SalariesWhat the occupation covers
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. Crop dusters are included in “Commercial Pilots” (53-2012).
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 37-3012.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $35,570 | $2,964 | $684 | $17.10 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $39,160 | $3,263 | $753 | $18.83 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $46,340 | $3,862 | $891 | $22.28 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $51,240 | $4,270 | $985 | $24.63 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $61,420 | $5,118 | $1,181 | $29.53 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation is $46,340, which is 9% lower. Among the 10 occupations of the field Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance, it ranks number 5 by median pay. With 27,050 jobs, it makes up about 1.7 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation pay by state
The highest median pay was in Massachusetts ($62,980), Delaware ($54,190) and Oregon ($51,590). The lowest was in Louisiana ($26,220), Mississippi ($35,770) and Oklahoma ($36,870). The most jobs were in Florida (4,530), California (2,260) and Georgia (1,300). The occupation is most concentrated in Montana, where its share of all jobs is 7.1 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | not published | $62,980 | $63,180 | $30.28 |
| Delaware | 40 | $54,190 | $51,440 | $26.05 |
| Oregon | 290 | $51,590 | $55,730 | $24.80 |
| Hawaii | 60 | $51,240 | $48,990 | $24.63 |
| North Dakota | 280 | $50,490 | $52,490 | $24.28 |
| Ohio | 490 | $50,060 | $48,820 | $24.07 |
| Wyoming | 120 | $49,190 | $48,510 | $23.65 |
| Kansas | 520 | $49,090 | $49,530 | $23.60 |
| Minnesota | 950 | $49,030 | $49,660 | $23.57 |
| Pennsylvania | 360 | $48,870 | $48,660 | $23.50 |
| Arizona | 210 | $48,630 | $50,130 | $23.38 |
| Virginia | 240 | $48,610 | $48,510 | $23.37 |
| Indiana | 950 | $48,500 | $49,980 | $23.32 |
| New York | 220 | $48,380 | $52,520 | $23.26 |
| Rhode Island | 100 | $48,360 | $51,060 | $23.25 |
| Illinois | 1,040 | $48,280 | $48,470 | $23.21 |
| North Carolina | 360 | $48,240 | $46,680 | $23.19 |
| Nevada | 100 | $48,030 | $54,680 | $23.09 |
| Idaho | 610 | $47,630 | $47,990 | $22.90 |
| Nebraska | 380 | $47,500 | $46,810 | $22.84 |
| Washington | 470 | $47,360 | $50,220 | $22.77 |
| Tennessee | not published | $47,340 | $48,740 | $22.76 |
| Colorado | 960 | $47,020 | $52,340 | $22.61 |
| Iowa | 600 | $46,740 | $46,020 | $22.47 |
| South Dakota | 460 | $46,320 | $45,420 | $22.27 |
| Wisconsin | 540 | $46,190 | $49,130 | $22.21 |
| Utah | 360 | $45,430 | $48,010 | $21.84 |
| Florida | 4,530 | $45,210 | $44,400 | $21.74 |
| California | 2,260 | $45,070 | $48,470 | $21.67 |
| Missouri | 450 | $44,990 | $44,660 | $21.63 |
| Michigan | 860 | $44,460 | $43,460 | $21.37 |
| Maryland | not published | $44,440 | $45,510 | $21.36 |
| New Jersey | 320 | $44,330 | $45,290 | $21.31 |
| Alabama | 320 | $43,440 | $43,600 | $20.88 |
| Maine | 60 | $40,200 | $41,450 | $19.33 |
| Kentucky | 290 | $39,380 | $41,650 | $18.94 |
| Georgia | 1,300 | $39,080 | $41,550 | $18.79 |
| New Mexico | 120 | $38,740 | $40,210 | $18.62 |
| South Carolina | 610 | $38,100 | $39,280 | $18.32 |
| Arkansas | 490 | $37,860 | $41,120 | $18.20 |
| Montana | 630 | $37,760 | $41,070 | $18.15 |
| Oklahoma | 370 | $36,870 | $38,240 | $17.73 |
| Mississippi | 650 | $35,770 | $41,310 | $17.20 |
| Louisiana | 220 | $26,220 | $34,600 | $12.61 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Tree Trimmers and Pruners$50,960 a year
- First-Line Supervisors of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers$49,100 a year
- Grounds Maintenance Workers, All Other$46,860 a year
- Pest Control Workers$45,250 a year
- Building Cleaning Workers, All Other$44,040 a year
- Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers$39,150 a year
Common questions
How much do Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation earn in the United States?
The median pay was $46,340 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $35,570 and the highest-paid 10% more than $61,420.
How many people work as Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation?
About 27,050 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.
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