Pest control technician
Career outlook for pest control technician
UK Salary Ranges
Entry-level
£22,000
£22,000
Experienced
£30,000
£30,000
Currently employed in Scotland
Information is unavailable
Salary information is provided by the "National Careers Service". "Oxford Economics" supplies job forecasts and employment figures. Due to COVID-19 the jobs market is constantly changing. Some of the information may not reflect the current situation.
What's it like?
You would identify, control and get rid of pests so they don’t live in people’s homes or workplaces.
You would deal with infestations of rodents or insects like:
- Rats or mice
- Wasps
- Ants
- Cockroaches
Using a range of chemicals and equipment, you’d remove infestations in homes, restaurants, sewers and other places.
You would:
- Find out what the pests are and how they are getting in
- Choose the best way of controlling the pests
- Work out the right doses of chemicals to use
- Spray chemicals to get rid of insects
- Lay poison and traps or use weapons such as air-guns to control birds and animals
- Collect dead animals and other samples for scientific analysis
- Proof an area to stop pests returning
- Give advice on stopping pests from coming back
- Complete reports and keep records
- Follow the correct processes for dealing with pesticides and dead or captured animals
You’d need good eyesight and a strong awareness of health and safety issues.
With experience you might specialise in dealing with one type of pest.
Working conditions
Hours
Environment
Travel
UK employment status
Full-time
33%
Part-time
51%
Self employed
17%
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- Time management
- Taking initiative
- Developing a plan
- Attention to detail
- Resourceful
- Problem solving
- Evaluating
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Qualifications
Though there are no formal qualification required to enter this job though qualifications at SCQF level 4/5 may be of value.
Useful subjects
- Maths
- English
- Science subjects particularly biology and chemistry
Helpful to have
Qualifications and experience that show an understanding of biology, environmental health / health & safety and customer service skills.
Most employers look for industry-related qualifications from the British Pest Control Association (BPCA) or the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH), which are usually gained once in work.