Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance · Holland code RCI
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.
Also called: Applicator, Chemical Applicator, Pesticide Applicator, Spray Technician (Spray Tech), Herbicide Applicator, IPM Technician (Integrated Pest Management Technician), Lawn Specialist, Shrub Technician (Shrub Tech).
O*NET 37-3012.00
At a glance
- US median annual pay
- $46,340
- Middle half earn $39,160 to $51,240. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
- Preparation needed
- Job Zone 2 of 5
- Some preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.
What the work involves
The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.
- 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.
- Identify lawn or plant diseases to determine the appropriate course of treatment.
- Establish driving routes for pesticide applications.
- Clean or service machinery to ensure operating efficiency, using water, gasoline, lubricants, or hand tools.
Skills and knowledge it leans on
Skills
- Reading Comprehension2.9 / 5
- Active Listening2.9 / 5
- Critical Thinking2.9 / 5
- Speaking2.8 / 5
- Monitoring2.6 / 5
- Writing2.5 / 5
Knowledge areas
- Customer and Personal Service4.8 / 5
- English Language4.0 / 5
- Chemistry3.8 / 5
- Sales and Marketing3.8 / 5
- Biology3.6 / 5
- Production and Processing3.6 / 5
Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.
Who tends to enjoy it
How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.
- Realistic92
- Investigative29
- Artistic0
- Social16
- Enterprising7
- Conventional45
The same work abroad
Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.
European occupation titles (ESCO)
- botanical technician · DE Botaniktechniker/Botaniktechnikerin · FR technicien botaniste/technicienne botaniste
- forestry technician · DE Forstaufseher/Forstaufseherin · FR technicien forestier/technicienne forestière
- arboriculturist · DE Arborist/Arboristin · FR arboriculteur/arboricultrice
- groundsman/groundswoman · DE Rasenpfleger/Rasenpflegerin · FR agent d’entretien des espaces verts/agente d’entretien des espaces verts
- tree surgeon · DE Baumchirurg/Baumchirurgin · FR élagueur/élagueuse
- pest management worker · DE Schädlingsbekämpfer/Schädlingsbekämpferin · FR technicien hygiéniste/technicienne hygiéniste
Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)
- Pest controllers (6121)6,400 employed
- Gardeners and landscape gardeners (5113)165,600 employed
- Groundsmen and greenkeepers (5114)30,700 employed
Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.
Pay across Europe, for the whole group
Median annual earnings of all employees in “Craft and related trades workers”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.
| Country | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Belgium | €40,086 |
| Germany | €38,638 |
| Austria | €38,194 |
| Sweden | €37,856 |
| Netherlands | €37,077 |
| Ireland | €36,098 |
| France | €27,145 |
| Italy | €26,488 |
| Spain | €22,817 |
| Portugal | €11,142 |
| Poland | €10,099 |
Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.
Exposure to AI
This occupation sits in the lower third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of -0.88. The scores are standardized across those occupations, so 0 is the average and a score of 1 is about one standard deviation above it.
Our note on reading it: the dataset links AI applications to the abilities that occupations require, so the score reflects overlap between the two. It is a comparison between occupations, not a forecast about jobs. It does not say whether exposure means tasks are replaced or workers get more done with the tools, and it says little about one employer or one role.
Source: Felten, E., Raj, M., & Seamans, R. (2021). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses. Strategic Management Journal, 42(12), 2195-2217. Matched to this page by 6-digit SOC code (37-3012).
Related careers
Is it a fit for you?
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