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Skilled Trades

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.

Median salary (BLS)

$38,000

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$24k – $68k

Job outlook

No separate BLS projection for this specific role

AI exposure

Plan a path to Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation

Qualification costsStack incomeBest cities/statesSchool ROIJob-posting fitTailored resume

Education

Typical entry: No degree required

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How to qualify

EstimateLicense required

Cost to qualify

$100–$2,600

Time to qualify

3.1 yr

Renewal

$50/yr

  1. 1

    Registered apprenticeship (paid)

    Experience

    Earn-while-you-learn training — apprentices are paid during the program; fees are tools/books, not tuition.

    $0–$2,000 · 36 months · varies by state source

  2. 2

    Journeyman exam & state/local license

    License

    Most states and municipalities test and license journeyman-level trades workers.

    $100–$600 · 1 months · varies by state · renews every 2 yr source

Estimated typical U.S. route for "Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.

Typical progression

  1. Junior Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation

    Entry / Junior

    $23,560

    ~2 yrs to advance

  2. Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation

    Established

    $38,000

    ~3 yrs to advance

  3. Senior Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation

    Senior

    $53,200

Key skills

A typical 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.
  • •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.

Fields of study

Any field

Top colleges for Skilled Trades

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Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.