- Indiana certifies and licenses commercial pesticide applicators through the Office of Indiana State Chemist.
- New for-hire applicators in Category 7b (termite control) or Category 12 must complete a hands-on training program approved by the State Chemist.
- Plan for a trade exam.
- Pay runs from about $16.96 an hour for the lowest-paid tenth of pest control technicians to $29.29 for the top tenth.
- Jobs are projected to grow 3.4% from 2022 to 2032, about the same as the 3.2% projected nationally.
The path in Indiana, step by step
Indiana licenses pest control work at the state level through the Office of Indiana State Chemist. These are the steps it lays out, in order.
- Pass the written Core exam.
- Pass the Category exam for your work. Termite work (7b) also needs approved hands-on training.
- Get licensed once you are certified.
- Renew the license every December 31 and keep up your certification hours.
The full license guide, with every fee and form: pest control license in Indiana.
Finding an apprenticeship in Indiana
Indiana 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 Indiana 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 Indiana
The license to aim for: For-hire commercial pesticide applicator certification and license.
Trade exam. A written Core exam, then a Category exam. You get up to three tries in 12 months.
Keeping it. The license renews every year on December 31. Certification lasts five years, renewed by exam or by continuing certification hours.
What pest control technicians earn in Indiana
The median pest control technician in Indiana earned $18.56 an hour in May 2025, 43rd of 50 states, with 1,670 on payrolls. The national median was $21.75.
At the bottom of the range, a quarter of pest control technicians in Indiana earned under $17.52 an hour and a tenth under $16.96. At the top, a quarter earned over $23.27 and a tenth over $29.29.
| Pay level | Hourly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $16.96 | $35,290 |
| 25th percentile | $17.52 | $36,450 |
| Median | $18.56 | $38,600 |
| 75th percentile | $23.27 | $48,410 |
| 90th percentile | $29.29 | $60,920 |
Every state, the neighbors and what a business should charge: pest control technician salary in Indiana.
Jobs ahead in Indiana
Indiana's labor market office projects jobs for pest control technicians growing from 1,490 in 2022 to 1,540 in 2032, a change of 3.4%. Counting people who retire or change careers, that is about 200 openings a year.
Jobs are projected to grow 3.4% from 2022 to 2032, about the same as the 3.2% projected nationally, ranking 31st 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 Indiana
To contract on your own in Indiana, the license is the For-hire commercial pesticide applicator certification and license.
Pricing comes next. Paying yourself the Indiana median of $18.56 an hour, the labor rate calculator's starting numbers (one person, 2 unbilled hours a day, $90,000 of overhead, 15% profit) come to $103.18 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 Indiana'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 pesticide 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.