- Tennessee requires any company that offers custom pesticide application to hold a pest control charter from the Department of Agriculture, with at least one licensee in each category of service.
- Two years of verifiable experience under a licensee in the category, or a related four year degree, or a similar license in another state.
- Plan for a trade exam.
- Pay runs from about $14.70 an hour for the lowest-paid tenth of pest control technicians to $27.05 for the top tenth.
- Jobs are projected to grow 11% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the 3.2% projected nationally.
The path in Tennessee, step by step
Tennessee licenses pest control work at the state level through the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Pesticide Program. These are the steps it lays out, in order.
- Get commercially certified in the right category, such as category 7 for structural work.
- Qualify with two years under a licensee, a related degree, or a license from another state.
- Pass the online license exam ($150) with 70 percent.
- Apply for the charter with the $10,000 bond and proof of liability insurance.
The full license guide, with every fee and form: pest control license in Tennessee.
Finding an apprenticeship in Tennessee
Tennessee 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 Tennessee 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 Tennessee
The license to aim for: Pest control charter, with a licensee in each category (such as GRC or WDO).
Trade exam. Commercial certification first, then an online license exam with questions and specimen identification. You need 70 percent.
| License | What it covers |
|---|---|
| General Pest and Rodent Control (GRC) | Pests that invade structures, not covered by other categories. |
| Wood Destroying Organisms (WDO) | Termites, wood borers, carpenter bees, carpenter ants and decay. |
| Fumigation, Structural (FUM) | Pest control by gas. |
| Bird Control (BDC) | Bird pests. |
What the Tennessee license costs
The fees the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Pesticide Program lists. Exam fees from a testing company, insurance and any bond come on top.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Charter, per year (prorated) | $200 |
| License exam | $150 |
| License, per category per year (prorated) | $20 |
What pest control technicians earn in Tennessee
The median pest control technician in Tennessee earned $19.08 an hour in May 2025, 39th of 50 states, with 3,340 on payrolls. The national median was $21.75.
At the bottom of the range, a quarter of pest control technicians in Tennessee earned under $17.80 an hour and a tenth under $14.70. At the top, a quarter earned over $22.35 and a tenth over $27.05.
| Pay level | Hourly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $14.70 | $30,570 |
| 25th percentile | $17.80 | $37,020 |
| Median | $19.08 | $39,690 |
| 75th percentile | $22.35 | $46,480 |
| 90th percentile | $27.05 | $56,270 |
Every state, the neighbors and what a business should charge: pest control technician salary in Tennessee.
Jobs ahead in Tennessee
Tennessee's labor market office projects jobs for pest control technicians growing from 2,720 in 2022 to 3,020 in 2032, a change of 11%. Counting people who retire or change careers, that is about 400 openings a year.
Jobs are projected to grow 11% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the 3.2% projected nationally, ranking 17th 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 Tennessee
To contract on your own in Tennessee, the license is the Pest control charter, with a licensee in each category (such as GRC or WDO).
Insurance. Liability insurance of at least $250,000 per incident and $500,000 aggregate. Firms with a WDO licensee also carry errors and omissions coverage of $100,000 per incident and $300,000 aggregate.
Bond. A $10,000 surety bond for the charter. New companies with a WDO, GRC, FUM or BDC licensee need a $50,000 bond.
Pricing comes next. Paying yourself the Tennessee median of $19.08 an hour, the labor rate calculator's starting numbers (one person, 2 unbilled hours a day, $90,000 of overhead, 15% profit) come to $104.10 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 Tennessee'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.
- Certification, licensing and charters (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.