Pest control technician
Pest control technicians identify and treat infestations in domestic and commercial premises. They also advise on how to stop outbreaks recurring.
Also known as: Pest control officer
- Starter salary£25,000 a year
- Experienced£35,000 a year
- Typical hours42 to 45 a week
What you'll do
As a pest control technician, you will:
- do site surveys to identify the cause and scale of problems
- work out the best way to treat infestations
- set traps, control devices or use chemicals to clear an area
- remove dead animals and send samples for analysis where required
- advise customers on how to prevent further problems
- complete accurate reports of work carried out
Working environment
You could work at a client's business or at a client's home.
Your working environment may be at height, dirty and cramped.
You may need to wear protective clothing.
Skills and knowledge you'll need
You'll need:
- customer service skills
- knowledge of public safety and security
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- the ability to work on your own
- knowledge of the safe use and disposal of chemicals
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- excellent verbal communication skills
- the ability to organise your time and workload
- to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
How to become a pest control technician
You can get into this job through:
- applying directly
- training with a professional body
Direct application
You can apply to companies directly to become a trainee pest control technician. It can be useful to have some GCSEs, like English and maths, though it's not essential.
Experience in health and safety, customer service, the building trade or handling chemicals can be helpful. Companies will offer you full training on the job if you have the right qualities.
Other routes
You can do training courses with the National Pest Technicians Association (NPTA) and the British Pest Control Association (BPCA) . Courses introduce the basics of pest control management and can lead on to further industry-recognised qualifications.
The Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) also runs courses for people looking to start in the industry, for example the Level 2 Award in Pest Management .
Restrictions and requirements
You'll need to:
- pass enhanced background checks
A driving licence may be required for some roles.
Career path and progression
With experience you could be promoted to supervisor or technical manager.
You could specialise in site survey work, pest control training or start your own business.
You might also move into environmental health or food safety, with further training.
Professional and industry bodies
You could join the National Pest Technicians Association or British Pest Control Association for professional development training and industry resources.
Guides for this industry
Related roles
- Job roleEnvironmental health practitioner
- Job roleHealth and safety adviser
- Job roleIndustrial cleaner
- Job roleCaretaker
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0