Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation Salary
The median pay for a pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation in California is $45,070/year ($21.67/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $65K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 106.14), so that salary is closer to $42,463 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,471/month, about 79.4% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across California. Jump to a metro for precise data:
Where the paycheck goes
What $45K actually covers in California, month by month
About pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetations
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What this looks like in California
Pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation pay in California tracks closely to the national median, $45K locally vs. $46K nationwide, a 3% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,471/month, which is 79.6% 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
Entry-level pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetations (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $45K. Top earners bring in $65K or more, a $27K spread from bottom to top.
Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation salary by metro in California
14 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $54K | +21% | 100 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $48K | +7% | 430 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $48K | +6% | 100 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | $47K | +5% | 70 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | $47K | +5% | 80 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $46K | +2% | N/A |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $46K | +2% | 190 |
| Stockton-Lodi | $45K | -0% | 60 |
| Salinas | $42K | -8% | 220 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | $41K | -9% | 60 |
| Bakersfield-Delano | $41K | -10% | 40 |
| Modesto | $41K | -10% | 50 |
| Fresno | $40K | -11% | 200 |
| Visalia | $39K | -14% | N/A |
Showing 1–10 of 14 metros
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BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when California numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation afford a 2BR apartment alone in California?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $45K, rent takes 79.6% 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 $900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetations in California?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetations typically earn — is $38K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,667/month. At HUD’s $2,471/month FMR, rent would take 93% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation a high-paying job in California?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $45K locally vs. $46K nationally, a 3% difference.
How does California compare to the national average for pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetations?
California pays $45K median vs. the U.S. average of $46K — that’s -3%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 106.14), the purchasing-power equivalent is $42K — below the national median.
How much do pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetations make in California?
The median is $45,070 a year, that works out to about $22 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $38,180, and experienced pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetations can clear $64,680. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $45K enough to live in California?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,105/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,471/month, which eats 79.6% 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 pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation 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 pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation salary is worth about $42,463 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetations 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.