Pest Control Workers
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.
of the working time. Estimate.
- 27%
- 0%
- 73%
Measured, from Anthropic's usage data (2025). Counts help on part of a task.
On the chosen pace and reliability. Estimate.
Share of the working time within reach, now to 2030
What each choice means: , , , , . Every pace starts from .
At this date and pace, models finish tasks up to 4.4 h long four times in five.
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, 5%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 27%. Today's estimate: 27%.
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.
The tasks
Sorted by . 14 tasks from .
| Task | Kind | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spray or dust chemical solutions, powders, or gases into rooms, onto clothing, furnishings, or wood, or over marshlands, ditches, or catch basins.Done daily by most who do it. | 18% | 50 min25 min to 1.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Recommend treatment and prevention methods for pest problems to clients.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 17% | 25 min13 min to 50 min | 100%Half by now | |
| Drive truck equipped with power spraying equipment.Done daily by most who do it. | 12% | 25 min13 min to 50 min | Stays with people | |
| Direct, or assist other workers in, treatment or extermination processes to eliminate or control rodents, insects, or weeds.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 12% | 1.3 h25 min to 3.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Inspect premises to identify infestation source and extent of damage to property, wall, or roof porosity and access to infested locations.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 7% | 50 min25 min to 1.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Record work activities performed.Done hourly or more by most who do it. AI observed on this task. | 7% | 8 min4 min to 17 min | 100%Half by now | |
| Cut or bore openings in building or surrounding concrete, access infested areas, insert nozzle, and inject pesticide to impregnate ground.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 7% | 1.7 h38 min to 3.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Measure area dimensions requiring treatment, calculate fumigant requirements, and estimate cost for service.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 7% | 33 min17 min to 1.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Clean work site after completion of job.Done daily by most who do it. | 5% | 25 min13 min to 50 min | Stays with people | |
| Set mechanical traps, or place poisonous paste or bait in sewers, burrows, or ditches.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 4% | 50 min17 min to 1.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Study preliminary reports or diagrams of infested area and determine treatment type required to eliminate and prevent recurrence of infestation.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 3% | 25 min13 min to 50 min | 100%Half by now | |
| Clean and remove blockages from infested areas to facilitate spraying procedures and provide drainage, using brooms, mops, shovels, or rakes.Done yearly or less by most who do it. | 0.7% | 38 min17 min to 1.7 h | 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.
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 Workers3% 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 Operators11% now, 11% by 2028
- First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers28% now, 32% 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).