Trade · Pay and pricing
What the work pays, and what it bills.
Numbers members have shared in the LTK Discord about pay and pricing, next to the national BLS figures for the trade.
Pay, as members report it
Master tech (runs a team of 3–5, handles callbacks)
~$65k
LTK member · Aug 2026
Regular technician
$36–50k
LTK member · Aug 2026
Unlicensed new hires paid $5/hr more than a licensed tech
≈ $9,600/yr gap, as the thread worked it out — the case made for pay transparency
#job-board thread · Jan 2025
Technician salary bands in posted jobs (AZ, NM, TX)
$35–65k
#job-board posts · 2025–26
Commission technician roles in posted jobs (Michigan)
$70–100k
#job-board posts · Nov 2025
Branch manager in a posted job (New York)
$87–97k
#job-board post · Jun 2026
National figures for pest control workers — the government job category that covers most of the trade. About 108,700 people held these jobs in 2025.
- $45,250Median annual pay · $21.75/hr source (BLS, opens in a new tab)
- $34,680–$61,890Lowest 10% to highest 10% of earners source (BLS, opens in a new tab)
- +6%Projected job growth 2025–2035 (all jobs: 3%) source (BLS, opens in a new tab)
- 13,700Openings projected each year, on average source (BLS, opens in a new tab)
$44,930 median inside exterminating and pest control services
$50,980 median across all US occupations
What these numbers leave out
- Self-employed workers — so owner-operators are absent entirely
- Overtime premium pay, shift differentials and non-production bonuses (commissions and production bonuses are included)
- Seasonal variation (annual figures assume 2,080 hours)
Real route pay depends on commission, truck and tool allowances and overtime. Compare notes in the Discord.
Pricing specialty work
From a thread on what height, access and risk should add to a quote.
Squirrel job on a steep (15/12) roof
$450 minimum trapping setup + $100 per animal; exclusion at 3× markup, 5× with access limits; add a spotter tech if needed
LTK member · Feb 2026
Labor rate, height work
$250/hr, $350/hr for sketchy access; $175 per installed roof anchor
LTK member · Feb 2026
Specialty work target
A target of $150/hr labor for specialty work
A manufacturer rep in the thread · Feb 2026
Termite, bait vs. liquid (a competitor example)
Bait install $625 + $33/mo vs. trench-and-treat $350 + $350/yr renewal. One member’s position: a one-time liquid treatment beats bait.
LTK member · Apr 2026
Compare notes
What does your market pay?
The more people share, the less anyone gets lowballed. Post your numbers in the Discord.
Talk pay on Discord(opens Discord in a new tab)