Commercial Pest Control recruiters serving Grand Rapids.
Pest control workers are scarcer in Grand Rapids than in most of the country, 61% fewer per job, so the roughly 150 who work here are rarely short of offers. BLS counts 37 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 Grand Rapids.
BLS counts about 150 pest control workers in the Grand Rapids metro. Relative to the size of the local economy, pest control workers are far less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.39). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Pest Control hub.
Commercial Pest Control Technician
Grand Rapids: 150 employed · $44,080 median, 72nd-highest of 109 metros
Licensed Pest Control Applicator
Termite / WDI Inspector
Fumigation Technician
Commercial Account Manager
Grand Rapids: 3,210 employed · $66,340 median, 33rd-highest of 111 metros
Pest Control Branch / Route Manager
Grand Rapids: 1,130 employed · $97,980 median, 88th-highest of 112 metros
Pest Control Service Manager
Grand Rapids: 10,880 employed · $101,720 median, 65th-highest of 112 metros
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Specialist
Bird / Wildlife Exclusion Technician
Pest Control Sales / Business Development Rep
Grand Rapids: 6,980 employed · $72,170 median, 43rd-highest of 112 metros
What Commercial Pest Control roles earn in Grand Rapids.
Pest control workers in Grand Rapids earn a median $44,080, level with the $45,250 national figure, and 72nd of 109 metros. Pay runs $38,630 at the tenth percentile to $60,830 at the ninetieth.
| Role | Grand Rapids median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Pest Control Technician · Licensed Pest Control Applicator · Termite / WDI InspectorPest Control Workers (37-2021) | $44,080 | $38,630–$60,830 | $45,250 | −3% | 150 |
| Commercial Account ManagerSales Representatives of Services (41-3091) | $66,340 | $39,030–$125,310 | $69,990 | −5% | 3,210 |
| Pest Control Branch / Route ManagerTransportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers (11-3071) | $97,980 | $63,030–$162,250 | $107,230 | −9% | 1,130 |
| Pest Control Service ManagerGeneral and Operations Managers (11-1021) | $101,720 | $51,640–$219,060 | $105,770 | −4% | 10,880 |
| Pest Control Sales / Business Development RepSales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing (41-4012) | $72,170 | $43,610–$132,660 | $72,080 | 0% | 6,980 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Grand Rapids 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 Grand Rapids's commercial pest control market has changed since 2018.
The number of pest control companies in Grand Rapids rose from 30 in 2018 to 37 in 2023, up 23%, ahead of the 16% national rise. 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 | 30 | 37 | +23% |
| Pest control companies: employment | 182 | – | – |
| Pest control companies: average annual pay | $45,438 | – | – |
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
Grand Rapids runs 61% 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 Grand Rapids's commercial pest control market compares
Among the 98 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Grand Rapids ranks 87th for headcount, 66th for median pay and 97th for concentration for pest control workers. That makes it one of the thinnest commercial pest control labor markets we recruit in.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit | 730 | $44,470 | 0.58 | 92 |
| Grand Rapids | 150 | $44,080 | 0.39 | 37 |
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 Grand Rapids, 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, Grand Rapids metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Commercial Pest Control licensing in Michigan.
Michigan has two individual tiers, the commercial certified applicator and the registered applicator, plus a separate pesticide application business license. Structural work is Category 7, with subcategory 7A General Pest Management for food-handling establishments, dwellings and institutions, and 7B Wood Destroying Pest Management for termites, powder post beetles, carpenter ants and wood-destroying fungi. A certified applicator must be at least 18 and pass the commercial core exam plus at least one category exam, while a registered applicator passes only the core exam, completes an approved training program, cannot apply restricted use pesticides and must be supervised by a certified applicator when employed by a commercial business. Both credentials expire every third year on December 31. Governed by Act 451, Part 83. The same state rules apply in Detroit, so candidates licensed there can work in Grand Rapids without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Pesticide and Plant Pest Management Division. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Grand Rapids talent.
The closest metro we cover is Milwaukee, about 115 miles away, with roughly 420 pest control workers (2.8 times Grand Rapids's 150). Milwaukee pays the most nearby, a $47,300 median, 7% above Grand Rapids. That is the number any Grand Rapids offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Chicago has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Rapids | – | 150 | $44,080 |
| Milwaukee | 113 mi | 420 | $47,300 |
| Chicago | 127 mi | 1,710 | $46,740 |
| Detroit | 140 mi | 730 | $44,470 |
| Madison | 189 mi | 120 | $39,520 |
| Indianapolis | 222 mi | 590 | $38,740 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Grand Rapids crews.
Not commercial pest control work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Grand Rapids in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Corewell Health Butterworth Hospital addition$1.34BConstruction starting summer 2027, complete 2030
780,000 sq ft and 180 rooms added to Butterworth Hospital. Hospital-grade mechanical, medical gas plumbing, and ICRA-compliant construction at the anchor of Grand Rapids' "Medical Mile."
- Joan Secchia Children's Rehabilitation Hospital$60MOpening fall 2026
A pediatric rehabilitation hospital built across the street from Mary Free Bed, connected by a pedestrian walkway - adds another hospital-grade construction project to the Medical Mile corridor.
- Van Andel Institute Phase II research expansion$178M (completed 2009)Completed 2009 -- not a current project
Wet-lab research space with capacity for 12-15 additional principal investigators. Lab-grade mechanical, electrical, and process-utility construction distinct from hospital work.
Showing 3 of 4 projects tracked in this metro. The Grand Rapids market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for commercial pest control, and what kills offers in Grand Rapids.
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 Grand Rapids.
What do pest control workers earn in Grand Rapids?
BLS puts the Grand Rapids median for pest control workers at $44,080 a year, about the same as the $45,250 national median. That ranks 72nd of 109 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Pay is bunched together here, $38,630 to $60,830 across the 10th to 90th percentile and only a 1.6x gap, so small differences in an offer are noticed. No other Michigan metro we cover pays more for this work (Detroit: $44,470).
Is it hard to hire pest control workers in Grand Rapids?
Yes. Grand Rapids has 61% fewer pest control workers per job than the country as a whole, roughly 150 in the metro, so most of the people worth hiring are already employed. With 23% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial pest control roles pay the most in Grand Rapids?
Of the roles we recruit for, Pest Control Service Manager pays the most in Grand Rapids, a $101,720 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Commercial Pest Control Technician at $44,080, 57% below it. Pest Control Branch / Route Manager trails national pay the most (9% below).
How many pest control companies operate in Grand Rapids?
BLS counted 37 pest control companies in Grand Rapids in 2023. Up from 30 in 2018, a 23% 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 Grand Rapids for pest control workers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Milwaukee (113 miles, about 420, $47,300 median), Chicago (127 miles, about 1,710, $46,740 median) and Detroit (140 miles, about 730, $44,470 median). Milwaukee has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Milwaukee pays 7% more, which is where Grand Rapids employers tend to lose people.
Thin market. Short list anyway.
With pest control workers this scarce in Grand Rapids, an open seat rarely fills from a job posting. Let's line up the people before the next one opens.
Schedule a Discovery Call →