Commercial Pest Control recruiters serving Durham-Chapel Hill.
About 210 pest control workers work in the Durham-Chapel Hill metro, at a $46,720 median. BLS counts 21 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 Durham-Chapel Hill.
BLS counts about 210 pest control workers in the Durham-Chapel Hill metro. Relative to the size of the local economy, pest control workers are less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.93). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Pest Control hub.
Commercial Pest Control Technician
Durham-Chapel Hill: 210 employed · $46,720 median, 28th-highest of 109 metros
Licensed Pest Control Applicator
Termite / WDI Inspector
Fumigation Technician
Commercial Account Manager
Durham-Chapel Hill: 3,300 employed · $72,460 median, 22nd-highest of 111 metros
Pest Control Branch / Route Manager
Durham-Chapel Hill: 420 employed · $116,310 median, 23rd-highest of 112 metros
Pest Control Service Manager
Durham-Chapel Hill: 3,400 employed · $113,930 median, 28th-highest of 112 metros
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Specialist
Bird / Wildlife Exclusion Technician
Pest Control Sales / Business Development Rep
Durham-Chapel Hill: 1,720 employed · $70,870 median, 46th-highest of 112 metros
What Commercial Pest Control roles earn in Durham-Chapel Hill.
Pest control workers in Durham-Chapel Hill earn a median $46,720, 3% over the $45,250 national figure, and 28th of 109 metros. Pay runs $36,220 at the tenth percentile to $65,410 at the ninetieth.
| Role | Durham-Chapel Hill median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Pest Control Technician · Licensed Pest Control Applicator · Termite / WDI InspectorPest Control Workers (37-2021) | $46,720 | $36,220–$65,410 | $45,250 | +3% | 210 |
| Commercial Account ManagerSales Representatives of Services (41-3091) | $72,460 | $42,380–$171,940 | $69,990 | +4% | 3,300 |
| Pest Control Branch / Route ManagerTransportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers (11-3071) | $116,310 | $70,890–$227,410 | $107,230 | +8% | 420 |
| Pest Control Service ManagerGeneral and Operations Managers (11-1021) | $113,930 | $54,140–$270,290 | $105,770 | +8% | 3,400 |
| Pest Control Sales / Business Development RepSales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing (41-4012) | $70,870 | $40,030–$144,250 | $72,080 | −2% | 1,720 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Durham-Chapel Hill 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 Durham-Chapel Hill's commercial pest control market has changed since 2018.
Durham-Chapel Hill lost pest control companies between 2018 and 2023, from 22 business locations to 21 (down 5%), behind the 16% growth nationally. Their combined payroll headcount barely moved, at about 260. Average annual pay there went from $46,401 to $52,575 (+13%), slower than the 22% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pest control companies: business locations | 22 | 21 | −5% |
| Pest control companies: employment | 261 | 260 | −0% |
| Pest control companies: average annual pay | $46,401 | $52,575 | +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
Durham-Chapel Hill runs 7% fewer commercial pest control workers per job than the country as a whole — 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 Durham-Chapel Hill's commercial pest control market compares
Among the 98 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Durham-Chapel Hill ranks 76th for headcount, 24th for median pay and 53rd for concentration for pest control workers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte | 1,270 | $45,250 | 1.42 | 164 |
| Raleigh | 820 | $46,470 | 1.67 | 99 |
| Greensboro | 340 | $44,460 | 1.43 | 41 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill | 210 | $46,720 | 0.93 | 21 |
| Winston-Salem | 200 | $44,600 | 1.13 | 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 Durham-Chapel Hill, the pool is about the national norm for its size and local employers are adding people, so expect competing offers on experienced candidates and keep the process short.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Durham-Chapel Hill metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Commercial Pest Control licensing in North Carolina.
North Carolina uses three tiers: Registered Technician, Certified Applicator and Structural Pest Control Licensee, and the work is divided into three phases, P for household pest control, W for wood-destroying organisms and F for fumigation. A Registered Technician must complete an introductory training workbook, at least 24 hours of on-the-job training under supervision and an eight-hour state school, and any employee of a licensee who performs structural pest control must be registered within 75 days of hire. A Licensee must already be a Certified Applicator in good standing in the phase sought, document two years of independently verifiable experience, pass the phase exam and carry liability insurance. Confirm which phases a candidate holds, since P, W and F are credentialed separately. Governed by N.C. Gen. Stat. Chapter 106, Article 4C. The same state rules apply in Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro and Winston-Salem, so candidates licensed there can work in Durham-Chapel Hill without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Structural Pest Control Division. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Durham-Chapel Hill talent.
The closest metro we cover is Raleigh, about 20 miles away, with roughly 820 pest control workers (3.9 times Durham-Chapel Hill's 210). Durham-Chapel Hill pays more than every metro we cover within reach ($46,720 median), which helps when recruiting people in from Greensboro at $44,460. Charlotte has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Durham-Chapel Hill | – | 210 | $46,720 |
| Raleigh | 21 mi | 820 | $46,470 |
| Greensboro | 50 mi | 340 | $44,460 |
| Winston-Salem | 75 mi | 200 | $44,600 |
| Charlotte | 121 mi | 1,270 | $45,250 |
| Richmond | 134 mi | 420 | $45,800 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Durham-Chapel Hill crews.
Not commercial pest control work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Durham-Chapel Hill in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- AbbVie pharmaceutical manufacturing campus$1.4BConstruction begins 2026, completion by end of 2028
185 acres near Research Triangle Park - small volume parenteral drug manufacturing, next-generation labs, a warehouse, and administrative/wellness facilities. 734 direct jobs over 4 years and 2,000+ construction jobs during buildout.
- Novartis biologics manufacturing investment$771M (across Durham and Wake counties)Multi-year buildout
Two new facilities for biologics manufacturing and sterile packaging, plus an expansion of Novartis' existing Durham facility to add sterile filling of biologics into syringes and vials - about 700 jobs.
- UNC-Chapel Hill Carolina North campus extensionUndisclosedSite prep ahead of a projected summer 2027 groundbreaking
A planned campus extension with initial infrastructure work now underway.
These are the 3 projects we track in Durham-Chapel Hill. The Durham-Chapel Hill market page covers hiring conditions across every trade here.
What credentials matter for commercial pest control, and what kills offers in Durham-Chapel Hill.
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 Durham-Chapel Hill.
What do pest control workers earn in Durham-Chapel Hill?
BLS puts the Durham-Chapel Hill median for pest control workers at $46,720 a year, 3% above the $45,250 national median. That ranks 28th of 109 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Most of the market sits between $36,220 and $65,410, a 1.8x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. No other North Carolina metro we cover pays more for this work.
Is it hard to hire pest control workers in Durham-Chapel Hill?
It is about average. Pest control workers are as common in Durham-Chapel Hill as they are nationally (location quotient 0.93), with about 210 in the metro. The 21 pest control companies here average about 12 employees per location.
Which commercial pest control roles pay the most in Durham-Chapel Hill?
Of the roles we recruit for, Pest Control Branch / Route Manager pays the most in Durham-Chapel Hill, a $116,310 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Commercial Pest Control Technician at $46,720, 60% below it. Relative to national pay, Pest Control Branch / Route Manager is the strongest-paying role here (8% above).
How many pest control companies operate in Durham-Chapel Hill?
BLS counted 21 pest control companies in Durham-Chapel Hill in 2023, employing about 260 people between them. Down from 22 in 2018, a 5% decline against 16% growth nationally. That averages 12 people per location. They pay an average of $52,575, 4% below the $54,678 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Durham-Chapel Hill for pest control workers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Raleigh (21 miles, about 820, $46,470 median), Greensboro (50 miles, about 340, $44,460 median) and Winston-Salem (75 miles, about 200, $44,600 median). Raleigh has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move.
The seat is open. The pipeline should not be.
21 pest control companies in Durham-Chapel Hill are drawing on the same 210 pest control workers. Let's get your next hire lined up first.
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