U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsMix or apply pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, or insecticides through sprays, dusts, vapors, soil incorporation, or chemical application on trees, shrubs, lawns, or botanical crops. Usually requires specific training and State or Federal certification. Excludes "Commercial Pilots" (53-2012) who dust or spray crops from aircraft.
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:
| Employment (1) | Employment RSE (3) |
Mean hourly wage |
Mean annual wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23,650 | 4.2 % | $15.38 | $32,000 | 0.9 % |
Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:
| Percentile | 10% | 25% | 50% (Median) |
75% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly Wage | $9.83 | $12.10 | $14.55 | $18.02 | $22.19 |
| Annual Wage (2) | $20,460 | $25,170 | $30,270 | $37,480 | $46,160 |
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Services to Buildings and Dwellings | 13,410 | 0.73 | $15.13 | $31,470 |
| Local Government (OES Designation) | 3,660 | 0.07 | $16.76 | $34,860 |
| Miscellaneous Nondurable Goods Merchant Wholesalers | 2,360 | 0.72 | $15.11 | $31,440 |
| Support Activities for Crop Production | 1,600 | 0.50 | $14.87 | $30,930 |
| Farm Product Raw Material Merchant Wholesalers | 730 | 0.97 | $15.80 | $32,860 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Farm Product Raw Material Merchant Wholesalers | 730 | 0.97 | $15.80 | $32,860 |
| Services to Buildings and Dwellings | 13,410 | 0.73 | $15.13 | $31,470 |
| Miscellaneous Nondurable Goods Merchant Wholesalers | 2,360 | 0.72 | $15.11 | $31,440 |
| Support Activities for Crop Production | 1,600 | 0.50 | $14.87 | $30,930 |
| Lawn and Garden Equipment and Supplies Stores | 230 | 0.16 | $15.03 | $31,260 |
Top paying industries for this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary and Secondary Schools | 30 | (7) | $20.76 | $43,180 |
| Scientific Research and Development Services | (8) | (8) | $20.02 | $41,640 |
| State Government (OES Designation) | 130 | 0.01 | $17.65 | $36,710 |
| Activities Related to Real Estate | 30 | 0.01 | $17.26 | $35,890 |
| Local Government (OES Designation) | 3,660 | 0.07 | $16.76 | $34,860 |
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | 3,280 | 0.45 | 2.48 | $15.33 | $31,880 |
| California | 2,760 | 0.19 | 1.06 | $17.09 | $35,540 |
| Minnesota | 1,150 | 0.44 | 2.41 | $15.66 | $32,570 |
| Georgia | 900 | 0.24 | 1.30 | $13.02 | $27,090 |
| Illinois | 880 | 0.16 | 0.86 | $14.06 | $29,250 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Dakota | 720 | 1.82 | 10.00 | $14.52 | $30,190 |
| Montana | 430 | 0.98 | 5.42 | $13.64 | $28,360 |
| North Dakota | 330 | 0.82 | 4.51 | $14.18 | $29,490 |
| Wyoming | 210 | 0.76 | 4.19 | $15.09 | $31,390 |
| Iowa | 690 | 0.47 | 2.59 | $14.02 | $29,160 |
Top paying States for this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | 360 | 0.11 | 0.62 | $19.70 | $40,980 |
| Connecticut | 60 | 0.04 | 0.20 | $18.99 | $39,500 |
| New Jersey | 570 | 0.15 | 0.82 | $18.49 | $38,450 |
| Oregon | 460 | 0.28 | 1.56 | $18.09 | $37,620 |
| Pennsylvania | 760 | 0.14 | 0.74 | $18.04 | $37,530 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 780 | 0.69 | 3.81 | $15.30 | $31,820 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 670 | 0.38 | 2.11 | $15.51 | $32,260 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA | 400 | 0.18 | 0.97 | $13.99 | $29,100 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel, IN | 370 | 0.42 | 2.30 | $14.73 | $30,630 |
| Philadelphia, PA Metropolitan Division | 350 | 0.19 | 1.06 | $20.21 | $42,030 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | 300 | 0.23 | 1.29 | $13.11 | $27,270 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 290 | 0.29 | 1.60 | $15.58 | $32,420 |
| Sacramento--Arden-Arcade--Roseville, CA | 260 | 0.31 | 1.73 | $17.24 | $35,860 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, AZ | 240 | 0.14 | 0.77 | $12.57 | $26,140 |
| Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, FL Metropolitan Division | 240 | 0.24 | 1.31 | $13.57 | $28,230 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Napa, CA | 160 | 2.58 | 14.23 | $14.97 | $31,130 |
| Palm Coast, FL | 40 | 2.03 | 11.18 | $13.74 | $28,570 |
| Mankato-North Mankato, MN | 90 | 1.84 | 10.14 | $13.29 | $27,630 |
| Yakima, WA | 100 | 1.28 | 7.06 | $16.42 | $34,150 |
| Billings, MT | 90 | 1.14 | 6.31 | $13.57 | $28,240 |
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | 200 | 0.97 | 5.33 | $15.87 | $33,020 |
| Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL | 170 | 0.89 | 4.91 | $12.27 | $25,520 |
| Sioux Falls, SD | 120 | 0.84 | 4.65 | $15.74 | $32,740 |
| Bloomington-Normal, IL | 70 | 0.83 | 4.56 | $14.40 | $29,960 |
| Rapid City, SD | 50 | 0.79 | 4.35 | $13.19 | $27,450 |
Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA Metropolitan Division | 60 | 0.06 | 0.31 | $24.83 | $51,650 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA NECTA Division | (8) | (8) | (8) | $23.74 | $49,380 |
| Oakland-Fremont-Hayward, CA Metropolitan Division | (8) | (8) | (8) | $23.03 | $47,900 |
| Stockton, CA | (8) | (8) | (8) | $22.05 | $45,850 |
| Barnstable Town, MA | (8) | (8) | (8) | $21.07 | $43,820 |
| Philadelphia, PA Metropolitan Division | 350 | 0.19 | 1.06 | $20.21 | $42,030 |
| Camden, NJ Metropolitan Division | 60 | 0.13 | 0.72 | $20.21 | $42,030 |
| New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division | (8) | (8) | (8) | $20.17 | $41,950 |
| San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, CA | 130 | 0.11 | 0.59 | $19.95 | $41,500 |
| Trenton-Ewing, NJ | (8) | (8) | (8) | $19.79 | $41,170 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern South Dakota nonmetropolitan area | 350 | 2.75 | 15.14 | $14.82 | $30,830 |
| Kansas nonmetropolitan area | 190 | 0.50 | 2.75 | $15.23 | $31,680 |
| Northwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area | 180 | 1.24 | 6.83 | $14.09 | $29,300 |
| West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area | 170 | 0.94 | 5.19 | $13.27 | $27,600 |
| West Northwestern Ohio nonmetropolitan area | 170 | 0.74 | 4.09 | $14.82 | $30,840 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central South Dakota nonmetropolitan area | 130 | 3.88 | 21.35 | $13.68 | $28,460 |
| Eastern South Dakota nonmetropolitan area | 350 | 2.75 | 15.14 | $14.82 | $30,830 |
| Western South Dakota nonmetropolitan area | 80 | 2.26 | 12.42 | $13.62 | $28,330 |
| East Central North Dakota | 90 | 2.09 | 11.49 | $12.69 | $26,390 |
| Far Eastern North Dakota nonmetropolitan area | 50 | 1.97 | 10.84 | $14.97 | $31,130 |
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capital/Northern New York nonmetropolitan area | 40 | 0.20 | 1.13 | $20.21 | $42,030 |
| Northwestern Texas nonmetropolitan area | 60 | 0.24 | 1.31 | $19.48 | $40,510 |
| Northwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area | (8) | (8) | (8) | $18.66 | $38,800 |
| Southern Oregon & Linn County nonmetropolitan area | 50 | 0.50 | 2.76 | $18.20 | $37,870 |
| Other Ohio nonmetropolitan area | 90 | 0.32 | 1.79 | $18.07 | $37,580 |
These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.
The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.
(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.
(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.
(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.
(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.
(8) Estimate not released.
(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.
Other OES estimates and related information:
May 2012 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2012 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2012 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2012 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
Last Modified Date: March 29, 2013
