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>Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources
>Environmental Service Systems
>Pest Control Workers
Pest Control Workers
Overview
Salary
Demand
Core Tasks
Technology Skills
Tools Used
Top 10 Knowledge Required
Top 10 Skills
Top 10 Abilities
Top 10 Work Activities
Detailed Work Activities
Work Context
Education
Interests
Top 10 Work Styles
Work Values
Related Careers
Overview
Job Zone Two: Some Preparation Needed
Experience
Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public.
Education
These occupations usually require a high school diploma.
Job Training
Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Examples
These occupations often involve using your knowledge and skills to help others. Examples include orderlies, counter and rental clerks, customer service representatives, security guards, upholsterers, and tellers.
Apply or release chemical solutions or toxic gases and set traps to kill or remove pests and vermin that infest buildings and surrounding areas.
Salary Salary
Salary at 10th Percentile: $24K
Salary at 25th Percentile: $30K
Median Salary: $37K
Salary at 75th Percentile: $48K
Salary at 90th Percentile: $61K
Demand
Core Tasks
Record work activities performed.
Inspect premises to identify infestation source and extent of damage to property, wall, or roof porosity and access to infested locations.
Recommend treatment and prevention methods for pest problems to clients.
Post warning signs and lock building doors to secure area to be fumigated.
Spray or dust chemical solutions, powders, or gases into rooms, onto clothing, furnishings, or wood, or over marshlands, ditches, or catch basins.
Clean work site after completion of job.
Drive truck equipped with power spraying equipment.
Measure area dimensions requiring treatment, calculate fumigant requirements, and estimate cost for service.
Study preliminary reports or diagrams of infested area and determine treatment type required to eliminate and prevent recurrence of infestation.
Direct, or assist other workers in, treatment or extermination processes to eliminate or control rodents, insects, or weeds.
Set mechanical traps, or place poisonous paste or bait in sewers, burrows, or ditches.
Cut or bore openings in building or surrounding concrete, access infested areas, insert nozzle, and inject pesticide to impregnate ground.
Clean and remove blockages from infested areas to facilitate spraying procedures and provide drainage, using brooms, mops, shovels, or rakes.
Position and fasten edges of tarpaulins over building, and tape vents to ensure air-tight environment and to check for leaks.
Dig up and burn weeds, or spray them with herbicides.
Technology Skills
Technology
Example
Hot Technology
Tools Used
Tool
Example
Top 10 Knowledge Required
Customer and Personal Service
77%
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Public Safety and Security
63%
Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
English Language
62%
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Chemistry
60%
Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
Biology
59%
Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
Law and Government
58%
Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Sales and Marketing
58%
Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
Mechanical
53%
Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Mathematics
51%
Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Administration and Management
49%
Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Top 10 Skills
Active Listening
75%
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Critical Thinking
75%
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Monitoring
73%
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Speaking
73%
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Writing
73%
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Time Management
70%
Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Social Perceptiveness
68%
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Complex Problem Solving
65%
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Service Orientation
65%
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Active Learning
63%
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Top 10 Abilities
Near Vision
80%
The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Oral Comprehension
75%
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression
75%
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Speech Clarity
75%
The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Deductive Reasoning
73%
The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Problem Sensitivity
73%
The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Speech Recognition
73%
The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Written Expression
73%
The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Far Vision
70%
The ability to see details at a distance.
Inductive Reasoning
70%
The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Top 10 Work Activities
Getting Information
86%
Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
86%
Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment
84%
Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material
83%
Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems
81%
Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
80%
Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Communicating with Persons Outside Organization
78%
Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
78%
Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
76%
Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
Performing General Physical Activities
75%
Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
Detailed Work Activities
Recommend products or services to customers.
Estimate maintenance service requirements or costs.
Document work hours or activities.
Inspect buildings or grounds to determine condition.
Treat greenery or surfaces with protective substances.
Clean facilities or sites.
Supervise maintenance workers.
Drive trucks or other vehicles to or at work sites.
Block physical access to restricted areas.
Notify others of emergencies, problems, or hazards.
Treat facilities to eliminate pests.
Evaluate reports or designs to determine work needs.
Seal gaps or cracks to prevent leakage or moisture intrusion.
Work Context
In an Enclosed Vehicle or Equipment
How often does this job require working in a closed vehicle or equipment (e.g., car)?
Outdoors, Exposed to Weather
How often does this job require working outdoors, exposed to all weather conditions?
Face-to-Face Discussions
How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
Telephone
How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
Exposed to Contaminants
How often does this job require working exposed to contaminants (such as pollutants, gases, dust or odors)?
Frequency of Decision Making
How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization?
Contact With Others
How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
Exposed to Hazardous Conditions
How often does this job require exposure to hazardous conditions?
Structured versus Unstructured Work
To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals?
Freedom to Make Decisions
How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?
Education
Interests
Realistic
100%
Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Conventional
58%
Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Enterprising
43%
Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
Investigative
29%
Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Social
29%
Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
Artistic
19%
Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
Top 10 Work Styles
Dependability
85%
Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Integrity
85%
Job requires being honest and ethical.
Attention to Detail
81%
Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Independence
80%
Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
Cooperation
78%
Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Stress Tolerance
78%
Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
Adaptability/Flexibility
76%
Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Initiative
76%
Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Persistence
76%
Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
Self Control
76%
Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Work Values
Independence
77%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Support
72%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
Relationships
67%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Achievement
48%
Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Working Conditions
43%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Recognition
34%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
