# Pest Control Workers

US SOC code 37-2021. Markdown version of https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/37-2021

Also called: Exterminator, Pest technician, Pest control technician, PCO, Pest management professional.

## In brief

In May 2025, [BLS](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) counted **102,620** US pest control workers, with median pay of **$45,250** a year. Of the BLS counts since 2003, the May 2025 count is the highest. The earliest figure here is [an estimate](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orkin) of **3,000** from 1900, not measured the same way as today's count. The last full technology era for pest control workers: Field-service software and mobile platforms, 2015 to 2023. Field-service software reduced the administrative overhead required per service call, allowing a single technician to complete more stops per day.

## What the sources say

### Official outlook

BLS projects employment to grow 5.5% from 2025 to 2035. Source: [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=37-2021&ioType=o).

### AI exposure studies

- **22.9%** of this job's tasks are exposed to large language models. Not a forecast of job losses. [Eloundou and others, 2023](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv)

Data as of BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35. BLS publishes these counts as yearly survey snapshots and cautions against reading them as a precise trend. In May 2021 BLS changed how it estimates these counts (a model-based method using three years of survey data) and moved fully to the 2018 occupation codes, so part of a change across 2021 can come from the method rather than the work.

## Pest Control Workers employment and pay by year

- On record since: 1840
- Latest US employment: 102,620 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [6]
- Latest US median pay: $45,250 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [11]
- Outlook: +5.5% by 2035. Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025-35 [27]

### In other countries

The latest figure each country's statistics agency publishes for this job. Each uses its own occupation definition, survey basis and currency, so the numbers are not directly comparable with each other or with the US figures.

- **Canada** (NOC 73202)
  - Employment, 2020: 4,060. Source: Statistics Canada Census 2021 [9]. Statistics Canada Census of Population 2021: number of persons with employment income in NOC 73202 Pest controllers and fumigators, Canada, reference year 2020. A recipients basis (anyone with employment income during the year), slightly broader than a point-in-time employed count. Statistics Canada Open Licence.
  - Median pay, 2020: C$53,600. Source: Statistics Canada Census 2021 [14]. Statistics Canada Census of Population 2021 (Table 98-10-0586): median employment income for NOC 73202 Pest controllers and fumigators, Canada, reference year 2020, full-year full-time workers (the basis comparable to the US OEWS full-time median). Statistics Canada Open Licence.

### All 28 years of cited US data

| Year | US employment | Annual pay (median unless marked) | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1900 | 3,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., Wikipedia [1] |
| 1933 | 12,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., NPMA [2] |
| 1950 | 35,000 (estimate) | $2,600 (estimate) | Est., EPA Archive (employment) [3]; Est., US Census Bureau (pay) [10] |
| 1972 | 58,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., Wikipedia [4] |
| 1988 | 72,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., Wikipedia [5] |
| 2003 | 58,500 | $24,990 | BLS OEWS May 2003 [6] |
| 2004 | 59,080 | $26,220 | BLS OEWS May 2004 [6] |
| 2005 | 62,400 | $27,170 | BLS OEWS May 2005 [6] |
| 2006 | 62,710 | $27,880 | BLS OEWS May 2006 [6] |
| 2007 | 63,440 | $29,030 | BLS OEWS May 2007 [6] |
| 2008 | 63,180 | $29,890 | BLS OEWS May 2008 [6] |
| 2009 | 63,500 | $30,410 | BLS OEWS May 2009 [6] |
| 2010 | 62,490 | $30,340 | BLS OEWS May 2010 [6] |
| 2011 | 62,270 | $30,220 | BLS OEWS May 2011 [6] |
| 2012 | 61,380 | $30,060 | BLS OEWS May 2012 [6] |
| 2013 | 64,450 | $30,330 | BLS OEWS May 2013 [6] |
| 2014 | 67,640 | $30,660 | BLS OEWS May 2014 [6] |
| 2015 | 70,250 | $32,160 | BLS OEWS May 2015 [6] |
| 2016 | 72,830 | $33,040 | BLS OEWS May 2016 [6] |
| 2017 | 75,130 | $34,370 | BLS OEWS May 2017 [6] |
| 2018 | 77,300 | $35,610 | BLS OEWS May 2018 [6] |
| 2019 | 79,450 | $37,330 | BLS OEWS May 2019 [6] |
| 2020 | 79,560 | $37,820 | BLS OEWS May 2020 [6] |
| 2021 | 85,370 | $37,540 | BLS OEWS May 2021 [6] |
| 2022 | 91,160 | $38,310 | BLS OEWS May 2022 [6] |
| 2023 | 93,760 | $43,470 | BLS OEWS May 2023 [6] |
| 2024 | 96,110 | $44,730 | BLS OEWS May 2024 [6] |
| 2025 | 102,620 | $45,250 | BLS OEWS May 2025 [6] |

## Sources (90)

### Employment series

1. [Orkin Wikipedia history (founded 1901 by Otto Orkin, door-to-door rodenticide sales in PA)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orkin), Wikipedia
2. [NPMA — "Unveiling the Legacy: NPMA's 90-Year Timeline" (founded October 2, 1933, 50 participants)](https://www.npmapestworld.org/your-business/pestworld-magazine/23-5-september-october-2023/unveiling-the-legacy/), National Pest Management Association
3. [EPA Archive — "DDT Regulatory History: A Brief Survey (to 1975)" (civilian DDT availability October 1945)](https://www.epa.gov/archive/epa/aboutepa/ddt-regulatory-history-brief-survey-1975.html), US Environmental Protection Agency
4. [Wikipedia — Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA 1972 rewrite and EPA pesticide authority)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Insecticide,_Fungicide,_and_Rodenticide_Act), Wikipedia
5. [Wikipedia — Chlordane (EPA ban 1983 agricultural, 1988 all uses; ~30 million homes treated)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlordane), Wikipedia
6. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)
7. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2006, Table 97-563-XCB2006069 (Wage and salary statistics by occupation, NOC-S 2006), income reference year 2005](https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/tbt/Rp-eng.cfm?LANG=E&PID=96285), Statistics Canada
8. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2016, Table 98-400-X2016356 (Occupation by employment income statistics, NOC 2016), income reference year 2015](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/catalogue/98-400-X2016356), Statistics Canada
9. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021, Table 98-10-0586 (Employment income statistics by occupation unit group, NOC 2021), income reference year 2020](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810058601), Statistics Canada

### Wage series

10. [US Census Bureau — Historical Income Tables: Households (median household income 1950 approximately $3,300)](https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/income-poverty/historical-income-households.html), US Census Bureau
11. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)
12. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2006, Table 97-563-XCB2006069 (Wage and salary statistics by occupation, NOC-S 2006), income reference year 2005](https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/tbt/Rp-eng.cfm?LANG=E&PID=96285), Statistics Canada
13. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2016, Table 98-400-X2016356 (Occupation by employment income statistics, NOC 2016), income reference year 2015](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/catalogue/98-400-X2016356), Statistics Canada
14. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021, Table 98-10-0586 (Employment income statistics by occupation unit group, NOC 2021), income reference year 2020](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810058601), Statistics Canada

### Tool eras

15. [PCT Magazine — "History Lesson: Humble Beginnings" (European vermin catchers emigrating to US 1840-1930, arsenic and cyanide methods)](https://www.pctonline.com/article/pct1212-origins-pest-control/), Pest Control Technology Magazine
16. [Exterminator.co — "The First Exterminators: A History of Pest Control" (early professional exterminators, chemical and mechanical methods)](https://www.exterminator.co/learning-center/the-first-exterminators-a-history-of-pest-control/), Exterminator.co
17. [EPA Archive — "DDT Regulatory History: A Brief Survey (to 1975)" (civilian release October 1945, agricultural and household use)](https://www.epa.gov/archive/epa/aboutepa/ddt-regulatory-history-brief-survey-1975.html), US Environmental Protection Agency
18. [Wikipedia — DDT (post-WWII civilian use, agricultural and structural pest control expansion)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DDT), Wikipedia
19. [Wikipedia — Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA 1972 amendment, EPA applicator certification)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Insecticide,_Fungicide,_and_Rodenticide_Act), Wikipedia
20. [Wikipedia — Chlordane (EPA ban 1988, 30 million homes treated, indoor air contamination findings)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlordane), Wikipedia
21. [NPMA Pestworld Magazine — "Unveiling the Legacy: NPMA's 90-Year Timeline" (chlordane ban 1988, professionalization milestones)](https://www.npmapestworld.org/your-business/pestworld-magazine/23-5-september-october-2023/unveiling-the-legacy/), National Pest Management Association
22. [NCBI PubMed — "A Review of the Evolution of Termite Control: A Continuum of Alternatives to Termiticides in the United States" (Sentricon and baiting systems history)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8781989/), National Center for Biotechnology Information / Journal of Economic Entomology
23. [FieldRoutes — "Innovative Pest Control Technologies: IoT, Biological Methods, and AI Solutions" (field-service software evolution)](https://www.fieldroutes.com/blog/pest-control-technology), FieldRoutes / ServiceTitan
24. [O\*NET 37-2021.00 — Pest Control Workers technology and work activities (mobile platforms and digital documentation)](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/37-2021.00), O\*NET / BLS
25. [FieldRoutes — "AI in Pest Control: A Game-Changer For The Industry" (2025, AI route optimization and IoT monitoring)](https://www.fieldroutes.com/blog/pest-control-ai), FieldRoutes / ServiceTitan
26. [Anticimex SMART Digital Pest Control — How It Works (networked rodent sensors, predictive monitoring)](https://www.anticimex.com/digitally-enabled-pest-control/), Anticimex

### Forecasts and exposure studies

27. [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35, National Employment Matrix: 37-2021 Pest control workers (2025: 108.7 thousand; 2035: 114.7 thousand; +5.5%)](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=37-2021&ioType=o), Bureau of Labor Statistics
28. [Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock (2023), "GPTs are GPTs", occupation-level exposure data occ\_level.csv (O\*NET-SOC 37-2021.00, human-rated β 0.229)](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv), OpenAI

### Historical notes

29. [Wikipedia — Orkin (company history, founded 1901 by Otto Orkin)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orkin), Wikipedia
30. [Wikipedia — Terminix (founded 1927 by E.L. Bruce; first termiticide 1932)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terminix), Wikipedia
31. [NPMA — "Unveiling the Legacy: NPMA's 90-Year Timeline" (founded October 2, 1933; name changes 1937, 1998)](https://www.npmapestworld.org/your-business/pestworld-magazine/23-5-september-october-2023/unveiling-the-legacy/), National Pest Management Association
32. [EPA Archive — "DDT Regulatory History: A Brief Survey (to 1975)" (civilian release August 31, 1945)](https://www.epa.gov/archive/epa/aboutepa/ddt-regulatory-history-brief-survey-1975.html), US Environmental Protection Agency
33. [Wikipedia — Silent Spring (published September 27, 1962; impact on DDT policy and EPA creation)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silent_Spring), Wikipedia
34. [US EPA — "Summary of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act" (FIFRA 1972, applicator certification)](https://www.epa.gov/laws-regulations/summary-federal-insecticide-fungicide-and-rodenticide-act), US Environmental Protection Agency
35. [Wikipedia — Chlordane (EPA final ban 1988, 30 million homes treated, cancer findings)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlordane), Wikipedia

### Predecessors & successors

36. [PCT Magazine — "History Lesson: Humble Beginnings" (European vermin catchers emigrating to US cities 1840-1930)](https://www.pctonline.com/article/pct1212-origins-pest-control/), Pest Control Technology Magazine

### Present-day analysis

- [O\*NET 30.3 — Pest Control Workers (37-2021.00)](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/37-2021.00), accessed 2026-06-05
- [BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Pest Control Workers (2024-2034)](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/building-and-grounds-cleaning/pest-control-workers.htm), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Eloundou et al. 2024 — GPTs are GPTs: LLMs and Labor Market Impacts (Science)](https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Goldman Sachs 2023 — The Potentially Large Effects of AI on Economic Growth (Briggs/Kodnani)](https://www.gspublishing.com/content/research/en/reports/2023/03/27/d64e052b-0f6e-45d7-967b-d7be35fabd16.html), accessed 2026-06-05
- [FieldRoutes — AI in Pest Control: A Game-Changer For The Industry (2025)](https://www.fieldroutes.com/blog/pest-control-ai), accessed 2026-06-05
- [WorkWave PestPac Wavelytics Decision Intelligence — AI-Powered Insights](https://www.pestpac.com/wavelytics), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Aspire Software and FieldRoutes Kick Off Ignite 2025 — AI Route Optimization Announced](https://www.fieldroutes.com/company/news/aspire-software-and-fieldroutes-kick-off-ignite-2025), accessed 2026-06-05
- [WorkWave PestPac WAIve — Overnight AI Route Rebuild (January 2026)](https://www.pestpac.com/), accessed 2026-06-05
- [QuoteIQ — Top 10 AI Tools for Pest Control Businesses in 2026](https://myquoteiq.com/top-10-ai-tools-for-pest-control-businesses-in-2026/), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Anticimex SMART Digital Pest Control — How it Works](https://www.anticimex.com/digitally-enabled-pest-control/), accessed 2026-06-05

How to read these figures: https://futurehistory.earth/methodology. Every figure links to its own source; gaps stay gaps.