- Anyone doing pest control for pay in Arkansas must be licensed or certified by the Department of Agriculture.
- Some classifications require experience or education. Ask the department which ones apply to you.
- Plan for a trade exam.
- Pay runs from about $14.86 an hour for the lowest-paid tenth of pest control technicians to $26.91 for the top tenth.
- Jobs are projected to grow 17.4% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the 3.2% projected nationally.
The path in Arkansas, step by step
Arkansas licenses pest control work at the state level through the Arkansas Department of Agriculture, Pest Control Program. These are the steps it lays out, in order.
- Send the exam application at least five working days before the exam date.
- Pass the basic core exam and the exam for each classification you will work in.
- Get your operator license, then the commercial business license for your company.
- Upload your bond, insurance and other licensing documents to the department.
- Renew every year before July 1.
The full license guide, with every fee and form: pest control license in Arkansas.
Finding an apprenticeship in Arkansas
Arkansas has no recognized State Apprenticeship Agency, so the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Apprenticeship registers and oversees programs there through a state field office. Apprenticeship.gov lists the Arkansas Apprenticeship Office as the contact.
Either way, a registered program means paid work with a mentor, raises as you progress, classroom instruction and a credential recognized in every state. Search open spots in the Apprenticeship Job Finder.
Across the country. Pest control is learned mostly on the job rather than in a long apprenticeship. Training can usually be finished in less than 3 months.
License levels and exams in Arkansas
The license to aim for: Commercial pest control license, with a licensed operator.
Trade exam. The EPA basic core exam (free, 70 percent to pass) plus an exam for each classification ($100 each, 75 percent to pass).
Keeping it. Every year. Licenses run July to June and must be renewed before July 1.
| License | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Classification 1 | Termite and other structural pests. |
| Classification 2 | Household pest and rodent control. |
| Classification 3 | General fumigation. |
| Classification 4 | Ornamental, tree and turf pest control. |
What the Arkansas license costs
The fees the Arkansas Department of Agriculture, Pest Control Program lists. Exam fees from a testing company, insurance and any bond come on top.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Exam, per classification | $100 |
| Operator license, yearly | $150 to $300 |
| Business license, yearly (by number of employees) | $100 to $500 |
| Agent exam | $30 |
What pest control technicians earn in Arkansas
The median pest control technician in Arkansas earned $18.13 an hour in May 2025, 46th of 50 states, with 1,030 on payrolls. The national median was $21.75.
At the bottom of the range, a quarter of pest control technicians in Arkansas earned under $16.68 an hour and a tenth under $14.86. At the top, a quarter earned over $22.50 and a tenth over $26.91.
| Pay level | Hourly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $14.86 | $30,900 |
| 25th percentile | $16.68 | $34,690 |
| Median | $18.13 | $37,710 |
| 75th percentile | $22.50 | $46,790 |
| 90th percentile | $26.91 | $55,970 |
Every state, the neighbors and what a business should charge: pest control technician salary in Arkansas.
Jobs ahead in Arkansas
Arkansas's labor market office projects jobs for pest control technicians growing from 1,320 in 2022 to 1,550 in 2032, a change of 17.4%. Counting people who retire or change careers, that is about 210 openings a year.
Jobs are projected to grow 17.4% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the 3.2% projected nationally, ranking 9th of the 39 states in the file.
These are the state's own long-term projections, published together on Projections Central for the occupation group pest control workers.
Starting your own pest control technician business in Arkansas
To contract on your own in Arkansas, the license is the Commercial pest control license, with a licensed operator.
Pricing comes next. Paying yourself the Arkansas median of $18.13 an hour, the labor rate calculator's starting numbers (one person, 2 unbilled hours a day, $90,000 of overhead, 15% profit) come to $102.43 per billable hour. Try your own in the labor rate calculator.
The full checklist is in how to start a pest control business. The free Koira Office plan gives you a website on a Koira address, estimates customers sign with a deposit, invoices with card payments and your day's jobs in one place, with no per-person fee. See the plans.
Where this comes from
The license steps, fees and rules are from the official pages below, read on the date shown. Pay is the BLS May 2025 state estimate, the job outlook is Arkansas's own long-term projection, and the apprenticeship details are from the U.S. Department of Labor. A detail an official page did not confirm is left out.
- Pest Control Program (checked 2026-10-09)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, SOC 37-2021
- Projections Central, long-term occupational projections 2022 to 2032 (state labor market offices) (checked 2026-10-09)
- U.S. Department of Labor, Apprenticeship System (Office of Apprenticeship and State Apprenticeship Agencies) (checked 2026-10-09)
- U.S. Department of Labor, State Offices (checked 2026-10-09)
- U.S. Department of Labor, Registered Apprenticeship Program (checked 2026-10-09)
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Pest Control Workers (checked 2026-10-09)
Training, schools and certifications for every state: how to become a pest control technician.