Career Overview
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.
Also Known As
- Lawn Specialist
- Lawn Technician
- Licensed Pesticide Applicator
- Spray Technician
Alternate Job Titles
- Agricultural Service Worker
- Applicator
- Applicator Sprayer
- Certified Pesticide Applicator
- Chemical Applicator
- Commercial Lawn Specialist
- Crop Applicator
- Custom Applicator
- Eradicator
- Fertilizer Applicator
- Fruit Sprayer
- Fumigator
- Hand Spray Operator
- Hand Sprayer
- Herbicide Sprayer
What You'll Do
In this role, your typical responsibilities include:
- Mix pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides for application to trees, shrubs, lawns, or botanical crops.
- Fill sprayer tanks with water and chemicals, according to formulas.
- Lift, push, and swing nozzles, hoses, and tubes to direct spray over designated areas.
- Identify lawn or plant diseases to determine the appropriate course of treatment.
- 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.
- Connect hoses and nozzles selected according to terrain, distribution pattern requirements, types of infestations, and velocities.
Emerging Responsibilities
As this field evolves, you may also:
- Establish driving routes for pesticide applications.
- Record information about pesticide applications, such as the type used and amount applied.
- Use new technology and equipment, such as drones or GPS systems, to apply pesticides more accurately and efficiently.
Knowledge You'll Use
You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:
- Customer and Personal Service
- Biology
- Production and Processing
Key Abilities
This career requires key abilities in:
- Near Vision
- Control Precision
- Arm-Hand Steadiness
- Oral Comprehension
- Speech Recognition
- Problem Sensitivity
- Deductive Reasoning
- Oral Expression
- Written Comprehension
- Multilimb Coordination
Work Style
People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:
- Cautiousness
- Dependability
- Attention to Detail
- Integrity
- Stress Tolerance
What Matters in This Career
This career tends to satisfy these work values:
- Support
- Independence
- Working Conditions
- Relationships
- Achievement
Education & Preparation
Typical Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
On-the-Job Training: Anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month
Education Details: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Experience Required: Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
Technology You'll Use
Popular Technologies & Software
- Google Android
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
Tools & Equipment
- Air purifying respirators
- Backpack sprayers
- Boom sprayers
- Broadcast boom sprayers
- Chemical protection gloves
- Chemical-resistant footwear
- Chemical-resistant suits
- Cold foggers
- Digital flowmeters
- Digital stopwatches
- Electrostatic spray guns
- Face masks
- Handheld pump sprayers
- Laptop computers
- Measuring containers
Work Environment
- Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions
- In an Enclosed Vehicle or Operate Enclosed Equipment
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
- Frequency of Decision Making
- Exposed to Contaminants
Salary & Job Market
| Salary Percentile | Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| Entry-Level (10th percentile) | $34,590 |
| Median | $45,200 |
| Top Earners (90th percentile) | $58,910 |
Workers Employed Nationally: 25,200
Related Careers
If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:
Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers
Education: Less than a High School Diploma
Median Salary: $38,090
Agricultural Equipment Operators
Education: Less than a High School Diploma
Median Salary: $42,580
Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $58,260
Pest Control Workers
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $44,730
Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $35,270
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Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.