Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation Salary
The median pay for a pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA is $47,430/year ($22.8/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $45K at the entry level to $65K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 110.42), so that salary is closer to $42,954 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $3,483/month, about 106.4% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $47K actually covers in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara’s Regional Price Parity (110.42). 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.
About pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetations
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What this looks like in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara
Pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation pay in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara tracks closely to the national median, $47K locally vs. $46K nationwide, a 2% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $3,483/month, which is 107.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 10% above the national average (BEA RPP 110.42), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetations in metros near San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Visalia | $39K | $39K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $46K | $41K |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $48K | $42K |
| Salinas | $42K | $38K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
Entry-level pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetations (10th percentile) start around $45K. Mid-career wages sit at $47K. Top earners bring in $65K or more, a $21K 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 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara 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 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $47K, rent takes 107.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $3,483/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 pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetations in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetations typically earn — is $45K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,678/month. At HUD’s $3,483/month FMR, rent would take 130% 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 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $47K locally vs. $46K nationally, a 2% difference.
How does San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara compare to the national average for pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetations?
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara pays $47K median vs. the U.S. average of $46K — that’s +2%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 110.42), the purchasing-power equivalent is $43K — below the national median.
How much do pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetations make in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?
The median is $47,430 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $44,640, and experienced pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetations can clear $65,350. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $47K enough to live in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,251/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $3,483/month, which eats 107.1% 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 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara has a Regional Price Parity of 110.42 (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 $42,954 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.