- In Nebraska anyone who applies structural or lawn care pesticides on someone else's property for pay must be certified, then licensed by the Department of Agriculture as a commercial applicator.
- No experience minimum is listed. You must be 18.
- Plan for a trade exam.
- Pay runs from about $14.10 an hour for the lowest-paid tenth of pest control technicians to $31.83 for the top tenth.
- Jobs are projected to grow 4.8% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the 3.2% projected nationally.
The path in Nebraska, step by step
Nebraska licenses pest control work at the state level through the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, Pesticide Program. These are the steps it lays out, in order.
- Get study materials or training through the University of Nebraska pesticide education program.
- Pass the General Standards exam and your category exam with 70 percent.
- Apply to the department for your license and pay $90.
- Recertify and renew every three years.
The full license guide, with every fee and form: pest control license in Nebraska.
Finding an apprenticeship in Nebraska
Nebraska 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 Nebraska 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 Nebraska
The license to aim for: Commercial pesticide applicator license.
Trade exam. A General Standards exam and a category exam for each category, passed with 70 percent.
Keeping it. Every three years. Renew your certification through approved training or by retesting, then renew the license.
Coming from another state. Nebraska has reciprocal agreements with a number of states. A person certified in a partner state can usually get a reciprocal license without exams.
What the Nebraska license costs
The fees the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, Pesticide Program lists. Exam fees from a testing company, insurance and any bond come on top.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Commercial applicator license, three years | $90 |
What pest control technicians earn in Nebraska
The median pest control technician in Nebraska earned $18.73 an hour in May 2025, 41st of 50 states, with 460 on payrolls. The national median was $21.75.
At the bottom of the range, a quarter of pest control technicians in Nebraska earned under $16.61 an hour and a tenth under $14.10. At the top, a quarter earned over $27.54 and a tenth over $31.83.
| Pay level | Hourly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $14.10 | $29,330 |
| 25th percentile | $16.61 | $34,540 |
| Median | $18.73 | $38,960 |
| 75th percentile | $27.54 | $57,290 |
| 90th percentile | $31.83 | $66,200 |
Every state, the neighbors and what a business should charge: pest control technician salary in Nebraska.
Jobs ahead in Nebraska
Nebraska's labor market office projects jobs for pest control technicians growing from 420 in 2022 to 440 in 2032, a change of 4.8%. Counting people who retire or change careers, that is about 60 openings a year.
Jobs are projected to grow 4.8% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the 3.2% projected nationally, ranking 28th 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 Nebraska
To contract on your own in Nebraska, the license is the Commercial pesticide applicator license.
Pricing comes next. Paying yourself the Nebraska median of $18.73 an hour, the labor rate calculator's starting numbers (one person, 2 unbilled hours a day, $90,000 of overhead, 15% profit) come to $103.48 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 Nebraska'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 applicator certification (checked 2026-10-09)
- Certification and training answers (PDF) (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.