Agriculture

Pest control technician

Pest control technicians identify and get rid of pests like rats, mice and cockroaches.

Annual Salary

£17,000 to £30,000

Working hours

45 to 47 a week

You could work: between 8am and 6pm;

5.4%
Future employment

There will be 5.4% more Pest control technician jobs in 2027.
In your local area

What's it all about?

Day-to-day tasks

In your day-to-day duties you may:

  • investigate and identify pests
  • collect dead animals and samples for analysis
  • find out how pests are getting into buildings
  • choose a method of control
  • spray chemicals to get rid of insects
  • lay poison and traps or use air guns to control birds and animals
  • repair an area to stop pests returning
  • advise people how to prevent further problems
  • complete reports and keep records
  • handle and store chemicals
  • get rid of dead or captured animals

Working environment

You may need to wear protective clothing.

You could work at a client's business or at a client's home.

Your working environment may be at height, dirty and cramped.

You can get into this job through:

  • an apprenticeship
  • applying directly
  • training with a professional body
Apprenticeship

You could start by doing a pest control technician intermediate apprenticeship.

When you have successfully completed your apprenticeship you can apply to become a British Pest Control Association (BPCA) registered pest control technician.

Entry requirements

There are no set entry requirements but it may help you to get in if you have:

  • some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
For more information
Direct application

You could apply directly to become a pest control technician. Employers usually look for GCSEs in English and maths.

Experience in the building trade, health and safety, or in handling chemicals may be useful. Many companies will offer training on the job if you have the right qualities.

Other routes

You could start by doing an online foundation course through a professional body like the British Pest Control Association. You could then move on to further training to get industry-recognised qualifications.

Requirements and restrictions

You'll need to:

More information

Professional and industry bodies

You could join the British Pest Control Association and National Pest Technicians Association for professional development and training opportunities.

Further information

You can find out more about working in pest control through the British Pest Control Association.

With experience you could be promoted to supervisor or manager.

You could also start your own business.

Skills required and how your skills match up

What skills are required?

  • customer service skills
  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • the ability to work on your own
  • the ability to work well with others
  • the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
  • patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
  • knowledge of public safety and security
  • excellent verbal communication skills
  • the ability to think clearly using logic and reasoning
  • to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
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