- Applying pesticides on other people's land or homes in Vermont requires commercial applicator certification from the Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets, and the applicator must work for a licensed pesticide company.
- Plan for a trade exam.
- Pay runs from about $17.55 an hour for the lowest-paid tenth of pest control technicians to $30.74 for the top tenth.
- Jobs are projected to grow 25% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the 3.2% projected nationally.
The path in Vermont, step by step
Vermont licenses pest control work at the state level through the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets, Pesticide Programs. These are the steps it lays out, in order.
- Study the core manual and your category manuals.
- Pass the Core exam and at least one category exam.
- Fill out the applicator application and the pesticide company form.
- Pay the $75 company fee and your category fees.
- Renew every year by December 31.
The full license guide, with every fee and form: pest control license in Vermont.
Finding an apprenticeship in Vermont
Vermont 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 Vermont 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 Vermont
The license to aim for: Commercial pesticide company license, plus commercial applicator certification.
Trade exam. The Core exam and at least one category exam. In person exams cost $25 each; online exams through Everblue cost $60 each.
Keeping it. Every year. Licenses expire December 31. Certification lasts 5 years if you keep renewing and earn continuing education credits.
What the Vermont license costs
The fees the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets, Pesticide Programs lists. Exam fees from a testing company, insurance and any bond come on top.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Commercial pesticide company license, yearly | $75 |
| Applicator categories, per category per year | $30 (no more than $120 a year) |
| In person exam, each | $25 |
| Online exam, each | $60 |
What pest control technicians earn in Vermont
The median pest control technician in Vermont earned $22.27 an hour in May 2025, 17th of 50 states, with 80 on payrolls. The national median was $21.75.
At the bottom of the range, a quarter of pest control technicians in Vermont earned under $19.53 an hour and a tenth under $17.55. At the top, a quarter earned over $26.55 and a tenth over $30.74.
| Pay level | Hourly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $17.55 | $36,510 |
| 25th percentile | $19.53 | $40,620 |
| Median | $22.27 | $46,320 |
| 75th percentile | $26.55 | $55,230 |
| 90th percentile | $30.74 | $63,940 |
Every state, the neighbors and what a business should charge: pest control technician salary in Vermont.
Jobs ahead in Vermont
Vermont's labor market office projects jobs for pest control technicians growing from 80 in 2022 to 100 in 2032, a change of 25%. Counting people who retire or change careers, that is about 10 openings a year.
Jobs are projected to grow 25% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the 3.2% projected nationally, ranking 4th 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 Vermont
To contract on your own in Vermont, the license is the Commercial pesticide company license, plus commercial applicator certification.
Pricing comes next. Paying yourself the Vermont median of $22.27 an hour, the labor rate calculator's starting numbers (one person, 2 unbilled hours a day, $90,000 of overhead, 15% profit) come to $109.70 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 Vermont'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 applicator types and certification (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.