 | ||
29 | Wisconsin | 51 | $199 | 2 | 2 days | 2 | 0 | 16 | |
30 | Ohio | 51 | $70 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | ||
31 | Missouri | 51 | $150 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 18 | ||
32 | North Carolina | 51 | $145 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 18 | ||
33 | South Carolina | 51 | $100 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 18 | ||
34 | Louisiana | 51 | $45 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 18 | ||
34 | Rhode Island | 51 | $45 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 18 | ||
36 | Utah | 51 | $140 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 16 | ||
37 | Alaska | 51 | $25 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 18 | ||
38 | Nebraska | 51 | $90 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 16 | ||
39 | Oklahoma | 51 | $200 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | ||
40 | Illinois | 51 | $60 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | ||
41 | Kentucky | 51 | $55 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | ||
42 | Indiana | 51 | $90 | 3 | 16 clock hours | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
43 | Vermont | 51 | $105 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | ||
44 | Iowa | 51 | $75 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | ||
45 | California | 51 | $340 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
46 | Washington | 51 | $240 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
47 | Georgia | 51 | $190 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
48 | Minnesota | 51 | $75 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
49 | Montana | 51 | $55 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
50 | South Dakota | 51 | $25 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
51 | Alabama | 51 | $295 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |