Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation
Also called: Applicator, Applicator Sprayer, Certified Pesticide Applicator, Chemical Applicator, Crop Applicator, Custom Applicator, Eradicator, Fertilizer Applicator
Mix or apply pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, or insecticides through sprays, dusts, vapors, soil incorporation, or chemical application on trees, shrubs, lawns, or crops.
What pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation do
Typical tasks
- 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.
- Establish driving routes for pesticide applications.
- Clean or service machinery to ensure operating efficiency, using water, gasoline, lubricants, or hand tools.
- Connect hoses and nozzles selected according to terrain, distribution pattern requirements, types of infestations, and velocities.
- Cover areas to specified depths with pesticides, applying knowledge of weather conditions, droplet sizes, elevation-to-distance ratios, and obstructions.
- Identify lawn or plant diseases to determine the appropriate course of treatment.
- Plant grass with seed spreaders, and operate straw blowers to cover seeded areas with mixtures of asphalt and straw.
- Provide driving instructions to truck drivers to ensure complete coverage of designated areas, using hand and horn signals.
Typical path into the job (BLS)
Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation salary
The median annual wage for pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation is $46,340 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $35,570 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $61,420. The mean annual wage is $47,070.
The mean hourly wage of $22.00 is 3.0× the federal minimum wage of $7.25. State minimums are higher in most large states. Minimum wage by state →
How does your pay compare with people your age?
Your numbers are not sent or stored. The comparison uses this occupation's BLS wage percentiles, adjusted for age with BLS median weekly earnings by age group (Q3 2026).
Pay by percentile
Annual wage percentiles from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Percentiles are a good proxy for pay by experience.
Projected pay for Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today $46,340 → in 3 years $50,700 → in 5 years $53,900 → in 10 years $62,700 (10-year range $53,900–$72,700). The model assumes pay growth of +3.1% per year.
What drives the annual growth rate
Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (BLS projected employment growth), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →
Outlook score for Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation
Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.
Will AI replace Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation? AI replacement risk
How AI is changing this job
A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.
AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using O*NET work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →
Labor demand for Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation
Employment projections are from the BLS Employment Projections program (2025–35). Annual openings include both new jobs and replacement of workers who leave the occupation.
Skills, education and requirements for Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation
Key skills
O*NET skill level ratings (0–7).
Key knowledge areas
What the work involves
Important abilities
Training before entry
Related work experience
Job Zone 2 — some preparation needed (O*NET)
Difficulty of entry: ★☆☆☆☆ Easy to enter (from education, training, experience and Job Zone)
How to become pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation
A step-by-step guide for this occupation is being prepared. The education, training and experience data above show the typical path.
Career path and how to earn more as pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by percentile is shown in the Pay section.