- The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management certifies and licenses commercial pesticide applicators.
- Plan for a trade exam.
- Pay runs from about $17.75 an hour for the lowest-paid tenth of pest control technicians to $31.37 for the top tenth.
The path in Rhode Island, step by step
Rhode Island licenses pest control work at the state level through the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, Division of Agriculture, Pesticides. These are the steps it lays out, in order.
- Study the national core manual and Rhode Island's pesticide law and rules.
- Pass the commercial licensing exam online.
- For restricted use pesticides, register for and pass the category certificate exams.
- Keep recertification credits and send them in every 5 years.
The full license guide, with every fee and form: pest control license in Rhode Island.
Finding an apprenticeship in Rhode Island
Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island
The license to aim for: Commercial pesticide applicator license.
Trade exam. A closed book commercial licensing exam, taken online. For restricted use certificate categories such as 7A or 7B, open book category exams follow.
Keeping it. Submit recertification credits every 5 years with your renewal paperwork. Credits approved by any New England state count.
What the Rhode Island license costs
The fees the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, Division of Agriculture, Pesticides lists. Exam fees from a testing company, insurance and any bond come on top.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Online category exam convenience fee | $30.11 |
What pest control technicians earn in Rhode Island
The median pest control technician in Rhode Island earned $21.65 an hour in May 2025, 24th of 50 states, with 270 on payrolls. The national median was $21.75.
At the bottom of the range, a quarter of pest control technicians in Rhode Island earned under $20.26 an hour and a tenth under $17.75. At the top, a quarter earned over $27.24 and a tenth over $31.37.
| Pay level | Hourly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $17.75 | $36,920 |
| 25th percentile | $20.26 | $42,140 |
| Median | $21.65 | $45,030 |
| 75th percentile | $27.24 | $56,650 |
| 90th percentile | $31.37 | $65,250 |
Every state, the neighbors and what a business should charge: pest control technician salary in Rhode Island.
Starting your own pest control technician business in Rhode Island
To contract on your own in Rhode Island, the license is the Commercial pesticide applicator license.
Pricing comes next. Paying yourself the Rhode Island median of $21.65 an hour, the labor rate calculator's starting numbers (one person, 2 unbilled hours a day, $90,000 of overhead, 15% profit) come to $108.61 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 Rhode Island'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 safety and IPM training (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.