Commercial Pest Control recruiters serving Boston.
Boston has about 1,170 pest control workers, 17th of the 108 we cover, and still 35% fewer per job than the country - so they are rarely short of offers. BLS counts 184 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 Boston.
BLS counts about 1,170 pest control workers in the Boston 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
Boston: 1,170 employed · $45,570 median, 40th-highest of 109 metros
Licensed Pest Control Applicator
Termite / WDI Inspector
Fumigation Technician
Commercial Account Manager
Boston: 25,310 employed · $83,420 median, 5th-highest of 111 metros
Pest Control Branch / Route Manager
Boston: 3,190 employed · $128,760 median, 10th-highest of 112 metros
Pest Control Service Manager
Boston: 70,950 employed · $133,800 median, 11th-highest of 112 metros
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Specialist
Bird / Wildlife Exclusion Technician
Pest Control Sales / Business Development Rep
Boston: 14,010 employed · $79,670 median, 8th-highest of 112 metros
What Commercial Pest Control roles earn in Boston.
Pest control workers in Boston earn a median $45,570, level with the $45,250 national figure, and 40th of 109 metros. Pay runs $38,200 at the tenth percentile to $71,330 at the ninetieth.
| Role | Boston median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Pest Control Technician · Licensed Pest Control Applicator · Termite / WDI InspectorPest Control Workers (37-2021) | $45,570 | $38,200–$71,330 | $45,250 | +1% | 1,170 |
| Commercial Account ManagerSales Representatives of Services (41-3091) | $83,420 | $49,990–$164,020 | $69,990 | +19% | 25,310 |
| Pest Control Branch / Route ManagerTransportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers (11-3071) | $128,760 | $78,410–$234,670 | $107,230 | +20% | 3,190 |
| Pest Control Service ManagerGeneral and Operations Managers (11-1021) | $133,800 | $63,020–$329,130 | $105,770 | +27% | 70,950 |
| Pest Control Sales / Business Development RepSales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing (41-4012) | $79,670 | $46,810–$157,530 | $72,080 | +11% | 14,010 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Boston 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 Boston's commercial pest control market has changed since 2018.
The number of pest control companies in Boston rose from 163 in 2018 to 184 in 2023, up 13%, close to the 16% national change. Headcount at those firms went up 18%, to about 1,689 people. Average annual pay there went from $56,215 to $68,516 (+22%), in step with the 22% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pest control companies: business locations | 163 | 184 | +13% |
| Pest control companies: employment | 1,430 | 1,689 | +18% |
| Pest control companies: average annual pay | $56,215 | $68,516 | +22% |
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
Boston 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 Boston's commercial pest control market compares
Among the 98 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Boston ranks 17th for headcount, 35th for median pay and 77th for concentration for pest control workers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston | 1,170 | $45,570 | 0.65 | 184 |
| Worcester | – | – | – | 29 |
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 Boston, the local pool is thin but growing. Expect a mix of local candidates and people recruited in from nearby metros, and budget for relocation on senior roles.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Boston metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Commercial Pest Control licensing in Massachusetts.
Technicians who use general-use pesticides need a pesticide Applicator License, while commercial certification is needed to use restricted-use pesticides for hire, requires two years of relevant experience, and includes Category 41 (General Pest Control). Over each three-year cycle, licensed applicators need 6 recertification credits and commercial certified applicators need 12 per category. The same state rules apply in Worcester, so candidates licensed there can work in Boston without re-qualifying. The Boston metro crosses a state line, so check the rules in the neighboring state too for crews that work on both sides.
Licensing authority: Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, Pesticide Program. Confirm current rules with the agency.
We have not closed a commercial pest control search in Boston yet. Here is what we have closed.
These are other trades in the same market. We would rather show you the searches we have actually run in Boston than imply a record in this trade that we do not have yet.
- Commercial HVAC Service TechnicianTwo decades of HVAC and refrigeration, including chief engineer roles.
Nearby markets competing for Boston talent.
The closest metro we cover is Worcester, about 40 miles away. Bridgeport pays the most nearby, a $49,750 median, 9% above Boston. That is the number any Boston offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Boston is the largest market for this work in the region, so nearby metros tend to recruit from here rather than the other way round.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston | – | 1,170 | $45,570 |
| Worcester | 38 mi | – | – |
| Providence | 41 mi | 400 | $44,860 |
| Hartford | 93 mi | 340 | $48,670 |
| Bridgeport | 137 mi | 180 | $49,750 |
| Albany | 139 mi | 270 | $45,390 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Boston crews.
Not commercial pest control work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Boston in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Mass General Brigham campus expansions$2B+ programThrough 2028
Healthcare mechanical at world-class hospitals. Med-gas, isolation-room HVAC, high-spec institutional. Steady multi-year demand for hospital-experienced trades.
- Suffolk Downs redevelopment (East Boston/Revere)$8B+ plannedPhased through 2040
160-acre mixed-use neighborhood - commercial, life-sciences, residential, infrastructure. Long-duration commercial construction pipeline.
- Kendall Square lab & cleanroom towers (Cambridge)$5B+ ongoingPhased through 2030
Densest life-sciences cluster in the world. Cleanroom MEP, lab process piping, high-spec HVAC. Sustained multi-year demand for lab-experienced trades.
Showing 3 of 6 projects tracked in this metro. The Boston market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for commercial pest control, and what kills offers in Boston.
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 Boston.
What do pest control workers earn in Boston?
BLS puts the Boston median for pest control workers at $45,570 a year, about the same as the $45,250 national median. That ranks 40th of 109 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Most of the market sits between $38,200 and $71,330, a 1.9x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience.
Is it hard to hire pest control workers in Boston?
Yes. Boston has 35% fewer pest control workers per job than the country as a whole, roughly 1,170 in the metro, so most of the people worth hiring are already employed. The 184 pest control companies here average about 9.2 employees per location. 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 Boston?
Of the roles we recruit for, Pest Control Service Manager pays the most in Boston, a $133,800 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Commercial Pest Control Technician at $45,570, 66% below it. Relative to national pay, Pest Control Service Manager is the strongest-paying role here (27% above).
How many pest control companies operate in Boston?
BLS counted 184 pest control companies in Boston in 2023, employing about 1,689 people between them. Up from 163 in 2018, a 13% increase against 16% growth nationally. That averages 9.2 people per location. They pay an average of $68,516, 25% above the $54,678 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Boston for pest control workers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Providence (41 miles, about 400, $44,860 median), Hartford (93 miles, about 340, $48,670 median) and Bridgeport (137 miles, about 180, $49,750 median). Hartford pays 7% more, which is where Boston employers tend to lose people.
Deep pool. Heavily fished.
Boston has 1,170 pest control workers, 17th of the 108 metros we cover, and still 35% fewer per job than the country. The pool is deep and every employer here is fishing it. Let's get to the ones worth moving first.
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