Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation
SOC 37-3012 · 2024-2034
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.
How the U.S. Department of Labor describes this work. Published in English only.
What California expects of this job
- Typical pay in California
- $46,212per year
- Projected openings
- 3,870
- Projected change
- +3.6%
- Usually needs
- High school diploma or equivalent
Skills this work uses most
O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupation database, rates how important each of these is to this work, and they are listed in that order, most important first. The ratings themselves are not shown, because the data carries the number without the scale it was measured on. The names are as published, in English.
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Time Management
- Speaking
- Operation and Control
- Coordination
Pay by region
| Region | Typical pay in California | Projected openings |
|---|---|---|
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA (El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, and Yolo Counties) | $49,334 | 260 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD (Los Angeles County) | $49,245 | 330 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA (San Benito and Santa Clara Counties) | $48,007 | 140 |
| Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD (Orange County) | $47,061 | 300 |
| North Valley-Northern Mountains Region (Colusa, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada, Plumas, Sierra, Siskiyou, Tehama, and Trinity Counties) | $45,806 | 40 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA (Riverside and San Bernardino Counties) | $43,071 | 370 |
| Fresno MSA (Fresno and Madera Counties) | $41,734 | 160 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara MSA (Santa Barbara County) | $38,751 | 110 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA (San Diego County) | $38,268 | 380 |
What the pay actually ranges across
- The lowest-paid tenth earn under
- $39,147
- A quarter earn under
- $39,926
- Half earn under
- $46,212
- Three quarters earn under
- $54,753
- The highest-paid tenth earn over
- $66,318
A median is one point. These are the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2026 figures for California, and they say how far apart the people doing this job actually are. Read them as the spread across everyone already in the work — not as a starting wage and not as a promise about where anyone lands.
Similar work
O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupation database, names these as occupations involving work similar to this one — its own reading of the job, not a grouping by code. They keep O*NET's order, and only those California publishes a projection for are shown.
| Occupation | Typical pay in California | Projected openings | Projected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers | $46,714 | 182,080 | +5.8% |
| Agricultural Equipment Operators | $39,872 | 26,200 | +7.4% |
| Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators | $83,636 | 10,010 | -2.6% |
| Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment | $38,750 | 69,180 | +4.8% |
| Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse | $36,544 | 373,450 | -2.1% |
| Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | $54,158 | 11,790 | +2.5% |
Programs that train for this job — 3
Nursery and Garden-Center Operation Certificate of Achievement
City College of San Francisco · San Francisco · $1,228
Revolution National Pest Council Apprenticeship Program- Intermediate Level (Hybrid)
Revolution National Pest Council, LLC · Carson · $7,190
Horticulture: Nursery Technician Certificate of Accomplishment
Diablo Valley College · Pleasant Hill · $1,096