- Every New York business location that offers or does commercial pesticide application must register with the Department of Environmental Conservation, and employ an applicator certified in its categories.
- Plan for a trade exam.
- Pay runs from about $18.05 an hour for the lowest-paid tenth of pest control technicians to $34.59 for the top tenth.
The path in New York, step by step
New York licenses pest control work at the state level through the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Bureau of Pesticides Management. These are the steps it lays out, in order.
- Get certified, or employ an applicator certified in each category marked as needing one.
- Buy commercial general liability insurance of at least $1,000,000.
- Mail the business registration application with the insurance certificate.
- Pay the $900 invoice within 30 days. The registration is issued once paid.
The full license guide, with every fee and form: pest control license in New York.
Finding an apprenticeship in New York
New York 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 New York 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 New York
The license to aim for: Pesticide business registration, with a certified commercial applicator.
Trade exam. Applicator certification exams, which can now be taken several ways, including at home on your own computer.
Keeping it. Every three years. The expiration date depends on your DEC region. Mail renewals at least 45 days early.
| License | What it covers |
|---|---|
| 7a Structural and Rodent Control | Requires an applicator certified in this category. |
| 7b Fumigation | Requires an applicator certified in this category. |
| 7c Termite | Requires an applicator certified in this category. |
What the New York license costs
The fees the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Bureau of Pesticides Management lists. Exam fees from a testing company, insurance and any bond come on top.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Business registration, three years | $900 |
What pest control technicians earn in New York
The median pest control technician in New York earned $23.33 an hour in May 2025, 8th of 50 states, with 4,220 on payrolls. The national median was $21.75.
At the bottom of the range, a quarter of pest control technicians in New York earned under $22.04 an hour and a tenth under $18.05. At the top, a quarter earned over $28.83 and a tenth over $34.59.
| Pay level | Hourly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $18.05 | $37,550 |
| 25th percentile | $22.04 | $45,840 |
| Median | $23.33 | $48,530 |
| 75th percentile | $28.83 | $59,970 |
| 90th percentile | $34.59 | $71,960 |
Every state, the neighbors and what a business should charge: pest control technician salary in New York.
Starting your own pest control technician business in New York
To contract on your own in New York, the license is the Pesticide business registration, with a certified commercial applicator.
Insurance. Commercial general liability of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence, with the DEC section listed as certificate holder.
Pricing comes next. Paying yourself the New York median of $23.33 an hour, the labor rate calculator's starting numbers (one person, 2 unbilled hours a day, $90,000 of overhead, 15% profit) come to $111.56 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 York'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.
- Pesticides (checked 2026-10-09)
- Pesticide business registration application (PDF) (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.