- Massachusetts requires a Pesticide Applicator License from the Department of Agricultural Resources to do pesticide work for hire, and a Commercial Certification to use restricted use pesticides for hire.
- Commercial Certification needs two years of relevant experience, and you must pass the Applicator (core) exam first.
- Plan for a trade exam.
- Pay runs from about $17.67 an hour for the lowest-paid tenth of pest control technicians to $29.89 for the top tenth.
The path in Massachusetts, step by step
Massachusetts licenses pest control work at the state level through the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, Pesticide Program. These are the steps it lays out, in order.
- Register for the exam in your EEA ePLACE Portal account and pay the exam fee.
- Pay the $28 Everblue fee and take the Applicator (core) exam online.
- For restricted use pesticides, document two years of experience and pass the Commercial Certification exam.
- Upload your certificate of insurance and apply for the license.
- Renew every year by December 31 and keep up your pesticide credits.
The full license guide, with every fee and form: pest control license in Massachusetts.
Finding an apprenticeship in Massachusetts
Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts
The license to aim for: Pesticide Applicator (core) License, and Commercial Certification for restricted use pesticides.
Trade exam. Online exams through Everblue. The Applicator (core) exam needs 70 percent; the Commercial Certification exam needs 75 percent.
Keeping it. Every year by December 31. Over each three year cycle, licensed applicators earn 6 pesticide credits and commercial certified applicators earn 12 credits per category.
| License | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Category 43 | Termite and structural pest control (a commercial certification category) |
What the Massachusetts license costs
The fees the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, Pesticide Program lists. Exam fees from a testing company, insurance and any bond come on top.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Applicator (core) License exam | $75 plus $28 online exam fee |
| Commercial Applicator Certification exam | $125 plus $28 online exam fee |
| Applicator (core) License, yearly | $100 |
| Commercial Applicator Certification, yearly | $150 |
What pest control technicians earn in Massachusetts
The median pest control technician in Massachusetts earned $21.90 an hour in May 2025, 20th of 50 states, with 1,900 on payrolls. The national median was $21.75.
At the bottom of the range, a quarter of pest control technicians in Massachusetts earned under $20.15 an hour and a tenth under $17.67. At the top, a quarter earned over $28.59 and a tenth over $29.89.
| Pay level | Hourly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $17.67 | $36,750 |
| 25th percentile | $20.15 | $41,900 |
| Median | $21.90 | $45,560 |
| 75th percentile | $28.59 | $59,480 |
| 90th percentile | $29.89 | $62,170 |
Every state, the neighbors and what a business should charge: pest control technician salary in Massachusetts.
Starting your own pest control technician business in Massachusetts
To contract on your own in Massachusetts, the license is the Pesticide Applicator (core) License, and Commercial Certification for restricted use pesticides.
Insurance. Insurance is required for both the Applicator License and the Commercial Certification. You may need to upload your certificate of insurance.
Pricing comes next. Paying yourself the Massachusetts median of $21.90 an hour, the labor rate calculator's starting numbers (one person, 2 unbilled hours a day, $90,000 of overhead, 15% profit) come to $109.05 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 Massachusetts'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.
- Pesticide License and Recertification Program (checked 2026-10-09)
- Licensing and certification fees (checked 2026-10-09)
- Pesticide examination and license bulletin (checked 2026-10-09)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, SOC 37-2021
- 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.