Career Explorer Buildings and grounds
Human edge, growing
Pest control workers
Apply or release chemical solutions or toxic gases and set traps to kill or remove pests and vermin that infest buildings and surrounding areas.
More resilient than most: more resilient than 72% of the 831 careers we score. AI exposure is moderate (the Bureau of Labor Statistics rates it moderate), and US jobs are projected to change by +5.5% by 2035, faster than average. The work leans on ethical judgement and physical dexterity.
AI struggles with much of this work, and US employers are expected to hire more people into it than average.
- Median pay (2025)
- $45,250
- Job growth to 2035
- +5.5%
- Openings a year
- 13,700
- People doing it (2025)
- 109,000
- Usual route in
- High school diploma, then moderate on-the-job training
Where people already use AI for this work
- Advise others on products or services
- Read documents or materials to inform work processes
- Maintain safety or security
From Microsoft Research, Working with AI (2025).
Work AI rarely helps with
- Apply protective solutions or coatings
- Maintain operational records
- Inspect facilities or equipment
What the work looks like
- Record work activities performed.
- Clean work site after completion of job.
- Measure area dimensions requiring treatment, calculate fumigant requirements, and estimate cost for service.
- Spray or dust chemical solutions, powders, or gases into rooms, onto clothing, furnishings, or wood, or over marshlands, ditches, or catch basins.
- Recommend treatment and prevention methods for pest problems to clients.
From O*NET 31.0, US Department of Labor.
Careers using similar strengths, with a stronger outlook
- First-line supervisors of farming, fishing, and forestry workersHuman edge, growing, Index 83, +3.8%
- Grounds maintenance workers, all otherHuman edge, growing, Index 84, +3.7%
- Building cleaning workers, all otherHuman edge, steady, Index 74, +2.0%
- Athletes and sports competitorsHuman edge, growing, Index 88, +5.5%
Also known as: Pest Control Applicator, Pest Control Technician (Pest Control Tech), Pest Technician (Pest Tech), Termite Technician (Termite Tech), Commercial Pest Control Technician (Commercial Pest Control Tech), Exterminator, Pest Control Chemical Technician (Pest Control Chemical Tech), Pest Control Operator.
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Sources: US Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2025 to 2035; O*NET 31.0; Microsoft Research (2025); Anthropic Economic Index (2026); Eloundou and colleagues (Science, 2024); Felten, Raj and Seamans (2023). How we score. Updated 12 October 2026.