- Anyone in the business of structural pest control in Texas needs a business license from the Texas Department of Agriculture's Structural Pest Control Service, with a responsible certified applicator.
- Pay runs from about $14.21 an hour for the lowest-paid tenth of pest control technicians to $28.67 for the top tenth.
- Jobs are projected to grow 18.7% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the 3.2% projected nationally.
The path in Texas, step by step
Texas licenses pest control work at the state level through the Texas Department of Agriculture, Structural Pest Control Service. These are the steps it lays out, in order.
- Become a commercial certified applicator, or hire one to be your Responsible Certified Applicator.
- Get liability insurance and have it filed on form ALS-1101.
- Apply for the business license with your tax ID and pay $300.
- Wait for the license before you advertise or work.
The full license guide, with every fee and form: pest control license in Texas.
Finding an apprenticeship in Texas
Texas 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 Texas Office of Apprenticeship 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 Texas
The license to aim for: Structural pest control commercial business license, with a Responsible Certified Applicator.
Keeping it. Renew before the expiration date with current insurance and the renewal fee. A lapsed license cannot operate until renewed.
What the Texas license costs
The fees the Texas Department of Agriculture, Structural Pest Control Service lists. Exam fees from a testing company, insurance and any bond come on top.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Commercial business license | $300 |
What pest control technicians earn in Texas
The median pest control technician in Texas earned $18.11 an hour in May 2025, 47th of 50 states, with 9,470 on payrolls. The national median was $21.75.
At the bottom of the range, a quarter of pest control technicians in Texas earned under $17.10 an hour and a tenth under $14.21. At the top, a quarter earned over $21.69 and a tenth over $28.67.
| Pay level | Hourly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $14.21 | $29,550 |
| 25th percentile | $17.10 | $35,570 |
| Median | $18.11 | $37,660 |
| 75th percentile | $21.69 | $45,110 |
| 90th percentile | $28.67 | $59,630 |
Every state, the neighbors and what a business should charge: pest control technician salary in Texas.
Jobs ahead in Texas
Texas's labor market office projects jobs for pest control technicians growing from 8,750 in 2022 to 10,390 in 2032, a change of 18.7%. Counting people who retire or change careers, that is about 1,380 openings a year.
Jobs are projected to grow 18.7% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the 3.2% projected nationally, ranking 6th 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 Texas
To contract on your own in Texas, the license is the Structural pest control commercial business license, with a Responsible Certified Applicator.
Insurance. At least $500,000 bodily injury and property damage coverage, $1,000,000 aggregate, filed on form ALS-1101. The care, custody and control exclusion must be removed.
Pricing comes next. Paying yourself the Texas median of $18.11 an hour, the labor rate calculator's starting numbers (one person, 2 unbilled hours a day, $90,000 of overhead, 15% profit) come to $102.39 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 Texas'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.
- Structural pest control business (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.