Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages O*NET task lead SOC 37-3012

Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation

O*NET task statements lead this Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation card before OEWS pay; neighboring titles include First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers, Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners, Grounds Maintenance Workers, All Other, First-Line Supervisors of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers.

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation: First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers ($58K) , Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners ($36K) , Grounds Maintenance Workers, All Other ($47K) , First-Line Supervisors of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers ($49K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 37-3012 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Mix pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides for application to trees, shrubs, lawns, or botanical crops
  2. 2. Fill sprayer tanks with water and chemicals, according to formulas
  3. 3. Lift, push, and swing nozzles, hoses, and tubes to direct spray over designated areas
  4. 4. Identify lawn or plant diseases to determine the appropriate course of treatment
  5. 5. Cover areas to specified depths with pesticides, applying knowledge of weather conditions, droplet sizes, elevation-to-distance ratios, a…
  6. 6. Start motors and engage machinery, such as sprayer agitators or pumps or portable spray equipment
  7. 7. Connect hoses and nozzles selected according to terrain, distribution pattern requirements, types of infestations, and velocities
  8. 8. Clean or service machinery to ensure operating efficiency, using water, gasoline, lubricants, or hand tools
  9. 9. Provide driving instructions to truck drivers to ensure complete coverage of designated areas, using hand and horn signals
  10. 10. Plant grass with seed spreaders, and operate straw blowers to cover seeded areas with mixtures of asphalt and straw

Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation: O*NET ranks Active Listening first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 37-3012 - lead skill Active Listening at 3.3 ; lead knowledge Customer and Personal Service. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Active Listening 3.3
  2. 2. Speaking 3.1
  3. 3. Critical Thinking 3.1
  4. 4. Time Management 3.1
  5. 5. Reading Comprehension 3.0
  6. 6. Social Perceptiveness 3.0
  7. 7. Coordination 3.0
  8. 8. Complex Problem Solving 3.0

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Customer and Personal Service 3.6
  2. 2. Biology 3.5
  3. 3. Production and Processing 3.5
  4. 4. English Language 3.5
  5. 5. Administration and Management 3.4
  6. 6. Public Safety and Security 3.1
National median after O*NET task lead
$46,340
/year · 10 published task lines above
Lead task: Mix pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides for application to trees, shrubs, lawns, or botanical crops
$46K
National median
↑ +4%
Growth 2024-2034
4,100
Annual openings
27,050
Estimated US jobs
First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers
Highest-pay peer · $58K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Top Paying States for Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation

1. Hawaii $51,240
2. Oregon $51,590
3. Ohio $50,060
4. Kansas $49,090
5. Massachusetts $62,980
6. Pennsylvania $48,870
7. North Dakota $50,490
8. Wyoming $49,190
9. Minnesota $49,030
10. Delaware $54,190

Other Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations titles

  1. 1. Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners $35,510
  2. 2. Grounds Maintenance Workers, All Other $46,860
  3. 3. First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers $58,430
  4. 4. First-Line Supervisors of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers $49,100
  5. 5. Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners $36,840
  6. 6. Pest Control Workers $45,250

O*NET publishes 10 leading task statements for Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation (SOC 37-3012). The national OEWS median is $46,340 inside Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations. Same-group neighbors: First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers, Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners, Grounds Maintenance Workers, All Other, First-Line Supervisors of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers. Lead published task: Mix pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides for application to trees, shrubs, lawns, or botanical crops.

Employment Projections expect +4% change between 2024 and 2034 (about as fast as average vs baseline 3.1%). About 4,100 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Hawaii at $51,240. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers at $58,430. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation pay-rank #5 in Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations

Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation sits at pay-rank #5 of 10 detailed Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations, the middle third of the major-group median table. ROW_NUMBER on median; title breaks ties.

Other mid-table titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

SOC 37-3012 · national median $46,340 · middle third of Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations (#5/10). Open the full OEWS map or a named state before treating the card median as a local ask.

Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 37-3012

Hawaii · top state for Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation

$51K published median

Oregon · #2 state pay

$52K · behind Hawaii

First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers

Highest-pay peer vs Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation · $58K

Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners

Lower-pay peer beside Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation · $36K

Compare Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation with another occupation →

Role and task next reads

Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation full salary map

State and metro OEWS after the task lead

Compare tasks and pay

Side-by-side with another occupation

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation mid-table among Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations? ▼
Yes: pay-rank #5 of 10 detailed Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations, the middle third. Mid-table neighbors: Pest Control Workers ($45K), Building Cleaning Workers, All Other ($44K). ROW_NUMBER on median; title breaks ties.
What do pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation. Leading ones include: 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. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation? ▼
For SOC 37-3012, O*NET importance scores lead with Active Listening (3.3), Speaking (3.1), Critical Thinking (3.1), Time Management (3.1). Knowledge areas emphasize Customer and Personal Service, Biology, Production and Processing. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $46,340 as the national median for Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation. The published 10th-90th range is $35,570 to $61,420. Beside First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers ($58,430), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation is +4%. Projected annual openings: about 4,100. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: about as fast as average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation? ▼
BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation? ▼
Hawaii ($51,240), Oregon ($51,590), Ohio ($50,060) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 37-3012. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics