- Any business that applies pesticides for hire in Colorado must hold a commercial pesticide applicator business license from the Department of Agriculture, with a licensed qualified supervisor linked to it.
- Plan for a trade exam.
- Pay runs from about $18.56 an hour for the lowest-paid tenth of pest control technicians to $34.25 for the top tenth.
- Jobs are projected to grow 14.1% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the 3.2% projected nationally.
The path in Colorado, step by step
Colorado licenses pest control work at the state level through the Colorado Department of Agriculture, Pesticide Applicator Program. These are the steps it lays out, in order.
- Get a qualified supervisor license, or hire someone who has one, in each pest category you will work in.
- Buy liability insurance of at least $400,000.
- Apply for the commercial pesticide applicator business license and pay $350.
- Renew by December 31 each year.
The full license guide, with every fee and form: pest control license in Colorado.
Finding an apprenticeship in Colorado
Colorado runs Registered Apprenticeship through its own State Apprenticeship Agency, recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor to register and oversee programs there. Its staff are state employees, and it may use the federal paperwork or forms of its own. Apprenticeship.gov lists the Colorado State Apprenticeship Agency 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 Colorado
The license to aim for: Commercial pesticide applicator business license.
Trade exam. Your qualified supervisor must be licensed in each pest category the business works in.
Keeping it. Every year. Business licenses run for the calendar year and expire December 31. After February 1 you must file a new application.
What the Colorado license costs
The fees the Colorado Department of Agriculture, Pesticide Applicator Program lists. Exam fees from a testing company, insurance and any bond come on top.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Business license, per calendar year | $350 |
| Late renewal fee (January) | $35 |
What pest control technicians earn in Colorado
The median pest control technician in Colorado earned $23.39 an hour in May 2025, 6th of 50 states, with 970 on payrolls. The national median was $21.75.
At the bottom of the range, a quarter of pest control technicians in Colorado earned under $22.25 an hour and a tenth under $18.56. At the top, a quarter earned over $29.05 and a tenth over $34.25.
| Pay level | Hourly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $18.56 | $38,610 |
| 25th percentile | $22.25 | $46,280 |
| Median | $23.39 | $48,650 |
| 75th percentile | $29.05 | $60,430 |
| 90th percentile | $34.25 | $71,230 |
Every state, the neighbors and what a business should charge: pest control technician salary in Colorado.
Jobs ahead in Colorado
Colorado's labor market office projects jobs for pest control technicians growing from 920 in 2022 to 1,050 in 2032, a change of 14.1%. Counting people who retire or change careers, that is about 140 openings a year.
Jobs are projected to grow 14.1% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the 3.2% projected nationally, ranking 15th 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 Colorado
To contract on your own in Colorado, the license is the Commercial pesticide applicator business license.
Insurance. Proof of liability insurance of at least $400,000.
Pricing comes next. Paying yourself the Colorado median of $23.39 an hour, the labor rate calculator's starting numbers (one person, 2 unbilled hours a day, $90,000 of overhead, 15% profit) come to $111.67 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 Colorado'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.
- Commercial applicators (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.