Career
Pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation
Apply treatments that protect plants and control weeds.
$46,340
Median pay
+3.9%
Job growth, 2025–35
3,300
Openings a year
High school diploma or equivalent
Typical education
None required
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- Fill sprayer tanks with water and chemicals, according to formulas.
- Record information about pesticide applications, such as the type used and amount applied.
- Mix pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides for application to trees, shrubs, lawns, or botanical crops.
- Start motors and engage machinery, such as sprayer agitators or pumps or portable spray equipment.
- Lift, push, and swing nozzles, hoses, and tubes to direct spray over designated areas.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on objects & tools, then information & systems?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Fill sprayer tanks with water and chemicals, according to formulas.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Time Management, Operations Monitoring, Reading Comprehension, Operation and Control.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
No degree beyond high school, though moderate-term on-the-job training is typical, for a median of $46,340 a year and 3,300 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Landscaping and GroundskeepingCIP 01.0605
- Plant Nursery Operations and ManagementCIP 01.0606
- Turf and Turfgrass ManagementCIP 01.0607
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers$39,150 · +4.7%
- Agricultural Equipment Operators$41,730 · +8.6%
- Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators$60,020 · -5.7%
- Pest Control Workers$45,250 · +5.5%
- Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment$35,830 · +3.9%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.