Commercial Pest Control recruiters serving Knoxville.
Knoxville has 64% more pest control workers per job than the country as a whole, about 460 in the metro. BLS counts 75 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 Knoxville.
BLS counts about 460 pest control workers in the Knoxville metro. Relative to the size of the local economy, pest control workers are far more concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 1.64). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Pest Control hub.
Commercial Pest Control Technician
Knoxville: 460 employed · $41,710 median, 80th-highest of 109 metros
Licensed Pest Control Applicator
Termite / WDI Inspector
Fumigation Technician
Commercial Account Manager
Knoxville: 2,360 employed · $59,400 median, 79th-highest of 111 metros
Pest Control Branch / Route Manager
Knoxville: 620 employed · $98,240 median, 86th-highest of 112 metros
Pest Control Service Manager
Knoxville: 8,660 employed · $104,590 median, 47th-highest of 112 metros
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Specialist
Bird / Wildlife Exclusion Technician
Pest Control Sales / Business Development Rep
Knoxville: 3,110 employed · $59,430 median, 107th-highest of 112 metros
What Commercial Pest Control roles earn in Knoxville.
Pest control workers in Knoxville earn a median $41,710, 8% under the $45,250 national figure, and 80th of 109 metros. Pay runs $31,130 at the tenth percentile to $57,210 at the ninetieth.
| Role | Knoxville median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Pest Control Technician · Licensed Pest Control Applicator · Termite / WDI InspectorPest Control Workers (37-2021) | $41,710 | $31,130–$57,210 | $45,250 | −8% | 460 |
| Commercial Account ManagerSales Representatives of Services (41-3091) | $59,400 | $34,120–$103,370 | $69,990 | −15% | 2,360 |
| Pest Control Branch / Route ManagerTransportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers (11-3071) | $98,240 | $51,990–$189,500 | $107,230 | −8% | 620 |
| Pest Control Service ManagerGeneral and Operations Managers (11-1021) | $104,590 | $51,410–$253,540 | $105,770 | −1% | 8,660 |
| Pest Control Sales / Business Development RepSales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing (41-4012) | $59,430 | $33,370–$124,130 | $72,080 | −18% | 3,110 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Knoxville 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 Knoxville's commercial pest control market has changed since 2018.
The number of pest control companies in Knoxville rose from 48 in 2018 to 75 in 2023, up 56%, ahead of the 16% national rise. Headcount at those firms went up 14%, to about 621 people. Average annual pay there went from $44,377 to $50,984 (+15%), slower than the 22% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pest control companies: business locations | 48 | 75 | +56% |
| Pest control companies: employment | 544 | 621 | +14% |
| Pest control companies: average annual pay | $44,377 | $50,984 | +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
Knoxville runs 64% 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 Knoxville's commercial pest control market compares
Among the 98 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Knoxville ranks 44th for headcount, 73rd for median pay and 21st 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 Knoxville, 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, Knoxville 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 Chattanooga, so candidates licensed there can work in Knoxville without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Division of Regulatory Services. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Knoxville talent.
The closest metro we cover is Chattanooga, about 100 miles away, with roughly 280 pest control workers (0.6 times Knoxville's 460). Nashville pays the most nearby, a $44,350 median, 6% above Knoxville. That is the number any Knoxville 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knoxville | – | 460 | $41,710 |
| Chattanooga | 101 mi | 280 | $38,410 |
| Greenville | 115 mi | – | – |
| Atlanta | 155 mi | 3,430 | $38,920 |
| Nashville | 161 mi | 1,050 | $44,350 |
| Huntsville | 173 mi | 280 | $39,300 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Knoxville crews.
Not commercial pest control work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Knoxville in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- LIS Technologies laser uranium enrichment facility$1.38BAnnounced 2026
A new facility on the historic K-25 uranium enrichment site, expected to create more than 200 jobs. One of the largest single nuclear-industrial capital commitments in the region's history.
- DOE Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus (finalist)Undisclosed, federalSite selection ongoing
Tennessee is one of just 5 states selected as a finalist out of 26 applicants for a major Department of Energy nuclear research campus - a signal of the region's growing strategic importance to the nuclear-energy sector.
- Y-12 demolition and cleanup programFederal EM programAlpha-2 completed January 2026; Beta-1 and Old Steam Plant ongoing
DOE completed demolition of the 325,000 sq ft Alpha-2 facility (the largest demolition in Y-12's history, clearing 2.5+ acres) in January 2026, and crews are preparing the 210,000 sq ft Beta-1 facility and the Old Steam Plant for removal. Clears contaminated Manhattan Project/Cold War-era sites for new missions and community reuse.
Showing 3 of 4 projects tracked in this metro. The Knoxville market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for commercial pest control, and what kills offers in Knoxville.
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 Knoxville.
What do pest control workers earn in Knoxville?
BLS puts the Knoxville median for pest control workers at $41,710 a year, 8% below the $45,250 national median. That ranks 80th of 109 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Most of the market sits between $31,130 and $57,210, a 1.8x 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 Knoxville?
Not by national standards. Pest control workers make up 64% more of the Knoxville workforce than they do nationally, about 460 people. The 75 pest control companies here average about 8.3 employees per location. With 56% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial pest control roles pay the most in Knoxville?
Of the roles we recruit for, Pest Control Service Manager pays the most in Knoxville, a $104,590 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Commercial Pest Control Technician at $41,710, 60% below it. Pest Control Sales / Business Development Rep trails national pay the most (18% below).
How many pest control companies operate in Knoxville?
BLS counted 75 pest control companies in Knoxville in 2023, employing about 621 people between them. Up from 48 in 2018, a 56% increase against 16% growth nationally. That averages 8.3 people per location. They pay an average of $50,984, 7% below the $54,678 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Knoxville for pest control workers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Chattanooga (101 miles, about 280, $38,410 median), Atlanta (155 miles, about 3,430, $38,920 median) and Nashville (161 miles, about 1,050, $44,350 median). Atlanta has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Nashville pays 6% more, which is where Knoxville employers tend to lose people.
Plenty of people. Few of them looking.
Knoxville 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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