Pest Control Workers
In short: today's best AI models could do about 14% of this job's working time (projected from METR's April 2026 measurement and Epoch's November 2026 index) if the work were set up for them, and about the same by the end of 2028 if progress keeps its long-run pace. The conversations, in-person and hands-on work, about 86% of the time, stays with people.
Apply or release chemical solutions or toxic gases and set traps to kill or remove pests and vermin that infest buildings and surrounding areas.
102,620 people do this job in the US. $45,250 a year.
Reviewed on September 30, 2026: what each task is made of, and what handing it over would ask.
A typical 40-hour week
- AI could take on3 h
- A person checks AI's work3 h
- Desk work AI can't do yet0 h
- Stays with people34 h
Pest Control Workers, now: of a 40-hour week, AI could take on 3 hours, 3 hours become checking its work, 0 hours are desk work it can't do yet, and 34 hours stay with people.
The largest pieces: Record work performed (about 3 h); Measure and calculate fumigant needs (about 1 h, a person checks); Determine the treatment from reports (about 1 h, a person checks).
Estimates for a typical week of this job, if progress keeps its long-run pace, counting work the best models finish four times in five. Every task is below.
of the working time. Now is projected from METR's April 2026 measurement and Epoch's November 2026 index.
- 7%
- 7%
- 3%
- 21%
- 62%
of the work: Anthropic's measure of what people already bring to Claude at work (2025). It counts help with part of a task, so it can be higher than the share within reach.
On the chosen pace and reliability. Estimate.
Share of the working time within reach, now to 2030
Change assumptionsHide assumptionsLong-run pace, four in five
What each choice means: , , , , . Every pace starts from .
At this date and pace, models finish tasks up to 2.4 work days long four times in five.
What handing it over would take, now
The 14% within reach splits by what a model would need. The dates, pace and reliability follow the controls above. Estimates.
of the working time. The material can be handed to a model and the result handed back.
of the working time. The model has to be connected to the system the work lives in.
is conversation short enough by length. This site leaves conversation with people, so it is not in the total.
How far this has come
With GPT-4, measured in March 2023, 0% of this job's working time was within reach at . With Claude 3.7 Sonnet, measured in February 2025, 4%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 14%. Today's estimate: 14%.
A backcast: today's task data with the best model METR had measured by each date. It shows how fast the models have moved, not what anyone forecast at the time.
Measured use over time
Of the Claude.ai conversations Anthropic sampled and tied to a work task, 0.021% went to this job's tasks in May 2026, the 323rd largest of the 447 jobs that showed up at all; 2 of its 14 tasks showed up. Within each of Anthropic's methods, never across a change: 0.0051% to 0.0021% (released February and March 2025); 0.0062% to 0.0031% (August 2025 to February 2026); 0.011% to 0.021% (April to May 2026).
Each release
| Conversations | Share | Rank | Tasks seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Released February 2025 | 0.0051% | 604 of 708 | 2 of 14 |
| Released March 2025 | 0.0021% | 662 of 703 | 1 of 14 |
| The week of Aug 4, 2025 (released September 2025) | 0.0062% | 509 of 655 | 1 of 14 |
| The week of Nov 13, 2025 (released January 2026) | 0.0072% | 527 of 672 | 2 of 14 |
| The week of Feb 5, 2026 (released March 2026) | 0.0031% | 608 of 677 | 1 of 14 |
| April 2026 (released June 2026) | 0.011% | 380 of 434 | 1 of 14 |
| May 2026 (released June 2026) | 0.021% | 323 of 447 | 2 of 14 |
Measured, not estimated: Anthropic's samples of Claude.ai conversations, each tied by a model to an O*NET task, from the Anthropic Economic Index. It says where Claude's use goes, not how much of this job's working time it covers, so it is not on the same scale as the reach above. The releases differ in their sample, their classifier and the smallest share they report (the June 2026 file rounds each task to a hundredth of a percent, so a smaller task reads as none), which is why a change of method starts a new line. At least 96% of each older release's task-tied use matched this site's tasks, and all of the newest. Claude.ai only, so use through other tools and other companies' models is not in it. Every job ranked.
Robots and the physical work
Anthropic rates 80% of this job's working time as physical work. For 27% of the working time, a robot has been shown doing most of the task somewhere: 5% in a purpose-built cell, 5% in a structured facility, 18% in any setting. 0.68 of 3, the 264th highest of the 923 jobs.
- Not physical 20%
- No robot shown 52%
- In a purpose-built cell 5%
- In a structured facility 5%
- In any setting 18%
Anthropic's rating, not this site's estimate: Claude Opus 5, searching the web, rated each physical O*NET task by the kind of setting in which a robot it could cite (deployed, sold or demonstrated) does most of the task, weighted by its own estimate of each task's share of the time (What work can robots do?, September 30, 2026, data CC BY 4.0; every job ranked). A robot shown somewhere is not a robot in your building: cost, setup and safety decide that. The share within reach on this page still counts no body work. The robot behind each rated task is under the task below.
What changes for the people in this job
From the task-by-task review, by the end of 2028 on the long-run pace at four in five. It says which parts of the work stay with people and which change, not whether anyone keeps a job: that depends on decisions no data set can see.
What stays with people
86% of the working time: the conversation, in-person and hands-on parts of the tasks.
- Spray or dust chemicals, the hands-on work, 18%
- Recommend treatments to clients, the in-person work, 17%
- Drive the spray truck, the hands-on work, 12%
- Direct or assist in treatments, the in-person work, 12%
- Inspect premises for infestation, the hands-on work, 7%
- Inject pesticide into structures, the hands-on work, 7%
What becomes checking the machine
7% of the working time: desk work a model could do by then, in tasks where a mistake costs something or a licensed person signs. A person checks it. Another 7% is desk work that is small if wrong, which can be handed over with lighter checks.
- Measure and calculate fumigant needs, a licensed person signs, 3%
- Determine the treatment from reports, a licensed person signs, 3%
What to learn
- Judgment where errors are severe. Some tasks are severe if wrong. Knowing when not to trust an output matters more there than speed.
- The hands-on craft. About 62% of the time is hands-on work, which no model here does; robots are rated separately on this page.
- Signing off under your license. Some tasks need a licensed, certified or sworn person to do or sign them. The license, and the judgment it stands for, stays with the person.
- The conversations. About 24% of the time is conversation and in-person work, which this site leaves with people: listening, explaining, persuading, calming.
- Reviewing work you did not do yourself. The tasks under What becomes checking the machine, where a mistake costs something, stay a person's to check or sign: spotting what a draft gets wrong is a skill of its own.
Your own version of this job: read it against your job description. The headline is free; the full personal report, every task with its timeline and what to learn, is $19 (a sample).
The tasks
Sorted by . 14 tasks from .
| Task | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spray or dust chemical solutions, powders, or gases into rooms, onto clothing, furnishings, or wood, or over marshlands, ditches, or catch basins.Applying chemicals, which takes a licensed applicator.Done daily by most who do it. Robots: no robot shown. Anthropic's rating. | 18% | 50 min25 min to 1.7 h | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Recommend treatment and prevention methods for pest problems to clients.Advice to the client on site, some by phone.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 17% | 25 min13 min to 50 min | In person 80%, conversation 20% | Stays with people |
| Drive truck equipped with power spraying equipment.Driving the truck with the spraying equipment.Done daily by most who do it. Robots: in any setting, Waymo Driver (Jaguar I-Pace / Zeekr robotaxi fleet) (deployed). Anthropic's rating. | 12% | 25 min13 min to 50 min | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Direct, or assist other workers in, treatment or extermination processes to eliminate or control rodents, insects, or weeds.Directing other workers on site and helping with the work.Done more than yearly by most who do it. Robots: no robot shown. Anthropic's rating. | 12% | 1.3 h25 min to 3.3 h | In person 60%, hands-on 40% | Stays with people |
| Inspect premises to identify infestation source and extent of damage to property, wall, or roof porosity and access to infested locations.Looking over the property for the source and damage.Done more than yearly by most who do it. Robots: no robot shown. Anthropic's rating. | 7% | 50 min25 min to 1.7 h | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Record work activities performed.Activities recorded.Done hourly or more by most who do it. AI observed on this task. | 7% | 8 min4 min to 17 min | Systems 100% | 100%Half by now |
| Cut or bore openings in building or surrounding concrete, access infested areas, insert nozzle, and inject pesticide to impregnate ground.Openings cut and pesticide injected.Done more than monthly by most who do it.Robots: in a purpose-built cell, Electroimpact Quadbots accurate-robot cell with multi-function end effector (MFEE) (deployed). Anthropic's rating. | 7% | 1.7 h38 min to 3.3 h | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Measure area dimensions requiring treatment, calculate fumigant requirements, and estimate cost for service.Measuring the area and working out the quantities and price.Done more than monthly by most who do it. Robots: in a structured facility, Boston Dynamics Spot + Leica BLK ARC (Orbit/Autowalk) (sold). Anthropic's rating. | 7% | 33 min17 min to 1.3 h | Documents 50%, hands-on 50% | 50%Desk part half by now |
| Clean work site after completion of job.Cleaning up after the job.Done daily by most who do it. Robots: in a structured facility, Somatic BCR (Bathroom Cleaning Robot) (deployed). Anthropic's rating. | 5% | 25 min13 min to 50 min | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Set mechanical traps, or place poisonous paste or bait in sewers, burrows, or ditches.Traps and poison placed.Done more than weekly by most who do it.Robots: no robot shown. Anthropic's rating. | 4% | 50 min17 min to 1.7 h | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Study preliminary reports or diagrams of infested area and determine treatment type required to eliminate and prevent recurrence of infestation.Reports and diagrams studied to choose the treatment, which takes a licensed applicator.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 3% | 25 min13 min to 50 min | Documents 100% | 100%Half by now |
| Clean and remove blockages from infested areas to facilitate spraying procedures and provide drainage, using brooms, mops, shovels, or rakes.Clearing with brooms, mops and shovels.Done yearly or less by most who do it.Robots: no robot shown. Anthropic's rating. | 0.7% | 38 min17 min to 1.7 h | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
Within reach, per task: the share of the task's time whose instances are short enough for a model to finish at the chosen date, pace and reliability. Half by: the date half of that time comes within reach. Made of: how the task's time splits among five kinds of doing. Only the documents and systems parts can count as within reach, so a task that is 30% documents can be at most 30% within reach.
Jobs that share skills with this one
From O*NET's related occupations. Within reach now and by the end of 2028, long-run pace, four in five.
- Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation18% now, 18% by 2028
- Hazardous Materials Removal Workers2% now, 3% by 2028
- Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners6% now, 6% by 2028
- Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers0% now, 0% by 2028
- Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators33% now, 33% by 2028
- First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers29% now, 30% by 2028
Where this job works
The industry groups that employ the most of it (BLS, May 2025).
Where the most of these jobs are
The metro areas with the most people in it (BLS, May 2025).
Questions about this job
- How much of the work of Pest Control Workers is within reach of AI now?
- An estimated 14% of the working time is within reach of AI models now and 14% by the end of 2028, on METR's long-run pace at four in five. Within reach means a model could finish work that long at that reliability. It is not a forecast of jobs lost or of savings.
- Which tasks of Pest Control Workers come within reach first?
- Weighted by the time each takes, the tasks with the most within reach now (projected from METR's April 2026 measurement and Epoch's November 2026 index) are: Record work performed (100% of the task's time now); Measure and calculate fumigant needs (50% of the task's time now); and Determine the treatment from reports (100% of the task's time now).
- Which tasks of Pest Control Workers stay with people?
- Tasks that are people work or body work are not counted as within reach at any date. The largest: Spray or dust chemicals; Recommend treatments to clients; and Drive the spray truck. Together such tasks are about 83% of the working time, and the people and body parts of the other tasks stay with people too.
- What should Pest Control Workers learn as AI takes on more of the work?
- By the job's own task-by-task review, the first things to learn are judgment where errors are severe; the hands-on craft; and signing off under your license. By the end of 2028 on the long-run pace at four in five, about 86% of the working time stays with people, 7% becomes checking a model's work and 7% could be handed over with lighter checks. It says which parts of the work change, never whether anyone keeps a job.
- Do people already use AI for the work of Pest Control Workers?
- In the Claude.ai conversations Anthropic sampled for May 2026 and tied to a work task, 0.021% went to this job's tasks, the 323rd largest share of the 447 jobs that showed up; 2 of its 14 tasks appeared. Anthropic's labor market measure puts the share of the job's tasks seen in real Claude use at work at 5%. These are measures of use, not of how much of the work AI could finish, and they cover Claude only.
- Can robots do the physical work of Pest Control Workers?
- Anthropic's robot exposure rating (September 2026) finds 80% of the working time is physical work, and that a robot has been shown doing most of the task, somewhere, for 27% of the working time, 18% in any setting. Its index is 0.68 of 3. One example: Waymo Driver (Jaguar I-Pace / Zeekr robotaxi fleet) for "drive the spray truck". A robot shown somewhere is not one in every workplace; this site's own estimates still count no physical work as within reach.
- How is this estimated?
- From the 14 tasks O*NET lists for the occupation, each with an estimated length checked against GDPval and a share of the working time, reviewed one task at a time on September 30, 2026 for what each is made of (documents, business systems, conversation, in person, hands-on), and METR's measurements of how long a task the best AI models can finish, carried forward to the date from the latest, Claude Mythos Preview (early) in April 2026. Data checked November 10, 2026.
This job in your state or metro area
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A small card with the share of working time within reach now and at the end of 2027, 2028 and 2030, the date and a link back. Free under CC BY 4.0; the card carries the credit.
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