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Agriculture

Pesticide Handler, Sprayer, and Applicator, Vegetation

Mix or apply pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, or insecticides through sprays, dusts, vapors, soil incorporation, or chemical application on trees, shrubs, lawns, or crops. Usually requires specific training and state or federal certification.

Annual openings

97

Median wage

$47,020

Typical education

Some employers value a High school (GED), but others do not.

Growth 2026–2032

+8%

Median wage source: Colorado BLS OEWS (2025).

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Career requirements

What does this career require?

Explore education, required qualifications, voluntary credentials and employer preferences for this role. Check the details to see which apply.

Typical education

Some employers value a High school (GED), but others do not.

Credential requirement

Credential requirements not reported

Credential detail

One of 3 pesticide certifications is required. Start as a Qualified Applicator and move to Supervisor or Operator. A CDL Class B with Air Brake certification is not required, but is it is valued by employers, even providing additional opportunities, because of the use of equipment on the job.

Work experience

No previous work experience is required.

Employer competency information

Feedback from employers identifies the following competencies

  • Love outdoors and physical work — Part of the joy of this job is being outdoors.
  • Being safety-minded and having attention to detail — Working with pesticides safely requires focus.
  • Problem Solving
  • Teamwork
  • Math/Science/Physics — The science of plant healthcare is a practical use of this knowledge.
  • Mechanically minded — Machines are an integral part of the job, as is being able to drive, operate, and fix them.
Some of these jobs will be in cities (such as lawn/tree care) and some will be on farms helping crops grow.

Is this work a fit?

What the work actually feels like

How people in this career tend to spend their time, the interests it draws on, and a look at a typical day.

Automation exposure

High exposure

Many tasks are repeatable, so technology could reshape the day-to-day over time.

A typical day

  1. Mix pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides for application to trees, shrubs, lawns, or botanical crops.
  2. Connect hoses and nozzles selected according to terrain, distribution pattern requirements, types of infestations, and velocities.
  3. Clean or service machinery to ensure operating efficiency, using water, gasoline, lubricants, or hand tools.
  4. Fill sprayer tanks with water and chemicals, according to formulas.
  5. Lift, push, and swing nozzles, hoses, and tubes to direct spray over designated areas.
  6. Cover areas to specified depths with pesticides, applying knowledge of weather conditions, droplet sizes, elevation-to-distance ratios, and obstructions.
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