Certified Pest Technician (Recession Proof)
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Pest control technicians eliminate animal or insect infestations in homes and commercial properties. During site inspections, these specialists assess pest-related problems and provide clients with potential solutions. They play an important role in protecting public health by managing destructive and disease-carrying vermin. Pest control technicians usually work independently and possess excellent customer service skills. This is an ideal entry-level position for people who enjoy local travel and don’t like working in office settings.
Pest control technicians address infestations by applying a number of strategies called pest management techniques. Typical techniques include use of baits, traps, pesticides and the installation of physical barriers that prevent vermin from entering buildings. Pest control technicians also recommend sanitation practices their clients can employ to prevent future infestation problems.
A high school diploma or equivalent is required for this position, and many pest control technicians have attended some college or obtained a college degree. Technicians should have strong math, chemistry and writing skills, along with a working knowledge of biology. Similar to most customer service positions, pest control technicians must possess excellent communication and interpersonal skills. Since this occupation usually requires extensive local travel, most employers prefer good drivers with clean driving records.
State and Federal laws require all pest control technicians to be certified. To obtain certification, candidates must complete an approved program combining coursework and on-the-job training. Areas of study include pest, termite and rodent control, fumigation as well as pesticide use and safety. Aspiring pest control technicians gain practical experience working as apprentices. Colleges and universities often offer undergraduate courses in pest control and many extermination firms provide on-the-job training for people interested in this field of work. Contact the US Department of Agriculture office in your State to learn about local certification requirements. Information on training programs in your area can be obtained from the National Pest Management Association.
The employment outlook for pest control technicians is very good, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Employer demand for these workers is expected to grow by 15 percent between 2008 and 2018, a rate exceeding the national average. A major reason for the rapid increase is the small pool of applicants interested in this job title. The greatest number of jobs in this field can be found in states with warmer climates, where infestation problems tend to be commonplace. The pest control industry offers excellent opportunities for advancement. With sufficient training, experience and licensing, pest control technicians can advance into more demanding positions as applicators, fumigators and supervisors.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median hourly wage for pest control technicians was $14.37 as of May 2008. These workers may earn less or more depending upon their responsibilities. Many pest control companies offer competitive benefit packages that include medical and dental coverage.
Pest technician certification varies greatly from state to state. Some states, such as California and Texas, that have large amounts of termite infestation require their technicians to know a great deal about termite treatment. Whereas states such as Washington and Oregon require technicians to have a solid understanding of carpenter ants and how to safely treat for them. The testing process is difficult to complete but is is significantly outweighed by the rewards of being a certified pest technician
Step 1 – You will first need to be employed by a pest control service company. Most states will require you to be employed with a pest control company or at the very least proof of a job offer before you are able to take any of the technician exams.
Step 4 – After you complete your exam, it will take anywhere from 48 hours to 1 week to get your test results. A passing grade is usually in the 80th percentile and above. If you fail, you will have two more chances to take the exam. However, if you fail three times, you will have to wait 3 to 6 months to retake the exam. This could severely jeopardize your ability to continue working for your pest control company.
Do not try to take more than two tests at a time. Start with laws and safety and the general pest exam. The pest- and application-specific exams are much more intensive and will require a lot more preparation beforehand.
Extra: Never forget you can start your own Pest Service. Even if all you did was kill roaches it’s recession proof money. The more you stay in humid environments like Down South the more money you will make. This is by far the best skill to pick up and make money forever. Pick up a flyer from Orkin and see how much they are charging and undercut them by 10% and take all of their business.!
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You made me remember a story I should have blogged about a long time ago. When I was living in an apartment complex I just moved into, the brotha doing pesticide stopped by to do my spot.
He was his own company, contracted by apartment complexes to spray the place is someone called about bugs. He was always in business because people move in and out of apartments and roaches gotta eat too…
I was talking to him asking him if there are any sistas in the apartment complex and he told me yeah it’s a lot of good looking sistas. So I joked with him about do these sistas got roaches and he was serious and laughing when he broke it down.
He told me that some of these single ladies that look all cute outside got more roaches than a person want to know. He was telling me he knock on the door, the female be fine but she got food all around the house and roaches eating on crumbs and they be embarrassed when he is around.
So I was thinking even for a brotha that got out of jail or just a high school graduate, this pesticide thing in a large urban city like Chicago or Detroit is steady real money.
Also, this was another Black History hustle cats would bring up from the South like catfish and watermelon trucks and sell strong farm pesticide type ish to clean out homes infested with roaches.
The stuff you laying out, cats are really running out of excuses why they can’t get paper. They can do this type of work just as easily as someone working at McDonald’s but do for self – hell, they can get a pesticide contract with McDonald’s…
A lot of these jobs people just don’t feel good taking on. I mean people have pride over them getting paper! Now me I’m looking at this hustle thinking this might be a great business to get involved in. Like you said contracts with apartments for roaches, termites, and mice always make money sense.
The amount of training is minimal, cats only have to be out of high school and the tests should be easy for anyone who has been working someplace else.
Like I said “Cats have way more pride than they do Paper”
I never thought about this angle, but it’s something I’ll definitely look into. It seems to have a pretty low start up cost outside of testing, and latching onto an established company in the beginning will lend credibility to you.
Cats just don’t want to be known as the bug man! LOL. I mean if a cat put out flyers for this business and was very reasonable he would make a killing. Apartments, Projects, property owners of multi-unit properties all need a spot check spraying when new tenants move in.
I mean if you know how to kill termites then you will live good too. Almost all home inspections check for termites and people need the termite inspector so bad they call to save the value of their house.
You would think in these times cats would get their skills up. This is one of those super skills that will make sure you will never be without chips.