- If you apply pesticides for hire in New Jersey, state law requires a Pesticide Applicator Business License from the DEP Bureau of Pesticide Control, on top of your Commercial Pesticide Applicator license.
- 40 hours of on the job training with a New Jersey licensed commercial applicator in your exam category, plus a department approved Basic Pesticide Training Course before the Core exam.
- Plan for a trade exam.
- Pay runs from about $19.15 an hour for the lowest-paid tenth of pest control technicians to $28.69 for the top tenth.
- Jobs are projected to grow 6% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the 3.2% projected nationally.
The path in New Jersey, step by step
New Jersey licenses pest control work at the state level through the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Pesticide Control. These are the steps it lays out, in order.
- Take a department approved Basic Pesticide Training Course.
- Register through PACER and pass the Core exam.
- Complete 40 hours of on the job training and pass your Category exam.
- Send form VPA-013 to apply for the Pesticide Applicator Business License, then pay the $150 invoice.
- Renew every year before October 31.
The full license guide, with every fee and form: pest control license in New Jersey.
Finding an apprenticeship in New Jersey
New Jersey 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 New Jersey 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 New Jersey
The license to aim for: Pesticide Applicator Business License, plus a Commercial Pesticide Applicator license.
Trade exam. The Core exam and at least one Category exam, given by Rutgers through the PACER system.
Keeping it. Every year. The business license year ends October 31.
What the New Jersey license costs
The fees the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Pesticide Control lists. Exam fees from a testing company, insurance and any bond come on top.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Pesticide Applicator Business License | $150 |
What pest control technicians earn in New Jersey
The median pest control technician in New Jersey earned $23.45 an hour in May 2025, 5th of 50 states, with 2,270 on payrolls. The national median was $21.75.
At the bottom of the range, a quarter of pest control technicians in New Jersey earned under $22.38 an hour and a tenth under $19.15. At the top, a quarter earned over $28.15 and a tenth over $28.69.
| Pay level | Hourly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $19.15 | $39,830 |
| 25th percentile | $22.38 | $46,550 |
| Median | $23.45 | $48,780 |
| 75th percentile | $28.15 | $58,560 |
| 90th percentile | $28.69 | $59,680 |
Every state, the neighbors and what a business should charge: pest control technician salary in New Jersey.
Jobs ahead in New Jersey
New Jersey's labor market office projects jobs for pest control technicians growing from 2,340 in 2022 to 2,480 in 2032, a change of 6%. Counting people who retire or change careers, that is about 320 openings a year.
Jobs are projected to grow 6% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the 3.2% projected nationally, ranking 26th 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 New Jersey
To contract on your own in New Jersey, the license is the Pesticide Applicator Business License, plus a Commercial Pesticide Applicator license.
Insurance. Liability insurance with a $300,000 combined single limit, including completed operations and chemical liability coverage. Fumigation businesses need $500,000.
Pricing comes next. Paying yourself the New Jersey median of $23.45 an hour, the labor rate calculator's starting numbers (one person, 2 unbilled hours a day, $90,000 of overhead, 15% profit) come to $111.77 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 New Jersey'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 business licensing (checked 2026-10-09)
- Commercial pesticide applicator (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.