What is Occupational Licensing?
An “occupational license” is, put simply, government permission to work in a particular field. To earn the license, an aspiring worker must clear various hurdles, such as earning a certain amount of education or training or passing an exam. In the 1950s, only one in 20 U.S. workers needed the government’s permission to pursue their chosen occupation. Today, that figure stands at almost one in four.
Pest Control Applicator Occupational Licensing
License required in 51 states
36th most burdensome licensing requirements among moderate-income occupations
Average Fee for License:$293
What They Do
Pest control applicators apply or release chemical solutions or toxic gases and set traps to kill or remove pests and vermin, such as mice, termites and roaches, that infest buildings and surrounding areas. This report looks at what is required to run one’s own pest control business only.
Pest Control Applicator Licensing Overview
All 50 states and D.C. require a licence to work as a Pest Control Applicator. On average, these laws require $293 in fees, 329 days of education and about 2 exam. Pest Control Applicator Licenses have the 36th most burdensome requirements of the 102 occupations studied. Fees for a license exceed $1000 in New York.
Where is a Pest Control Applicator the most regulated?
Out of the 51 states that require an occupational license, an occupational license for a Pest Control Applicator has the highest burden in Louisiana. Louisiana requires $210 in fees, 1 exams, no experience, and 4 years education.
Where is a Pest Control Applicator the least regulated?
Out of the 51 states that require an occupational license, an occupational license for a Pest Control Applicator has the lowest burden in Ohio. Ohio requires $70 in fees, 2 exams, no experience, and no education.
Where is a Pest Control Applicator license the most expensive?
An occupational license for a Pest Control Applicator costs the most in New York. New York requires $2000 in fees, 4 exams, 1 year experience, and 42 clock hours education.
Where is a Pest Control Applicator license the least expensive?
An occupational license for a Pest Control Applicator costs the least in Mississippi. Mississippi requires $0 in fees, 2 exams, no experience, and 2 years education.
Where does it take the longest to obtain a Pest Control Applicator license?
An occupational license for a Pest Control Applicator takes the longest to obtain in Louisiana. It takes 1460 days (4 years). Louisiana requires $210 in fees, 1 exams, no experience, and 4 years education.
Where is it fastest to obtain a Pest Control Applicator license?
An occupational license for a Pest Control Applicator takes the least time to obtain in Kansas, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Maine, Vermont, North Dakota, Nebraska, Idaho, Rhode Island, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Alaska, Wyoming, Connecticut, Wisconsin, Washington, Georgia, Iowa, Indiana, Montana, Ohio (0 days).
What states require exams for a Pest Control Applicator license?
To obtain an occupational license for a Pest Control Applicator there is at least one exam required in: Louisiana, New Hampshire, Hawaii, North Carolina, California, Massachusetts, Tennessee, South Carolina, Michigan, Kentucky, Utah, Mississippi, Colorado, Minnesota, Delaware, Florida, New York, Arizona, Arkansas, Texas, Virginia, Nevada, Maryland, Missouri, District of Columbia, West Virginia, Alabama, Illinois, New Jersey, Kansas, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Maine, Vermont, North Dakota, Nebraska, Idaho, Rhode Island, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Alaska, Wyoming, Connecticut, New Mexico, Wisconsin, Washington, Georgia, Iowa, Indiana, Montana, Ohio. New Hampshire requires 7 exams.
All 50 states and D.C. license pest control applicators. On average, these laws cost aspiring pest control applicators $260 in fees and 274 days in education and experience and require them to pass about two exams—the 50th most burdensome requirements of the 102 occupations studied. However, because pest control applicators are licensed everywhere, the occupation ranks as the seventh most widely and onerously licensed.
License requirements vary widely. For example, while Louisiana requires four years (1,460 days) of education and another 11 states require two or more years of education or experience, 22 states require no education or experience. Similarly, while Arizona, Maine, New Hampshire and New York require four exams, six states require only one. Fees also vary greatly, from $0 in Mississippi to $2,200 in New York.
States Ranked by Average Licensing Burden for 102 Lower-Income Occupations
More Burdensome Less Burdensome
Based on data released in November 2022| Burden Rank | State | Occupations Licensed | Fees | Estimated Calendar Days Lost | Education | Experience | Exams | Minimum Grade | Minimum Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Louisiana | 77 | $210 | 1460 | 4 years | None | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | New Hampshire | 37 | $75 | 1095 | None | 3 years | 7 | 0 | 18 |
| 3 | Hawaii | 64 | $530 | 730 | None | 2 years | 3 | 0 | 18 |
| 4 | North Carolina | 66 | $350 | 735 | 8 clock hours | 2 years & 24 clock hours | 3 | 0 | 18 |
| 5 | California | 75 | $436 | 741 | 10 clock hours | 40 clock hours & 2 years | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | 50 | $500 | 730 | None | 2 years | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 7 | Tennessee | 69 | $440 | 730 | None | 2 years | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 8 | South Carolina | 60 | $375 | 730 | None | 2 years | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 9 | Michigan | 48 | $285 | 730 | None | 2 years | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 10 | Kentucky | 38 | $250 | 730 | None | 2 years | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 11 | Utah | 64 | $175 | 730 | None | 2 years | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 12 | Mississippi | 65 | $0 | 730 | 2 years | None | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 13 | Colorado | 34 | $513 | 728 | None | 24 months | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | Minnesota | 35 | $400 | 730 | None | 2 years | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | Delaware | 42 | $105 | 730 | None | 2 years | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | Florida | 55 | $610 | 533 | 24 credit hours | 1 years | 1 | 12 | 18 |
| 17 | New York | 41 | $2,000 | 374 | 42 clock hours | 1 years | 4 | 0 | 17 |
| 18 | Arizona | 68 | $625 | 449 | 12 credit hours | 1 years | 4 | 0 | 18 |
| 19 | Arkansas | 72 | $380 | 365 | None | 1 years | 3 | 0 | 18 |
| 20 | Texas | 38 | $742 | 379 | 28 clock hours | 1 years & 40 clock hours | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 21 | Virginia | 72 | $250 | 365 | 1 years | None | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 22 | Nevada | 75 | $550 | 294 | 16 credit hours | 6 months | 5 | 0 | 18 |
| 23 | Maryland | 58 | $225 | 365 | None | 1 years | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 24 | Missouri | 33 | $155 | 365 | None | 1 years | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 25 | District of Columbia | 61 | $413 | 365 | None | 1 years | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | West Virginia | 67 | $100 | 365 | None | 1 years | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | Alabama | 63 | $395 | 365 | None | 1 years | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | Illinois | 41 | $375 | 112 | 16 credit hours | None | 2 | 12 | 18 |
| 29 | New Jersey | 54 | $460 | 10 | 4.5 clock hours | 40 clock hours | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 30 | Kansas | 35 | $230 | 0 | None | None | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 31 | Oregon | 69 | $206 | 0 | None | None | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 32 | Pennsylvania | 50 | $135 | 0 | None | None | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 33 | Maine | 46 | $175 | 0 | None | None | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | Vermont | 31 | $105 | 0 | None | None | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 35 | North Dakota | 65 | $100 | 0 | None | None | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 36 | Nebraska | 61 | $90 | 0 | None | None | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 37 | Idaho | 66 | $80 | 0 | None | None | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 38 | Rhode Island | 70 | $45 | 0 | None | None | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 39 | Oklahoma | 42 | $385 | 0 | None | None | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | South Dakota | 32 | $35 | 0 | None | None | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 41 | Alaska | 64 | $25 | 0 | None | None | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 42 | Wyoming | 26 | $25 | 0 | None | None | 2 | 0 | 16 |
| 43 | Connecticut | 65 | $221 | 0 | None | None | 1 | 0 | 18 |
| 44 | New Mexico | 66 | $185 | 21 | 3 credit hours | None | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 45 | Wisconsin | 42 | $145 | 0 | None | None | 1 | 0 | 16 |
| 46 | Washington | 76 | $275 | 0 | None | None | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 47 | Georgia | 41 | $190 | 0 | None | None | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 48 | Iowa | 71 | $100 | 0 | None | None | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 49 | Indiana | 37 | $90 | 0 | None | None | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 50 | Montana | 32 | $85 | 0 | None | None | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 51 | Ohio | 40 | $70 | 0 | None | None | 2 | 0 | 0 |
License to Work
The data and information here come from IJ’s License to Work report, released in November 2022.
View Report