Commercial Pest Control recruiters serving Chattanooga.
Chattanooga has 60% more pest control workers per job than the country as a whole, about 280 in the metro. BLS counts 36 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 Chattanooga.
BLS counts about 280 pest control workers in the Chattanooga metro. Relative to the size of the local economy, pest control workers are far more concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 1.60). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Pest Control hub.
Commercial Pest Control Technician
Chattanooga: 280 employed · $38,410 median, 94th-highest of 109 metros
Licensed Pest Control Applicator
Termite / WDI Inspector
Fumigation Technician
Commercial Account Manager
Chattanooga: 1,630 employed · $56,120 median, 97th-highest of 111 metros
Pest Control Branch / Route Manager
Chattanooga: 380 employed · $95,640 median, 101st-highest of 112 metros
Pest Control Service Manager
Chattanooga: 4,690 employed · $102,920 median, 57th-highest of 112 metros
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Specialist
Bird / Wildlife Exclusion Technician
Pest Control Sales / Business Development Rep
Chattanooga: 1,750 employed · $60,600 median, 104th-highest of 112 metros
What Commercial Pest Control roles earn in Chattanooga.
Pest control workers in Chattanooga earn a median $38,410, 15% under the $45,250 national figure, and 94th of 109 metros. Pay runs $31,120 at the tenth percentile to $58,260 at the ninetieth.
| Role | Chattanooga median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Pest Control Technician · Licensed Pest Control Applicator · Termite / WDI InspectorPest Control Workers (37-2021) | $38,410 | $31,120–$58,260 | $45,250 | −15% | 280 |
| Commercial Account ManagerSales Representatives of Services (41-3091) | $56,120 | $32,930–$106,760 | $69,990 | −20% | 1,630 |
| Pest Control Branch / Route ManagerTransportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers (11-3071) | $95,640 | $54,630–$186,490 | $107,230 | −11% | 380 |
| Pest Control Service ManagerGeneral and Operations Managers (11-1021) | $102,920 | $48,370–$226,950 | $105,770 | −3% | 4,690 |
| Pest Control Sales / Business Development RepSales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing (41-4012) | $60,600 | $34,670–$130,000 | $72,080 | −16% | 1,750 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Chattanooga 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 Chattanooga's commercial pest control market has changed since 2018.
The number of pest control companies in Chattanooga rose from 30 in 2018 to 36 in 2023, up 20%, ahead of the 16% national rise. Headcount at those firms went up 28%, to about 409 people. Average annual pay there went from $49,813 to $52,828 (+6%), slower than the 22% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pest control companies: business locations | 30 | 36 | +20% |
| Pest control companies: employment | 319 | 409 | +28% |
| Pest control companies: average annual pay | $49,813 | $52,828 | +6% |
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
Chattanooga runs 60% 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 Chattanooga's commercial pest control market compares
Among the 98 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Chattanooga ranks 67th for headcount, 87th for median pay and 23rd for concentration for pest control workers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville | 1,050 | $44,350 | 1.45 | 131 |
| Memphis | 650 | $39,860 | 1.62 | 78 |
| Knoxville | 460 | $41,710 | 1.64 | 75 |
| Chattanooga | 280 | $38,410 | 1.60 | 36 |
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 Chattanooga, the pool is deep but local employers have been cutting headcount. Experienced people are here, and some will be open to a move, so a clear offer and a defined path up usually beat a higher posted rate.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Chattanooga metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Commercial Pest Control licensing in Tennessee.
Tennessee requires a Charter for each business location offering pest control for hire, backed by a surety bond and liability insurance, plus individual credentials. Individuals are either licensed, which requires two years of verifiable experience under a licensee in that category or a qualifying four-year degree and a 70 percent exam score, or commercially certified as technicians and solicitors working under a licensee. Structural work sits in Category 7, with separate designations for general pest and rodent control, structural fumigation, and Wood Destroying Organisms, which is its own certification for termite and wood borer inspection and treatment. At least one commercially certified person must be on site at each application. Verify the charter is active for the specific location and that WDO is listed if the role includes termite inspections. Governed by T.C.A. Title 62, Chapter 21. The same state rules apply in Nashville, Memphis and Knoxville, so candidates licensed there can work in Chattanooga without re-qualifying. The Chattanooga metro crosses a state line, so check the rules in the neighboring state too for crews that work on both sides.
Licensing authority: Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Division of Regulatory Services. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Chattanooga talent.
The closest metro we cover is Huntsville, about 75 miles away, with roughly 280 pest control workers (1.0 times Chattanooga's 280). Nashville pays the most nearby, a $44,350 median, 15% above Chattanooga. That is the number any Chattanooga offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Atlanta has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chattanooga | – | 280 | $38,410 |
| Huntsville | 76 mi | 280 | $39,300 |
| Knoxville | 101 mi | 460 | $41,710 |
| Atlanta | 104 mi | 3,430 | $38,920 |
| Nashville | 113 mi | 1,050 | $44,350 |
| Birmingham | 135 mi | 660 | $39,300 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Chattanooga crews.
Not commercial pest control work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Chattanooga in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Erlanger East Hospital expansion$122MConstruction begins summer 2026, opening fall 2028
A new three-story, 52,000 sq ft building on Gunbarrel Road adding 22 patient beds, a cardiac catheterization lab, an electrophysiology lab, and an interventional radiology lab, plus 100 new jobs.
- Parkridge Medical Center expansion$98MCompleting 2026
A new patient tower with intensive care and medical-surgical rooms.
- CommonSpirit Memorial Hospital (Ooltewah)UndisclosedBroke ground April 2026, opening spring 2027
A 40-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital on Mountain View Road.
Showing 3 of 4 projects tracked in this metro. The Chattanooga market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for commercial pest control, and what kills offers in Chattanooga.
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 Chattanooga.
What do pest control workers earn in Chattanooga?
BLS puts the Chattanooga median for pest control workers at $38,410 a year, 15% below the $45,250 national median. That ranks 94th of 109 metros with published figures, in the bottom quarter. Most of the market sits between $31,120 and $58,260, a 1.9x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. Within Tennessee, Nashville pays more, at $44,350.
Is it hard to hire pest control workers in Chattanooga?
Not by national standards. Pest control workers make up 60% more of the Chattanooga workforce than they do nationally, about 280 people. The 36 pest control companies here average about 11 employees per location. With 20% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial pest control roles pay the most in Chattanooga?
Of the roles we recruit for, Pest Control Service Manager pays the most in Chattanooga, a $102,920 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Commercial Pest Control Technician at $38,410, 63% below it. Commercial Account Manager trails national pay the most (20% below).
How many pest control companies operate in Chattanooga?
BLS counted 36 pest control companies in Chattanooga in 2023, employing about 409 people between them. Up from 30 in 2018, a 20% increase against 16% growth nationally. That averages 11 people per location. They pay an average of $52,828, 3% below the $54,678 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Chattanooga for pest control workers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Huntsville (76 miles, about 280, $39,300 median), Knoxville (101 miles, about 460, $41,710 median) and Atlanta (104 miles, about 3,430, $38,920 median). Knoxville has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Knoxville pays 9% more, which is where Chattanooga employers tend to lose people.
Plenty of people. Few of them looking.
Chattanooga 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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