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The national median salary for Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation is $46,342 per year ($22.28/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $39,166 and $51,230 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $61,422 per year. There are approximately 27,050 pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
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).
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+3.8%
About as fast as average
Annual openings
4K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
30K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
3% from new growth97% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Services to Buildings and Dwellings
NAICS 561700
15K
$45,780
Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4241, 4247, and 4249 only)
NAICS 4240A3
5K
$48,460
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999300
2K
$46,920
Support Activities for Crop Production
NAICS 115100
2K
$41,450
Other Amusement and Recreation Industries
NAICS 713900
520
$45,150
Wage range across top 5 industries: $41,450 to $48,460 (17% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$17.10
$35,568
P25
$18.83
$39,166
P50MEDIAN
$22.28
$46,342
P75
$24.63
$51,230
P90
$29.53
$61,422
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · other sector
Active
Openings Rate
3.4%
Quits Rate
2.0%
The labor market rebounded in March: hires jumped to 5.6M (+655K) and separations rose to 5.4M (+356K), both more than offsetting February's drop. Job openings held at 6.9M. Quits ticked to 2.0%.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation salary?
The national median salary for Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation is $46,342 per year ($22.28/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $39,166 and $51,230 annually.
How much do top-earning pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation make?
The 90th percentile salary for Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation is $61,422 per year ($29.53/hr). The 75th percentile is $51,230 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation?
Entry-level Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation (10th percentile) earn approximately $35,568 per year ($17.10/hr). The 25th percentile is $39,166 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
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