Commercial Pest Control recruiters serving Akron.
Pest control workers are scarcer in Akron than in most of the country, 35% fewer per job, so the roughly 140 who work here are rarely short of offers. BLS counts 26 business locations of pest control companies across the metro. Below: local pay for every role we staff, the state licensing rules that apply and the nearby markets competing for the same people.
Positions we recruit for in Akron.
BLS counts about 140 pest control workers in the Akron metro. Relative to the size of the local economy, pest control workers are far less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.65). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Pest Control hub.
Commercial Pest Control Technician
Akron: 140 employed · $44,520 median, 62nd-highest of 109 metros
Licensed Pest Control Applicator
Termite / WDI Inspector
Fumigation Technician
Commercial Account Manager
Akron: 2,380 employed · $58,050 median, 86th-highest of 111 metros
Pest Control Branch / Route Manager
Akron: 630 employed · $101,480 median, 69th-highest of 112 metros
Pest Control Service Manager
Akron: 9,010 employed · $98,340 median, 78th-highest of 112 metros
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Specialist
Bird / Wildlife Exclusion Technician
Pest Control Sales / Business Development Rep
Akron: 4,170 employed · $74,990 median, 28th-highest of 112 metros
What Commercial Pest Control roles earn in Akron.
Pest control workers in Akron earn a median $44,520, level with the $45,250 national figure, and 62nd of 109 metros. Pay runs $38,010 at the tenth percentile to $66,300 at the ninetieth.
| Role | Akron median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Pest Control Technician · Licensed Pest Control Applicator · Termite / WDI InspectorPest Control Workers (37-2021) | $44,520 | $38,010–$66,300 | $45,250 | −2% | 140 |
| Commercial Account ManagerSales Representatives of Services (41-3091) | $58,050 | $30,790–$116,920 | $69,990 | −17% | 2,380 |
| Pest Control Branch / Route ManagerTransportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers (11-3071) | $101,480 | $60,310–$181,730 | $107,230 | −5% | 630 |
| Pest Control Service ManagerGeneral and Operations Managers (11-1021) | $98,340 | $48,110–$215,300 | $105,770 | −7% | 9,010 |
| Pest Control Sales / Business Development RepSales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing (41-4012) | $74,990 | $40,890–$139,260 | $72,080 | +4% | 4,170 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Akron metro. Range is 10th to 90th percentile; management and office roles are metro-wide. A metro ranking counts only the metros where BLS publishes that occupation.
How Akron's commercial pest control market has changed since 2018.
The number of pest control companies in Akron rose from 23 in 2018 to 26 in 2023, up 13%, close to the 16% national change. BLS stops short of publishing headcount and pay for them here, which happens when a handful of firms account for most of the work.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pest control companies: business locations | 23 | 26 | +13% |
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, private employers, annual averages. A dash means BLS did not publish the figure.
Free Commercial Pest Control hiring resources.
Definitive Guide to Commercial Pest Control · 2026 Commercial Pest Control Salary Guide · 3-Step Interview Guide for Commercial Pest Control
Akron runs 35% fewer commercial pest control workers per job than the country as a whole — well below the national concentration. Fewer per job means the people you want are already working, and usually for someone who would rather keep them.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Pest Control Workers. Metro-wide figures for the base occupation; the wage table above is role-specific and commercial.
How Akron's commercial pest control market compares
Among the 98 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Akron ranks 90th for headcount, 56th for median pay and 77th for concentration for pest control workers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus | 500 | $40,460 | 0.69 | 73 |
| Cincinnati | 430 | $42,890 | 0.59 | 89 |
| Cleveland | 310 | $42,150 | 0.45 | 70 |
| Dayton | 170 | $39,310 | 0.69 | 32 |
| Akron | 140 | $44,520 | 0.65 | 26 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial pest control employers in Akron, the local pool is thinner than most, so plan on recruiting some roles in from outside the metro.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Akron metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Commercial Pest Control licensing in Ohio.
Ohio issues a commercial pesticide applicator license and allows unlicensed staff to work as a Trained Serviceperson. Structural work is category 10, Domestic, institutional, structural and health-related pest control, with subcategory 10a general pest control, 10b termite control, 10c fumigation and 10d mosquito, house fly and other vector control, and there is a separate category 12, Wood-destroying insect diagnostic inspection. A Trained Serviceperson must complete training before first handling pesticides, must be employed by the same company as the supervising licensed applicator, must be within 25 miles or two hours of that supervisor during an application, and cannot work in the wood-destroying insect inspection or aerial categories. For termite or real estate inspection work, confirm the candidate holds 10b and, for diagnostic inspections, category 12. Governed by ORC Chapter 921 and OAC 901:5-11. The same state rules apply in Cincinnati, Columbus, Cleveland and Dayton, so candidates licensed there can work in Akron without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: Ohio Department of Agriculture, Pesticide and Fertilizer Regulation Section. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Akron talent.
The closest metro we cover is Cleveland, about 30 miles away, with roughly 310 pest control workers (2.2 times Akron's 140). Akron pays more than every metro we cover within reach ($44,520 median), which helps when recruiting people in from Dayton at $39,310. Detroit has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Akron | – | 140 | $44,520 |
| Cleveland | 30 mi | 310 | $42,150 |
| Pittsburgh | 91 mi | 420 | $44,370 |
| Columbus | 110 mi | 500 | $40,460 |
| Detroit | 117 mi | 730 | $44,470 |
| Dayton | 168 mi | 170 | $39,310 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Akron crews.
Not commercial pest control work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Akron in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Akron Children's Hospital Considine Building addition~$84M (230,000 sq ft)Completed 2018
Consolidated hospital functions previously spread across leased spaces into a purpose-built addition - a completed, historical example of the healthcare-construction capacity this metro delivers, not an active current driver.
- Akron 2026 Capital Budget$341.9M2026 fiscal year
Water/sewer infrastructure (including the Northside Interceptor Tunnel and $23.5M Brittain Road Reservoir replacement), $53M+ in transportation projects, and a multi-year Stubbs Justice Center renovation.
- East End & Goodyear HQ redevelopmentUndisclosed (400-acre site)Phase II ongoing
A 642,000 sq ft consolidated Goodyear world headquarters already built, with Phase II reimagining the original 1.4 million sq ft Goodyear Headquarters and Goodyear Hall as a mixed-use "live, work, play" district.
Showing 3 of 4 projects tracked in this metro. The Akron market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for commercial pest control, and what kills offers in Akron.
The 2 credentials that gate the work and the 3 things that most often end a commercial pest control offer are the same in every market, kept in one place: Commercial Pest Control credentials and offer risks, each linked to the body that issues it. What is local is the licensing rule above and the pay further up this page.
Frequently asked - Commercial Pest Control hiring in Akron.
What do pest control workers earn in Akron?
BLS puts the Akron median for pest control workers at $44,520 a year, about the same as the $45,250 national median. That ranks 62nd of 109 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Most of the market sits between $38,010 and $66,300, a 1.7x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. No other Ohio metro we cover pays more for this work.
Is it hard to hire pest control workers in Akron?
Yes. Akron has 35% fewer pest control workers per job than the country as a whole, roughly 140 in the metro, so most of the people worth hiring are already employed. With 13% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial pest control roles pay the most in Akron?
Of the roles we recruit for, Pest Control Branch / Route Manager pays the most in Akron, a $101,480 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Commercial Pest Control Technician at $44,520, 56% below it. Relative to national pay, Pest Control Sales / Business Development Rep is the strongest-paying role here (4% above). Commercial Account Manager trails national pay the most (17% below).
How many pest control companies operate in Akron?
BLS counted 26 pest control companies in Akron in 2023. Up from 23 in 2018, a 13% increase against 16% growth nationally. BLS withholds their combined headcount and pay here, which it does when a category is small enough that the figures could identify individual employers.
Which nearby metros compete with Akron for pest control workers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Cleveland (30 miles, about 310, $42,150 median), Pittsburgh (91 miles, about 420, $44,370 median) and Columbus (110 miles, about 500, $40,460 median). Cleveland has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Akron out-pays Cleveland and Columbus, an advantage when recruiting from there.
Thin market. Short list anyway.
With pest control workers this scarce in Akron, an open seat rarely fills from a job posting. Let's line up the people before the next one opens.
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