Careers > Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation

Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation

$41.44K Median Salary 3.9K Job Openings (Annual Projection) 8.4% Job Growth

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About This Career

Mix or apply pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, or insecticides through sprays, dusts, vapors, soil incorporation, or chemical application on trees, shrubs, lawns, or crops. Usually requires specific training and state or federal certification.

Reported Job Titles

Chemical Applicator, Integrated Pest Management Technician (IPM Technician), Lawn Specialist, Lawn Technician, Licensed Pesticide Applicator, Pest Control Technician, Pesticide Applicator, Spray Applicator, Spray Technician, Tree and Shrub Technician

Career data shown for:

Skills You'll Need

Click on skills to find related courses.

Abilities

Near Vision

Arm-Hand Steadiness

Control Precision

Deductive Reasoning

Oral Comprehension

Problem Sensitivity

Speech Recognition

Manual Dexterity

Multilimb Coordination

Oral Expression

Written Comprehension

Category Flexibility

Depth Perception

Inductive Reasoning

Information Ordering

Selective Attention

Speech Clarity

Static Strength

Knowledge

Biology

Customer and Personal Service

Production and Processing

English Language

Administration and Management

Public Safety and Security

Education and Training

Law and Government

Mathematics

Chemistry

Mechanical

Transportation

Skills

Active Listening

Critical Thinking

Speaking

Time Management

Complex Problem Solving

Coordination

Judgment and Decision Making

Operation and Control

Operations Monitoring

Reading Comprehension

Social Perceptiveness

Technology Skills

Spreadsheet software

Analytical or scientific software

Geographic information system

Electronic mail software

Office suite software

Data base user interface and query software

Web page creation and editing software

Inventory management software

Tools

Sprayers

Fog or mist generators

Facial shields

Spray truck

Flow sensors

Chemical resistant gloves

Respirators

Hazardous material protective footwear

Safety glasses

Stop watch

Notebook computers

Hand sprayers

Goggles

Laboratory graduated cylinders

Tape measures

Seeder attachment

Hazardous material protective apparel

Personal computers

Tablet computers

Abilities

Near Vision: The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Arm-Hand Steadiness: The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
Control Precision: The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
Deductive Reasoning: The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Problem Sensitivity: The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
Speech Recognition: The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Manual Dexterity: The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
Multilimb Coordination: The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Written Comprehension: The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Category Flexibility: The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Depth Perception: The ability to judge which of several objects is closer or farther away from you, or to judge the distance between you and an object.
Inductive Reasoning: The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Information Ordering: The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Selective Attention: The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
Speech Clarity: The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Static Strength: The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.

Knowledge

Biology: Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
Customer and Personal Service: Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Production and Processing: Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
English Language: Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Administration and Management: Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Public Safety and Security: Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Education and Training: Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Law and Government: Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Mathematics: Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Chemistry: Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
Mechanical: Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Transportation: Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

Skills

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Time Management: Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Operations Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Technology Skills

Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel
Analytical or scientific software: Statistical analysis software; TapRooT
Geographic information system: ESRI ArcView; Geographic information system GIS systems
Electronic mail software: IBM Notes; Microsoft Exchange; Microsoft Outlook
Office suite software: Microsoft Office software
Data base user interface and query software: Blackboard software; Database software; Microsoft Access; Yardi software
Web page creation and editing software: Facebook; Google Sites; LinkedIn; Social media sites
Inventory management software: Assisi Software Assisi Inventory