Commercial Pest Control recruiters serving Milwaukee.
Pest control workers are scarcer in Milwaukee than in most of the country, 22% fewer per job, so the roughly 420 who work here are rarely short of offers. BLS counts 39 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 Milwaukee.
BLS counts about 420 pest control workers in the Milwaukee metro. Relative to the size of the local economy, pest control workers are less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.78). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Pest Control hub.
Commercial Pest Control Technician
Milwaukee: 420 employed · $47,300 median, 22nd-highest of 109 metros
Licensed Pest Control Applicator
Termite / WDI Inspector
Fumigation Technician
Commercial Account Manager
Milwaukee: 6,830 employed · $64,890 median, 39th-highest of 111 metros
Pest Control Branch / Route Manager
Milwaukee: 1,540 employed · $100,430 median, 77th-highest of 112 metros
Pest Control Service Manager
Milwaukee: 10,480 employed · $125,490 median, 14th-highest of 112 metros
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Specialist
Bird / Wildlife Exclusion Technician
Pest Control Sales / Business Development Rep
Milwaukee: 10,790 employed · $73,880 median, 36th-highest of 112 metros
What Commercial Pest Control roles earn in Milwaukee.
Pest control workers in Milwaukee earn a median $47,300, 5% over the $45,250 national figure, and 22nd of 109 metros. Pay runs $38,070 at the tenth percentile to $78,120 at the ninetieth.
| Role | Milwaukee median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Pest Control Technician · Licensed Pest Control Applicator · Termite / WDI InspectorPest Control Workers (37-2021) | $47,300 | $38,070–$78,120 | $45,250 | +5% | 420 |
| Commercial Account ManagerSales Representatives of Services (41-3091) | $64,890 | $40,770–$122,750 | $69,990 | −7% | 6,830 |
| Pest Control Branch / Route ManagerTransportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers (11-3071) | $100,430 | $62,850–$180,540 | $107,230 | −6% | 1,540 |
| Pest Control Service ManagerGeneral and Operations Managers (11-1021) | $125,490 | $61,420–$260,040 | $105,770 | +19% | 10,480 |
| Pest Control Sales / Business Development RepSales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing (41-4012) | $73,880 | $40,370–$133,810 | $72,080 | +2% | 10,790 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Milwaukee 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 Milwaukee's commercial pest control market has changed since 2018.
The number of pest control companies in Milwaukee rose from 37 in 2018 to 39 in 2023, up 5%, behind the 16% growth nationally. 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 | 37 | 39 | +5% |
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
Milwaukee runs 22% 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 Milwaukee's commercial pest control market compares
Among the 98 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Milwaukee ranks 49th for headcount, 18th for median pay and 64th for concentration for pest control workers.
| 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 Milwaukee, 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, Milwaukee 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 Madison, so candidates licensed there can work in Milwaukee without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Milwaukee talent.
The closest metro we cover is Madison, about 75 miles away, with roughly 120 pest control workers (0.3 times Milwaukee's 420). Milwaukee pays more than every metro we cover within reach ($47,300 median), which helps when recruiting people in from Indianapolis at $38,740. Chicago has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee | – | 420 | $47,300 |
| Madison | 76 mi | 120 | $39,520 |
| Chicago | 83 mi | 1,710 | $46,740 |
| Grand Rapids | 113 mi | 150 | $44,080 |
| Indianapolis | 243 mi | 590 | $38,740 |
| Detroit | 252 mi | 730 | $44,470 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Milwaukee crews.
Not commercial pest control work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Milwaukee in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Foxconn Mount Pleasant expansion$569M (part of $1.2B total committed through 2029)Through 2029
Adds to Foxconn's Wisconn Valley Science and Technology Park, creating 1,374 jobs over four years. Includes a Smart Manufacturing Center and a High-Performance Computing Data Center, with Mortenson selected as construction manager.
- Microsoft Racine County data center$3.3B Phase 1 (operational since April 2026); a $4B second phase and a proposed $13.3B expansion would bring total commitment toward $20B+Phase 1 complete; later phases proposed/announced, not yet built
One of the largest data-center investments in the Midwest, just south of Milwaukee. Massive mechanical and electrical scope for a facility of this scale.
- Vantage Data Centers 'Lighthouse' campus (Port Washington, WI - ~30 min north of Milwaukee, not the Racine corridor; Meta's only WI data center is in Beaver Dam, ~60 mi away, also not the Racine corridor)$15BThrough 2028
A hyperscale campus in the broader Milwaukee metro (geographically north, not part of the Racine corridor with Foxconn and Microsoft) compounding regional demand for mission-critical mechanical and electrical talent.
Showing 3 of 4 projects tracked in this metro. The Milwaukee market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for commercial pest control, and what kills offers in Milwaukee.
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 Milwaukee.
What do pest control workers earn in Milwaukee?
BLS puts the Milwaukee median for pest control workers at $47,300 a year, 5% above the $45,250 national median. That ranks 22nd of 109 metros with published figures, in the top quarter. Experience carries a clear premium, $38,070 at the 10th percentile against $78,120 at the 90th - a 2.1x gap - so an offer at the median mostly reaches newer workers. No other Wisconsin metro we cover pays more for this work (Madison: $39,520).
Is it hard to hire pest control workers in Milwaukee?
Yes. Milwaukee has 22% fewer pest control workers per job than the country as a whole, roughly 420 in the metro, so most of the people worth hiring are already employed.
Which commercial pest control roles pay the most in Milwaukee?
Of the roles we recruit for, Pest Control Service Manager pays the most in Milwaukee, a $125,490 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Commercial Pest Control Technician at $47,300, 62% below it. Relative to national pay, Pest Control Service Manager is the strongest-paying role here (19% above). Commercial Account Manager trails national pay the most (7% below).
How many pest control companies operate in Milwaukee?
BLS counted 39 pest control companies in Milwaukee in 2023. Up from 37 in 2018, a 5% 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 Milwaukee for pest control workers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Madison (76 miles, about 120, $39,520 median), Chicago (83 miles, about 1,710, $46,740 median) and Grand Rapids (113 miles, about 150, $44,080 median). Chicago has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Milwaukee out-pays Madison and Grand Rapids, an advantage when recruiting from there.
Thin market. Short list anyway.
With pest control workers this scarce in Milwaukee, an open seat rarely fills from a job posting. Let's line up the people before the next one opens.
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