Commercial Pest Control recruiters serving Bakersfield.
Bakersfield has 44% more pest control workers per job than the country as a whole, about 320 in the metro. BLS counts 61 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 Bakersfield.
BLS counts about 320 pest control workers in the Bakersfield metro. Relative to the size of the local economy, pest control workers are far more concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 1.44). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Pest Control hub.
Commercial Pest Control Technician
Bakersfield: 320 employed · $45,260 median, 46th-highest of 109 metros
Licensed Pest Control Applicator
Termite / WDI Inspector
Fumigation Technician
Commercial Account Manager
Bakersfield: 1,540 employed · $62,620 median, 52nd-highest of 111 metros
Pest Control Branch / Route Manager
Bakersfield: 490 employed · $95,510 median, 102nd-highest of 112 metros
Pest Control Service Manager
Bakersfield: 4,100 employed · $104,460 median, 48th-highest of 112 metros
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Specialist
Bird / Wildlife Exclusion Technician
Pest Control Sales / Business Development Rep
Bakersfield: 1,530 employed · $74,190 median, 33rd-highest of 112 metros
What Commercial Pest Control roles earn in Bakersfield.
Pest control workers in Bakersfield earn a median $45,260, level with the $45,250 national figure, and 46th of 109 metros. Pay runs $35,910 at the tenth percentile to $64,710 at the ninetieth.
| Role | Bakersfield median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Pest Control Technician · Licensed Pest Control Applicator · Termite / WDI InspectorPest Control Workers (37-2021) | $45,260 | $35,910–$64,710 | $45,250 | 0% | 320 |
| Commercial Account ManagerSales Representatives of Services (41-3091) | $62,620 | $38,020–$121,510 | $69,990 | −11% | 1,540 |
| Pest Control Branch / Route ManagerTransportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers (11-3071) | $95,510 | $69,690–$162,500 | $107,230 | −11% | 490 |
| Pest Control Service ManagerGeneral and Operations Managers (11-1021) | $104,460 | $53,910–$218,740 | $105,770 | −1% | 4,100 |
| Pest Control Sales / Business Development RepSales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing (41-4012) | $74,190 | $40,100–$137,040 | $72,080 | +3% | 1,530 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Bakersfield 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 Bakersfield's commercial pest control market has changed since 2018.
The number of pest control companies in Bakersfield rose from 45 in 2018 to 61 in 2023, up 36%, ahead of the 16% national rise. Headcount at those firms went up 13%, to about 375 people. Average annual pay there went from $45,153 to $51,980 (+15%), slower than the 22% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pest control companies: business locations | 45 | 61 | +36% |
| Pest control companies: employment | 331 | 375 | +13% |
| Pest control companies: average annual pay | $45,153 | $51,980 | +15% |
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
Bakersfield runs 44% more commercial pest control workers per job than the country as a whole — well above the national concentration. More per job means more people to reach, and more employers reaching 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 Bakersfield's commercial pest control market compares
Among the 98 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Bakersfield ranks 61st for headcount, 41st for median pay and 28th for concentration for pest control workers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sacramento | 1,860 | $48,420 | 2.61 | 116 |
| Riverside | 1,540 | $45,250 | 1.36 | 257 |
| San Diego | 1,230 | $47,470 | 1.21 | 182 |
| San Francisco | 1,210 | $53,380 | 0.77 | 147 |
| San Jose | 590 | $53,050 | 0.79 | 65 |
| Fresno | 480 | $45,730 | 1.53 | 64 |
| Bakersfield | 320 | $45,260 | 1.44 | 61 |
| Stockton | 230 | $47,240 | 1.18 | 29 |
| Modesto | 160 | $47,480 | 1.22 | 34 |
| Los Angeles | – | $47,190 | – | 625 |
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 Bakersfield, the pool is deep and still growing, so the constraint is competition rather than supply. Move fast on good candidates, because another local firm is probably talking to them too.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Bakersfield metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Commercial Pest Control licensing in California.
Individuals are licensed as Applicators (Branch 2 general pest or Branch 3 wood-destroying organisms), Field Representatives (inspections and contracting in any branch) or Operators (can own a company or serve as its qualifying manager), and Applicators and Field Representatives must work for a registered company. Each license requires passing a board exam and a Live Scan background check, and Operator candidates must also complete pre-operator courses. The same state rules apply in Los Angeles, Riverside, San Francisco, San Diego, Sacramento, San Jose, Fresno, Stockton and Modesto, so candidates licensed there can work in Bakersfield without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: Structural Pest Control Board (California Department of Consumer Affairs). Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Bakersfield talent.
The closest metro we cover is Los Angeles, about 100 miles away. San Jose pays the most nearby, a $53,050 median, 17% above Bakersfield. That is the number any Bakersfield offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Riverside has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield | – | 320 | $45,260 |
| Los Angeles | 101 mi | – | $47,190 |
| Fresno | 104 mi | 480 | $45,730 |
| Riverside | 135 mi | 1,540 | $45,250 |
| Modesto | 191 mi | 160 | $47,480 |
| San Jose | 210 mi | 590 | $53,050 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Bakersfield crews.
Not commercial pest control work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Bakersfield in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Bakersfield Renewable Fuels refinery conversion$365M capital partnershipCompleted 2024; restructured 2025, now operating as Grapevine Energy Holdings
Converted a former crude-oil refinery into a renewable diesel bio-refinery producing roughly 250,000 gallons per day. The project went through a 2025 prepackaged Chapter 11 restructuring after a dispute with its EPC contractor and emerged 118 days later under new ownership - real turbulence, but the facility itself is operating.
- Regional clean-energy investment$69B (region-wide, as reported)Cumulative through 2026
Kern County has attracted a large wave of renewable natural gas, solar-to-hydrogen, and related facility investment, reshaping the region's traditional oil-and-gas industrial base.
These are the 2 projects we track in Bakersfield. The Bakersfield market page covers hiring conditions across every trade here.
What credentials matter for commercial pest control, and what kills offers in Bakersfield.
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 Bakersfield.
What do pest control workers earn in Bakersfield?
BLS puts the Bakersfield median for pest control workers at $45,260 a year, about the same as the $45,250 national median. That ranks 46th of 109 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Most of the market sits between $35,910 and $64,710, a 1.8x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. Within California, San Francisco pays more, at $53,380.
Is it hard to hire pest control workers in Bakersfield?
Not by national standards. Pest control workers make up 44% more of the Bakersfield workforce than they do nationally, about 320 people. The 61 pest control companies here average about 6.1 employees per location, mostly small shops, so candidates often know every employer in town by name. With 36% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial pest control roles pay the most in Bakersfield?
Of the roles we recruit for, Pest Control Service Manager pays the most in Bakersfield, a $104,460 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Commercial Pest Control Technician at $45,260, 57% below it. Pest Control Branch / Route Manager trails national pay the most (11% below).
How many pest control companies operate in Bakersfield?
BLS counted 61 pest control companies in Bakersfield in 2023, employing about 375 people between them. Up from 45 in 2018, a 36% increase against 16% growth nationally. That averages 6.1 people per location, so most are small shops. They pay an average of $51,980, 5% below the $54,678 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Bakersfield for pest control workers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Los Angeles (101 miles, $47,190 median), Fresno (104 miles, about 480, $45,730 median) and Riverside (135 miles, about 1,540, $45,250 median). Riverside has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move.
Plenty of people. Few of them looking.
Bakersfield has one of the deeper pools of pest control workers we cover, but the best of them are already working. Let's find the ones ready to move.
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