Commercial Pest Control recruiters serving Madison.
Pest control workers are scarcer in Madison than in most of the country, 55% fewer per job, so the roughly 120 who work here are rarely short of offers. BLS counts 18 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 Madison.
BLS counts about 120 pest control workers in the Madison metro. Relative to the size of the local economy, pest control workers are far less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.45). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Pest Control hub.
Commercial Pest Control Technician
Madison: 120 employed · $39,520 median, 86th-highest of 109 metros
Licensed Pest Control Applicator
Termite / WDI Inspector
Fumigation Technician
Commercial Account Manager
Madison: 4,060 employed · $65,840 median, 35th-highest of 111 metros
Pest Control Branch / Route Manager
Madison: 580 employed · $100,340 median, 78th-highest of 112 metros
Pest Control Service Manager
Madison: 5,130 employed · $126,620 median, 12th-highest of 112 metros
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Specialist
Bird / Wildlife Exclusion Technician
Pest Control Sales / Business Development Rep
Madison: 3,750 employed · $65,400 median, 57th-highest of 112 metros
What Commercial Pest Control roles earn in Madison.
Pest control workers in Madison earn a median $39,520, 13% under the $45,250 national figure, and 86th of 109 metros. Pay runs $38,870 at the tenth percentile to $57,760 at the ninetieth.
| Role | Madison median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Pest Control Technician · Licensed Pest Control Applicator · Termite / WDI InspectorPest Control Workers (37-2021) | $39,520 | $38,870–$57,760 | $45,250 | −13% | 120 |
| Commercial Account ManagerSales Representatives of Services (41-3091) | $65,840 | $40,470–$119,540 | $69,990 | −6% | 4,060 |
| Pest Control Branch / Route ManagerTransportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers (11-3071) | $100,340 | $57,410–$183,250 | $107,230 | −6% | 580 |
| Pest Control Service ManagerGeneral and Operations Managers (11-1021) | $126,620 | $63,380–$257,480 | $105,770 | +20% | 5,130 |
| Pest Control Sales / Business Development RepSales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing (41-4012) | $65,400 | $39,480–$132,490 | $72,080 | −9% | 3,750 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Madison 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 Madison's commercial pest control market has changed since 2018.
The number of pest control companies in Madison rose from 16 in 2018 to 18 in 2023, up 13%, behind the 16% growth nationally. Headcount at those firms went up 7%, to about 150 people. Average annual pay there went from $54,293 to $54,011 (−1%), slower than the 22% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pest control companies: business locations | 16 | 18 | +13% |
| Pest control companies: employment | 140 | 150 | +7% |
| Pest control companies: average annual pay | $54,293 | $54,011 | −1% |
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
Madison runs 55% 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 Madison's commercial pest control market compares
Among the 98 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Madison ranks 92nd for headcount, 79th for median pay and 91st 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee | 420 | $47,300 | 0.78 | 39 |
| Madison | 120 | $39,520 | 0.45 | 18 |
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 Madison, the local pool is thin and local employers have been cutting headcount. Senior hires often come from outside the metro or from adjacent trades, so start searches earlier than you would elsewhere.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Madison metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Commercial Pest Control licensing in Wisconsin.
Wisconsin requires three things together: individual commercial applicator certification in the relevant category, an Individual Commercial Applicator License, and employment by a business holding a Commercial Pesticide Application Business License. The structural categories are 7.1, Industrial, Institutional, Structural and Health-Related Pest Control, General, which excludes mosquitoes and termites, 7.3 Termite Control, and 7.2 Fumigation of Spaces and Commodities. Any individual who uses or directs the use of pesticides in these categories must be commercially certified, which requires a closed-book exam passed at 70 percent, and certification is valid for five years with all categories expiring at the same time. Verify that a candidate doing termite work holds 7.3 and not only 7.1. Governed by Wis. Admin. Code ch. ATCP 29. The same state rules apply in Milwaukee, so candidates licensed there can work in Madison without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Madison talent.
The closest metro we cover is Milwaukee, about 75 miles away, with roughly 420 pest control workers (3.5 times Madison's 120). Des Moines pays the most nearby, a $48,200 median, 22% above Madison. That is the number any Madison 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madison | – | 120 | $39,520 |
| Milwaukee | 76 mi | 420 | $47,300 |
| Chicago | 123 mi | 1,710 | $46,740 |
| Grand Rapids | 189 mi | 150 | $44,080 |
| Minneapolis | 233 mi | 570 | $37,450 |
| Des Moines | 238 mi | 200 | $48,200 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Madison crews.
Not commercial pest control work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Madison in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- UW Health University Hospital addition$177MConcluding late 2026
A six-story addition with 22 emergency department rooms, 22 flexible care beds, 48 inpatient rooms, and a dedicated trauma/life support center.
- UW Health East Madison Hospital addition$133MFinishing end of 2026
A one-story addition adding 6 operating rooms, 14 inpatient beds, and 60 post-surgery care spaces.
- Epic Systems sixth campus ("Other Worlds")$13.2M water/sewer + $20M road work reimbursements (public infrastructure support)First buildings occupied early 2026
A "Black Hole" parking structure with 2,000+ stalls, three new office buildings, a food services building, and a 5.5-acre underground parking ramp on part of Epic's ~1,700-acre Verona campus.
These are the 3 projects we track in Madison. The Madison market page covers hiring conditions across every trade here.
What credentials matter for commercial pest control, and what kills offers in Madison.
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 Madison.
What do pest control workers earn in Madison?
BLS puts the Madison median for pest control workers at $39,520 a year, 13% below the $45,250 national median. That ranks 86th of 109 metros with published figures, in the bottom quarter. Pay is bunched together here, $38,870 to $57,760 across the 10th to 90th percentile and only a 1.5x gap, so small differences in an offer are noticed. Within Wisconsin, Milwaukee pays more, at $47,300.
Is it hard to hire pest control workers in Madison?
Yes. Madison has 55% fewer pest control workers per job than the country as a whole, roughly 120 in the metro, so most of the people worth hiring are already employed. The 18 pest control companies here average about 8.3 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 Madison?
Of the roles we recruit for, Pest Control Service Manager pays the most in Madison, a $126,620 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Commercial Pest Control Technician at $39,520, 69% below it. Relative to national pay, Pest Control Service Manager is the strongest-paying role here (20% above). Commercial Pest Control Technician trails national pay the most (13% below).
How many pest control companies operate in Madison?
BLS counted 18 pest control companies in Madison in 2023, employing about 150 people between them. Up from 16 in 2018, a 13% increase against 16% growth nationally. That averages 8.3 people per location. They pay about the national average of $54,678.
Which nearby metros compete with Madison for pest control workers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Milwaukee (76 miles, about 420, $47,300 median), Chicago (123 miles, about 1,710, $46,740 median) and Grand Rapids (189 miles, about 150, $44,080 median). Milwaukee has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Milwaukee pays 20% more, which is where Madison employers tend to lose people.
Thin market. Short list anyway.
With pest control workers this scarce in Madison, an open seat rarely fills from a job posting. Let's line up the people before the next one opens.
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