Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation

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.

What you'd actually do

• 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.

How you get there

Typical entry-level education: High school diploma. Overall preparation: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).

The feel of the work

Much of the work happens outdoors; much of the day is spent working solo; time pressure is a real part of the job. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)

Working for yourself

About 1.9% of pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation are self-employed.

Who it tends to fit

This work tends to fit people who are hands-on and organized and detail-focused.

Related careers

• Grounds Maintenance Workers, All Other
• Pest Control Workers
• Building Cleaning Workers, All Other
• First-Line Supervisors of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers
• Tree Trimmers and Pruners
• Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers

Quick questions

How much does a pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation make?

The median pay is $22.28 per hour — roughly $46,500 a year, with the real range running from about $17.10/hr (10th percentile) to $29.53/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Do you need a degree to be a pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation?

The typical entry-level education is: High school diploma. Overall preparation level: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).

What does a pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation actually do all day?

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.