- Wisconsin requires a Pesticide Business License from the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection for any business that applies pesticides for hire, and every applicator must hold an individual commercial applicator license.
- Plan for a trade exam.
- Pay runs from about $17.69 an hour for the lowest-paid tenth of pest control technicians to $28.73 for the top tenth.
- Jobs are projected to grow 8.7% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the 3.2% projected nationally.
The path in Wisconsin, step by step
Wisconsin licenses pest control work at the state level through the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, Bureau of Agrichemical Management. These are the steps it lays out, in order.
- Get certified as a commercial pesticide applicator in your categories.
- Apply for your individual commercial applicator license.
- Apply for the business license for each location. You can apply for both at once.
- Renew by December 31 each year.
The full license guide, with every fee and form: pest control license in Wisconsin.
Finding an apprenticeship in Wisconsin
Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin
The license to aim for: Commercial Pesticide Application Business License, plus an individual commercial applicator license.
Trade exam. Commercial pesticide applicator certification is required for the individual license.
Keeping it. Every year. Licenses expire December 31, and applications after that date pay a late fee.
Coming from another state. Applicators certified in an equivalent category by their home state's pesticide agency can apply for a reciprocal Wisconsin certification and license.
What the Wisconsin license costs
The fees the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, Bureau of Agrichemical Management lists. Exam fees from a testing company, insurance and any bond come on top.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Business license fee plus ACCP surcharge (surcharge varies each year) | $90 |
What pest control technicians earn in Wisconsin
The median pest control technician in Wisconsin earned $21.81 an hour in May 2025, 21st of 50 states, with 1,060 on payrolls. The national median was $21.75.
At the bottom of the range, a quarter of pest control technicians in Wisconsin earned under $18.30 an hour and a tenth under $17.69. At the top, a quarter earned over $23.14 and a tenth over $28.73.
| Pay level | Hourly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $17.69 | $36,800 |
| 25th percentile | $18.30 | $38,070 |
| Median | $21.81 | $45,350 |
| 75th percentile | $23.14 | $48,120 |
| 90th percentile | $28.73 | $59,750 |
Every state, the neighbors and what a business should charge: pest control technician salary in Wisconsin.
Jobs ahead in Wisconsin
Wisconsin's labor market office projects jobs for pest control technicians growing from 690 in 2022 to 750 in 2032, a change of 8.7%. Counting people who retire or change careers, that is about 100 openings a year.
Jobs are projected to grow 8.7% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the 3.2% projected nationally, ranking 22nd 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 Wisconsin
To contract on your own in Wisconsin, the license is the Commercial Pesticide Application Business License, plus an individual commercial applicator license.
Pricing comes next. Paying yourself the Wisconsin median of $21.81 an hour, the labor rate calculator's starting numbers (one person, 2 unbilled hours a day, $90,000 of overhead, 15% profit) come to $108.89 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 Wisconsin'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 business licensing (checked 2026-10-09)
- Pesticide licensing fact sheet (PDF) (checked 2026-10-09)
- Business license application (PDF) (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.