- To apply pesticides for hire in Michigan you need a pesticide application business license from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, on top of applicator certification.
- At least 2 application seasons as an employee of a commercial applicator, or a pest related bachelor's degree plus 1 season. Submit it on the notarized letter of experience form.
- Pay runs from about $18.57 an hour for the lowest-paid tenth of pest control technicians to $29.74 for the top tenth.
- Jobs are projected to shrink 1.6% from 2022 to 2032, against 3.2% growth nationally.
The path in Michigan, step by step
Michigan licenses pest control work at the state level through the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Pesticide Section. These are the steps it lays out, in order.
- Get certified as a commercial applicator, or hire one, in the categories you will work in.
- Document your experience on the notarized letter of experience form.
- Register your business name (DBA or corporation).
- Send the application, the $100 fee and your certificate of liability insurance. Allow four to six weeks.
- Renew by December 31 each year.
The full license guide, with every fee and form: pest control license in Michigan.
Finding an apprenticeship in Michigan
Michigan 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 Michigan 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 Michigan
The license to aim for: Pesticide application business license, with a certified commercial applicator.
Keeping it. Every year. Licenses expire December 31.
| License | What it covers |
|---|---|
| 7A. General Pest Management | Pesticides in and around food handling places, homes, schools and hospitals. |
| 7B. Wood Destroying Pest Management | Termites, powder post beetles, carpenter ants and wood destroying fungi. |
| 7D. Vertebrate Pest Management | Vertebrate pests. |
| 7F. Mosquito Management | Mosquitoes. |
What the Michigan license costs
The fees the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Pesticide Section lists. Exam fees from a testing company, insurance and any bond come on top.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Business license, apply or renew, yearly | $100 |
What pest control technicians earn in Michigan
The median pest control technician in Michigan earned $21.38 an hour in May 2025, 29th of 50 states, with 1,460 on payrolls. The national median was $21.75.
At the bottom of the range, a quarter of pest control technicians in Michigan earned under $19.74 an hour and a tenth under $18.57. At the top, a quarter earned over $22.60 and a tenth over $29.74.
| Pay level | Hourly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $18.57 | $38,630 |
| 25th percentile | $19.74 | $41,060 |
| Median | $21.38 | $44,470 |
| 75th percentile | $22.60 | $47,020 |
| 90th percentile | $29.74 | $61,850 |
Every state, the neighbors and what a business should charge: pest control technician salary in Michigan.
Jobs ahead in Michigan
Michigan's labor market office projects jobs for pest control technicians shrinking from 1,260 in 2022 to 1,240 in 2032, a change of -1.6%. Counting people who retire or change careers, that is about 160 openings a year.
Jobs are projected to shrink 1.6% from 2022 to 2032, against 3.2% growth nationally, ranking 39th 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 Michigan
To contract on your own in Michigan, the license is the Pesticide application business license, with a certified commercial applicator.
Insurance. Comprehensive general liability insurance: at least $100,000 bodily injury and $25,000 property damage per occurrence for most categories. Fumigation needs more.
Pricing comes next. Paying yourself the Michigan median of $21.38 an hour, the labor rate calculator's starting numbers (one person, 2 unbilled hours a day, $90,000 of overhead, 15% profit) come to $108.14 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 Michigan'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 application businesses (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.