United States · Pay by job · Cleaning and Grounds

Pesticide Applicator salary and take-home pay

The typical US pesticide applicator earns $46,340 a year, or $22.28 an hour (BLS, May 2025). On that pay, a single filer in Texas keeps about $39,414 a year after federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare.

BLS title: Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation (SOC 37-3012). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025.

How much does a pesticide applicator earn?

Pesticide Applicator pay in the US: the 10th to 90th percentile
Percentile Bar A year An hour
10th $35,570 $17.10
25th $39,160 $18.83
Median $46,340 $22.28
75th $51,240 $24.63
90th $61,420 $29.53

The middle half of people in this job earn $39,160 to $51,240 a year, and about 27,050 people do it across the US (BLS, May 2025).

Take-home pay tool

The 10th percentile is where pay starts for most people in this job; the 90th, near the top.

Pesticide Applicator · Texas · single · median

$39,414.19 a year after tax

$3,284.52 a month · $1,515.93 a paycheck (every two weeks)

Pay and taxes for the year
Pay before tax$46,340.00
Federal income tax−$3,380.80
Social Security and Medicare−$3,545.01
Texas tax and payroll contributionsnone
Take-home pay$39,414.19

Pay: the national median, $46,340 a year, because BLS released no median for this job in Texas. One job, standard deduction, nothing taken before tax, the year’s tax spread over 26 paychecks.

What does a pesticide applicator take home at each pay point?

A single filer on the national figures, paid every two weeks, with nothing taken before tax:

Pesticide Applicator take-home pay at each percentile, 2026
Pay a yearTexasCaliforniaNew York
10th $35,570 $30,760$29,927$29,252
25th $39,160 $33,645$32,621$31,927
Median $46,340 $39,414$38,010$37,277
75th $51,240 $43,351$41,638$40,929
90th $61,420 $51,531$49,074$48,515

Take-home after federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and state tax for 2026. New York is outside New York City.

Where does a pesticide applicator keep the most after tax?

Our 19 states, ranked by take-home pay on each state’s own median for this job (single filer). Only these 19 states have take-home figures so far.

Pesticide Applicator: states ranked by take-home pay at the median
RankStateMedian payTake-home
1 Wyoming $49,190 $41,704
2 Ohio $50,060 $41,470
3 Nevada $48,030 $40,772
4 Tennessee $47,340 $40,218
5 Pennsylvania $48,870 $39,913
6 Washington $47,360 $39,577
7 North Carolina $48,240 $39,525
8 South Dakota $46,320 $39,398
9 Virginia $48,610 $39,257
10 New York $48,380 $38,798
11 Illinois $48,280 $38,728
12 Florida $45,210 $38,506
13 California $45,070 $37,057
14 New Jersey $44,330 $36,523
15 Michigan $44,460 $36,265
16 Georgia $39,080 $32,379

Not ranked, because BLS released no median there: Alaska, New Hampshire, Texas.

How much does a pesticide applicator earn in each state?

Pesticide Applicator median pay and employment in every state and DC (BLS, May 2025)
StateMedian payPeople in the jobTake-home (single)
Alabama $43,440 320 not yet
Alaska not released not released –
Arizona $48,630 210 not yet
Arkansas $37,860 490 not yet
California $45,070 2,260 $37,057 (#13)
Colorado $47,020 960 not yet
Connecticut not released not released not yet
Delaware $54,190 40 not yet
District of Columbia not released not released not yet
Florida $45,210 4,530 $38,506 (#12)
Georgia $39,080 1,300 $32,379 (#16)
Hawaii $51,240 60 not yet
Idaho $47,630 610 not yet
Illinois $48,280 1,040 $38,728 (#11)
Indiana $48,500 950 not yet
Iowa $46,740 600 not yet
Kansas $49,090 520 not yet
Kentucky $39,380 290 not yet
Louisiana $26,220 220 not yet
Maine $40,200 60 not yet
Maryland $44,440 not released not yet
Massachusetts $62,980 not released not yet
Michigan $44,460 860 $36,265 (#15)
Minnesota $49,030 950 not yet
Mississippi $35,770 650 not yet
Missouri $44,990 450 not yet
Montana $37,760 630 not yet
Nebraska $47,500 380 not yet
Nevada $48,030 100 $40,772 (#3)
New Hampshire not released not released –
New Jersey $44,330 320 $36,523 (#14)
New Mexico $38,740 120 not yet
New York $48,380 220 $38,798 (#10)
North Carolina $48,240 360 $39,525 (#7)
North Dakota $50,490 280 not yet
Ohio $50,060 490 $41,470 (#2)
Oklahoma $36,870 370 not yet
Oregon $51,590 290 not yet
Pennsylvania $48,870 360 $39,913 (#5)
Rhode Island $48,360 100 not yet
South Carolina $38,100 610 not yet
South Dakota $46,320 460 $39,398 (#8)
Tennessee $47,340 not released $40,218 (#4)
Texas not released not released –
Utah $45,430 360 not yet
Vermont not released not released not yet
Virginia $48,610 240 $39,257 (#9)
Washington $47,360 470 $39,577 (#6)
West Virginia not released not released not yet
Wisconsin $46,190 540 not yet
Wyoming $49,190 120 $41,704 (#1)

Median yearly pay for this job in each state, from BLS. Take-home and its rank are for the 19 states with a take-home engine so far. Each linked state shows its highest-paying jobs after tax.

What is the job outlook for a pesticide applicator?

BLS expects jobs as a pesticide applicator to grow 3.9% from 2025 to 2035, with about 3,300 openings a year (BLS Employment Projections 2025–35).

Job growth, 2025 to 2035
+3.9%
Openings a year
about 3,300
Usual education
High school diploma or equivalent
Work experience
None
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training

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What else can I work out?

Where do these figures come from?

Pay is the BLS estimate for all employers in May 2025 (the latest), and the outlook is from BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Your own pay depends on your employer, area and experience. Take-home is our estimate for 2026: one job, the standard deduction, nothing taken before tax, from the same engine as our paycheck calculator.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics tables (BLS); Employment Projections tables (BLS). This site is independent and not part of the BLS.

Questions about pesticide applicator pay

How much does a pesticide applicator make an hour?

The median is $22.28 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The middle half earn $18.83 to $24.63, and the top 10% earn $29.53 or more.

Which state pays a pesticide applicator the most?

Among the 50 states and DC, Massachusetts has the highest median for this job: $62,980 a year (BLS). After tax, of the 19 states we cover, Wyoming leaves the most: $41,704 a year for a single filer on its median of $49,190.

What is a pesticide applicator’s take-home pay?

On the national median of $46,340, a single filer keeps about $39,414 a year in Texas (no state income tax), $38,010 in California and $37,277 in New York outside New York City, after federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and state tax. Pick your state in the tool above.

What education do you need to be a pesticide applicator?

BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the usual way in, with no work experience in a related job and moderate-term on-the-job training (more than a month, up to a year).

Is the number of pesticide applicator jobs growing?

BLS expects jobs as a pesticide applicator to grow 3.9% from 2025 to 2035, with about 3,300 openings a year (BLS Employment Projections 2025–35).