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Building & Maintenance

Pest Control Workers Salary

in California

The median pay for a pest control workers in California is $47,190/year ($22.69/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $66K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 106.14), so that salary is closer to $44,460 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,471/month, about 75.8% of take-home, which is tight.

Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across California. Jump to a metro for precise data:

$47K
Median annual
$22.69/hr
Hourly rate
$37K
Entry level (10th %)
$66K
Senior level (90th %)

So what does $47K get you in California?

Estimated monthly take-home$3,236/mo
Median 2BR rent-$2,471/mo
Rent as % of take-home76.4% (above 30% guideline)
Cost-of-living adjusted salary$44,460/yr
Monthly remaining after rent$765/mo

About pest control workers

Education: No formal educational credential
U.S. employed: 102,620
Category: Building & Maintenance

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What this looks like in California

Pest control workers pay in California tracks closely to the national median, $47K locally vs. $45K nationwide, a 4% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,471/month, which is 76.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 6% above the national average (BEA RPP 106.14), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.

Compensation breakdown

Annual earnings by percentile, California

Bar chart showing Pest Control Workers salary percentiles in California: 10th percentile $37,110, 25th percentile $41,620, median $47,190, 75th percentile $56,880, 90th percentile $65,580. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics.10th$37K25th$42KMedian$47K75th$57K90th$66K
Bar chart showing Pest Control Workers salary percentiles in California: 10th percentile $37,110, 25th percentile $41,620, median $47,190, 75th percentile $56,880, 90th percentile $65,580. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Entry-level pest control workers (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $47K. Top earners bring in $66K or more, a $28K spread from bottom to top.

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Pest Control Workers salary by metro in California

23 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay

Metro areaMedian salaryvs. stateEmployment
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont$53K+13%1,210
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara$53K+12%590
Santa Cruz-Watsonville$50K+7%50
Vallejo$50K+7%110
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom$48K+3%1,860
Santa Rosa-Petaluma$48K+2%220
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles$48K+2%120
Salinas$48K+1%130
Modesto$47K+1%160
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad$47K+1%1,230
Stockton-Lodi$47K+0%230
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim$47K+0%N/A
El Centro$47K-0%40
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara$47K-0%140
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura$46K-2%340
Fresno$46K-3%480
Yuba City$46K-3%70
Redding$45K-4%120
Bakersfield-Delano$45K-4%320
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario$45K-4%1,540
Chico$45K-4%130
Merced$39K-17%70
Visalia$38K-20%200
123

Showing 1–10 of 23 metros

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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when California numbers change.

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Frequently asked questions

Can a pest control worker afford a 2BR apartment alone in California?

It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $47K, rent takes 76.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,471/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.

What’s the entry-level salary for pest control workers in California?

The 10th-percentile wage — what new pest control workers typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,227/month. At HUD’s $2,471/month FMR, rent would take 111% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.

Is pest control worker a high-paying job in California?

Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $47K locally vs. $45K nationally, a 4% difference.

How does California compare to the national average for pest control workers?

California pays $47K median vs. the U.S. average of $45K — that’s +4%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 106.14), the purchasing-power equivalent is $44K — below the national median.

How much do pest control workers make in California?

The median is $47,190 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,110, and experienced pest control workers can clear $65,580. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.

Is $47K enough to live in California?

On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,236/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,471/month, which eats 76.4% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.

How far does a pest control workers salary go in California?

California has a Regional Price Parity of 106.14 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median pest control workers salary is worth about $44,460 in national-average purchasing power.

Where do pest control workers get paid the most?

The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.

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