Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation Salary
The median pay for a pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation in Missoula, MT is $38,260/year ($18.4/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $32K at the entry level to $49K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.44), that's roughly $39,672 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,361/month, about 52.2% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $38K get you in Missoula?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Missoula’s Regional Price Parity (96.44). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
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What this looks like in Missoula
Pay for pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation in Missoula runs about 17% below the U.S. median of $46K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,361/month, which is 51.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 96.44) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetations.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetations in metros near Missoula, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Billings | $37K | $39K |
| Bozeman | $42K | $41K |
| Great Falls | $36K | $37K |
| Boise City | $48K | $48K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Missoula, MT
Entry-level pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetations (10th percentile) start around $32K. Mid-career wages sit at $38K. Top earners bring in $49K or more, a $17K spread from bottom to top.
Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $63K | +36% | N/A |
| Delaware | $54K | +17% | 40 |
| Oregon | $52K | +11% | 290 |
| Hawaii | $51K | +11% | 60 |
| North Dakota | $50K | +9% | 280 |
| Ohio | $50K | +8% | 490 |
| Wyoming | $49K | +6% | 120 |
| Kansas | $49K | +6% | 520 |
| Minnesota | $49K | +6% | 950 |
| Pennsylvania | $49K | +5% | 360 |
| Arizona | $49K | +5% | 210 |
| Virginia | $49K | +5% | 240 |
| Indiana | $49K | +5% | 950 |
| New York | $48K | +4% | 220 |
| Rhode Island | $48K | +4% | 100 |
| Illinois | $48K | +4% | 1,040 |
| North Carolina | $48K | +4% | 360 |
| Nevada | $48K | +4% | 100 |
| Idaho | $48K | +3% | 610 |
| Nebraska | $48K | +3% | 380 |
| Washington | $47K | +2% | 470 |
| Tennessee | $47K | +2% | N/A |
| Colorado | $47K | +1% | 960 |
| Iowa | $47K | +1% | 600 |
| South Dakota | $46K | -0% | 460 |
| Wisconsin | $46K | -0% | 540 |
| Utah | $45K | -2% | 360 |
| Florida | $45K | -2% | 4,530 |
| California | $45K | -3% | 2,260 |
| Missouri | $45K | -3% | 450 |
| Michigan | $44K | -4% | 860 |
| Maryland | $44K | -4% | N/A |
| New Jersey | $44K | -4% | 320 |
| Alabama | $43K | -6% | 320 |
| Maine | $40K | -13% | 60 |
| Kentucky | $39K | -15% | 290 |
| Georgia | $39K | -16% | 1,300 |
| New Mexico | $39K | -16% | 120 |
| South Carolina | $38K | -18% | 610 |
| Arkansas | $38K | -18% | 490 |
| Montana | $38K | -19% | 630 |
| Oklahoma | $37K | -20% | 370 |
| Mississippi | $36K | -23% | 650 |
| Louisiana | $26K | -43% | 220 |
Showing 1–10 of 44 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Missoula numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation afford a 2BR apartment alone in Missoula?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $38K, rent takes 51.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,361/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/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 Missoula?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetations typically earn — is $32K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,924/month. At HUD’s $1,361/month FMR, rent would take 71% 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 Missoula?
Local pay runs 17% below the national median — $38K here vs. $46K nationally.
How does Missoula compare to the national average for pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetations?
Missoula pays $38K median vs. the U.S. average of $46K — that’s -17%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.44), the purchasing-power equivalent is $40K — below the national median.
How much do pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetations make in Missoula, MT?
The median is $38,260 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $32,060, and experienced pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetations can clear $48,720. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $38K enough to live in Missoula?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,636/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,361/month, which eats 51.6% 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 Missoula?
Missoula has a Regional Price Parity of 96.44 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation salary is worth about $39,672 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.
