Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation in the U.S. is $46,340 ($22.28 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $46,340
- Mean annual wage
- $47,070
- Median hourly wage
- $22.28
- Employment
- 27,050
27,050 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $35,570 | $17.10 |
| 25th percentile | $39,160 | $18.83 |
| Median (50th) | $46,340 | $22.28 |
| 75th percentile | $51,240 | $24.63 |
| 90th percentile | $61,420 | $29.53 |
Highest-paying states for pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $62,980 | — |
| Delaware | $54,190 | 40 |
| Oregon | $51,590 | 290 |
| Hawaii | $51,240 | 60 |
| North Dakota | $50,490 | 280 |
| Ohio | $50,060 | 490 |
| Wyoming | $49,190 | 120 |
| Kansas | $49,090 | 520 |
| Minnesota | $49,030 | 950 |
| Pennsylvania | $48,870 | 360 |
Lowest-paying states
- Louisiana: $26,220 median annual wage
- Mississippi: $35,770 median annual wage
- Oklahoma: $36,870 median annual wage
- Montana: $37,760 median annual wage
- Arkansas: $37,860 median annual wage
About this occupation
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.
Typical tasks
- Connect hoses and nozzles selected according to terrain, distribution pattern requirements, types of infestations, and velocities.
- Lift, push, and swing nozzles, hoses, and tubes to direct spray over designated areas.
- Mix pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides for application to trees, shrubs, lawns, or botanical crops.
- Cover areas to specified depths with pesticides, applying knowledge of weather conditions, droplet sizes, elevation-to-distance ratios, and obstructions.
- Start motors and engage machinery, such as sprayer agitators or pumps or portable spray equipment.
- Identify lawn or plant diseases to determine the appropriate course of treatment.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: High school diploma or equivalent
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 21.4% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 32.7% |
| Some college, no degree | 21.2% |
| Associate's degree | 9.4% |
| Bachelor's degree | 14.5% |
| Master's degree | 0.9% |
Occupation profile data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
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- Building Cleaning Workers, All Other$44,040
About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- CareerOneStop Occupation Profiles — data period 2026-08, retrieved August 14, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.