- In South Carolina a business doing structural pest control (Category 7A) needs a Pesticide Business License from the Department of Pesticide Regulation, with a Designated Certified Applicator.
- The Designated Certified Applicator needs a four year natural sciences degree or at least two years of verifiable pest control experience.
- Plan for a trade exam.
- Pay runs from about $15.79 an hour for the lowest-paid tenth of pest control technicians to $28.79 for the top tenth.
- Jobs are projected to grow 15.7% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the 3.2% projected nationally.
The path in South Carolina, step by step
South Carolina licenses pest control work at the state level through the South Carolina Department of Pesticide Regulation (Clemson University Regulatory Services). These are the steps it lays out, in order.
- Get two years of verifiable pest control experience, or a natural sciences degree.
- Pass the commercial applicator exams, including Category 7A, and get licensed.
- Apply for the business license with a Designated Certified Applicator in place.
- Pay $150 for the business license and $50 for the DCA license.
- Renew by December 31 each year.
The full license guide, with every fee and form: pest control license in South Carolina.
Finding an apprenticeship in South Carolina
South Carolina 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 South Carolina 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 South Carolina
The license to aim for: 7A Structural Pest Control Business License, with a Designated Certified Applicator.
Trade exam. The commercial applicator exams, including Category 7A.
Keeping it. Every year. Business licenses run January 1 to December 31.
Coming from another state. South Carolina offers reciprocal licenses with some states. For 7A, some states require both 7A and 7B, or both P and W phases, from the home state.
| License | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Category 7A | Industrial, institutional, structural and health related pest control. |
What the South Carolina license costs
The fees the South Carolina Department of Pesticide Regulation (Clemson University Regulatory Services) lists. Exam fees from a testing company, insurance and any bond come on top.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Business license | $150 |
| Designated Certified Applicator license | $50 |
| Commercial applicator license, new | $50 |
| Verifiable Technician Training, per technician | $50 |
What pest control technicians earn in South Carolina
The median pest control technician in South Carolina earned $20.73 an hour in May 2025, 32nd of 50 states, with 2,660 on payrolls. The national median was $21.75.
At the bottom of the range, a quarter of pest control technicians in South Carolina earned under $17.88 an hour and a tenth under $15.79. At the top, a quarter earned over $23.15 and a tenth over $28.79.
| Pay level | Hourly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $15.79 | $32,850 |
| 25th percentile | $17.88 | $37,180 |
| Median | $20.73 | $43,130 |
| 75th percentile | $23.15 | $48,140 |
| 90th percentile | $28.79 | $59,890 |
Every state, the neighbors and what a business should charge: pest control technician salary in South Carolina.
Jobs ahead in South Carolina
South Carolina's labor market office projects jobs for pest control technicians growing from 2,420 in 2022 to 2,800 in 2032, a change of 15.7%. Counting people who retire or change careers, that is about 370 openings a year.
Jobs are projected to grow 15.7% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the 3.2% projected nationally, ranking 14th 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 South Carolina
To contract on your own in South Carolina, the license is the 7A Structural Pest Control Business License, with a Designated Certified Applicator.
Pricing comes next. Paying yourself the South Carolina median of $20.73 an hour, the labor rate calculator's starting numbers (one person, 2 unbilled hours a day, $90,000 of overhead, 15% profit) come to $106.99 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 South Carolina'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 licensing (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.