Pest Control Workers
Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations- O*NET-SOC code
- 37-2021.00
Apply or release chemical solutions or toxic gases and set traps to kill or remove pests and vermin that infest buildings and surrounding areas.
- Data source: BLSPublished: 2026-08
Moderate· relative
LowFour relative bandsVery highGroup-level value
Scale, basis and source
Four relative bands (Low / Moderate / High / Very high)
831 detailed occupations in the BLS Employment Projections table. Assigned per National Employment Matrix (NEM) code, so occupations sharing a NEM code carry the same band
- Data source: AnthropicPublished: 2026-03
0.046
0.000Range of values carried here0.745Scale, basis and source
Observed exposure index, 0–1 as published
Mapped onto O*NET tasks
Published per SOC 2018 occupation; every O*NET occupation with the same SOC 2018 code carries this value
- Data source: ILOPublished: 2025
0.13
0.09Range of values carried here0.70Group-level value
Scale, basis and source
Generative AI exposure index, 0–1 as published
Published per ISCO-08 unit group. Linked to this occupation, wholly or in part, by applying U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (ISCO-08 to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to 2018 SOC) as published
What kind of figure this source publishes
The BLS category is a relative rank, not an absolute level, and it is not a first-hand measurement: it groups an occupation's percentile ranks across several published studies into four bands. It is not an employment or wage forecast, not a probability of adoption, and it does not separate automation from augmentation.
Task-level exposure
Show 13 hidden tasks15 rated tasks · 4 tasks with β ≥ 0.5 (26.7%)
β = direct exposure (E1) + 0.5 × exposure when tools are available (E2), per the source repository's definition.
- Source unit: O*NET 27.2 tasks → O*NET 31.0 occupation code
- 1 rated task is not in the O*NET 31.0 task list; its score is kept as published for O*NET 27.2.
- Source
- OpenAI "GPTs are GPTs" exposure rubric
- Release
- gh-main-0471612
- License
- MIT License, Copyright (c) 2024 OpenAI
| Task (O*NET 20.1) | Claude.aiRaw / share % | APIRaw / share % |
|---|---|---|
Recommend treatment and prevention methods for pest problems to clients.37-2021.00 | 0.004871.6 | —0 |
Record work activities performed.37-2021.00 | 0.001928.4 | 0.0076100.0 |
Values in this tab are predicted labels, not observations. Eloundou et al. (2023) published two rating regimes — human raters and GPT-4 — and the β shown here is derived from the GPT-4 rater basis alone; the same task can take a different value under the other regime. The unit and the meaning differ from the observed shares (%) in the other tabs, so do not place them on the same axis.
| Task (O*NET 27.2) | βE1 + 0.5 × E2 |
|---|---|
Record work activities performed.O*NET Task ID 7974 | 1.0 |
Measure area dimensions requiring treatment, calculate fumigant requirements, and estimate cost for service.O*NET Task ID 20760 | 1.0 |
Study preliminary reports or diagrams of infested area and determine treatment type required to eliminate and prevent recurrence of infestation.O*NET Task ID 7983 | 0.5 |
Recommend treatment and prevention methods for pest problems to clients.O*NET Task ID 20759 | 0.5 |
β = E1 + 0.5 × E2 · E1 = tasks where direct LLM access alone cuts time by at least 50%, E2 = tasks where software built on top of an LLM cuts time by at least 50%. Values take only 0 / 0.5 / 1.0.
Data sources & licenses — O*NET®, Anthropic Economic Index, Eloundou et al. (2023): see full notices on the Credits page
All O*NET 31.0 task statements (14)
All O*NET 31.0 task statements for this occupation (English, as published; task type core or supplemental). Exposure values are not listed here; they are in the table above, next to each task statement as worded in the O*NET version each source used.
| Task (O*NET 31.0) | Type |
|---|---|
| Record work activities performed. | Core |
| Inspect premises to identify infestation source and extent of damage to property, wall, or roof porosity and access to infested locations. | Core |
| Spray or dust chemical solutions, powders, or gases into rooms, onto clothing, furnishings, or wood, or over marshlands, ditches, or catch basins. | Core |
| Clean work site after completion of job. | Core |
| Direct, or assist other workers in, treatment or extermination processes to eliminate or control rodents, insects, or weeds. | Core |
| Drive truck equipped with power spraying equipment. | Core |
| Study preliminary reports or diagrams of infested area and determine treatment type required to eliminate and prevent recurrence of infestation. | Core |
| Recommend treatment and prevention methods for pest problems to clients. | Core |
| Measure area dimensions requiring treatment, calculate fumigant requirements, and estimate cost for service. | Core |
| Post warning signs and lock building doors to secure area to be fumigated. | Supplemental |
| Cut or bore openings in building or surrounding concrete, access infested areas, insert nozzle, and inject pesticide to impregnate ground. | Supplemental |
| Set mechanical traps, or place poisonous paste or bait in sewers, burrows, or ditches. | Supplemental |
| Clean and remove blockages from infested areas to facilitate spraying procedures and provide drainage, using brooms, mops, shovels, or rakes. | Supplemental |
| Position and fasten edges of tarpaulins over building, and tape vents to ensure air-tight environment and to check for leaks. | Supplemental |
0.68/ 3· Robot exposure index
Scale, basis and source
Each physical task is graded 0–3 by the setting in which robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated could do it (0 none · 1 purpose-built robot settings such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line · 2 structured facilities such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port · 3 unstructured settings such as a private home or a construction site), and the grades are averaged by share of working time
Physical tasks among this occupation's O*NET 29.3 tasks
Anthropic estimated the grades and time shares with Claude Opus 5 using web search, as of 2026.
The robot exposure index is a different measure from the AI exposure figures on this site and cannot be added to or compared with them. It does not measure actual adoption or cost, and 0 also covers occupations with no physical tasks.
Tier of each physical task
Robot environment tiers (E0–E3)
E0 noneDetails
Rated not doable by robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated, even in a purpose-built setting
E1 purpose-built robot settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting built around the machine, such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line
E2 structured facilitiesDetails
Rated doable in a human work facility that an institution keeps to a working standard, such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port
E3 unstructured settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting that no institution keeps to a working standard, such as a private home or a construction site
Only tasks classified as physical are listed; other tasks have no tier in the source.
| Task (O*NET 29.3) | Robot environment tier |
|---|---|
| Inspect premises to identify infestation source and extent of damage to property, wall, or roof porosity and access to infested locations. | E0 none |
| Spray or dust chemical solutions, powders, or gases into rooms, onto clothing, furnishings, or wood, or over marshlands, ditches, or catch basins. | E0 none |
| Clean work site after completion of job. | E2 structured facilities |
| Direct, or assist other workers in, treatment or extermination processes to eliminate or control rodents, insects, or weeds. | E0 none |
| Drive truck equipped with power spraying equipment. | E3 unstructured settings |
| Measure area dimensions requiring treatment, calculate fumigant requirements, and estimate cost for service. | E2 structured facilities |
| Post warning signs and lock building doors to secure area to be fumigated. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Cut or bore openings in building or surrounding concrete, access infested areas, insert nozzle, and inject pesticide to impregnate ground. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Set mechanical traps, or place poisonous paste or bait in sewers, burrows, or ditches. | E0 none |
| Clean and remove blockages from infested areas to facilitate spraying procedures and provide drainage, using brooms, mops, shovels, or rakes. | E0 none |
Occupation information
Employment outlook (BLS)
- Employment, 2025
- 109K
- Projected employment, 2035
- 115K
- Change (2025–35)
- +5.5%
- Median annual wage, 2025
- $45,250
- Typical education needed for entry
- High school diploma or equivalent
Korea classification links (KSCO)
Links from the current release of the Korea Occupation Direct Crosswalk v1.1, made by AI Changing Work. Relation values are read from the O*NET-SOC occupation side.
| KSCO code | KSCO title | Relation | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 79920 | 방역원 | Same scope | confirmed |
Relation and status definitions(kr-direct v1.1)
ILO occupational description
AI Changing Work links the ISCO-08 unit groups below to this occupation by applying the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (2018 SOC to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to ISCO-08) as published, without case-by-case selection; each link may be whole or partial.
- ISCO-08 7544Fumigators and Other Pest and Weed Controllers
The definition, tasks and examples below are the ILO's description of that unit group, not of this occupation.
Fumigators and other pest and weed controllers use chemicals to remove harmful insects, small animals, wild plants and other unwanted organisms, to prevent damage to crops and to buildings and other structures and their surroundings, and to prevent health risks.
Tasks
- (a) operating and monitoring equipment for spraying pests and weeds;
- (b) mixing chemicals according to instructions;
- (c) covering areas to specified depths with pesticides, applying knowledge of weather conditions, droplet sizes, elevation-to-distance ratios, and obstructions;
- (d) spraying or releasing chemical solutions or toxic gases and setting traps to kill pests and vermin, such as mice, termites and roaches;
- (e) lifting, pushing and swinging nozzles, hoses and tubes in order to direct spray over designated areas;
- (f) filling sprayer tanks with water and chemicals;
- (g) cleaning and servicing machinery to ensure operating efficiency.
Example occupations
Fumigator · Pest controller · Weed controller
Sources: ILO ISCO-08 — details: Credits
ESCO occupational vocabulary
Each entry below is matched to this occupation in the published ESCO-O*NET Crosswalk (version 1, 2022). The match types are that crosswalk's; the wording is AI Changing Work's.
- pest management workerESCO 7544.1Same scope
Pest management workers identify, eliminate and repel pests by applying specific chemical solutions, setting traps and other equipment to control pests such as rats, mice and cockroaches. They apply pesticides and clean and remove pests after extermination. Their tasks might include elimination of fungi, moisture or insects. They inform and advise clients, residents and facility owners on after care and preventive methods to keep away pests.
- pesticides sprayerESCO 7544.1.1Overlapping, not the same
Pesticides sprayers mix pesticides, insecticides, fungicides, and other chemical solutions, and apply them via technical equipment such as sprayers on trees, plants and lawns. They clean and maintain operating machinery and ensure the overall safety in designated areas.
Source: European Commission, DG EMPL — ESCO API 2026-08-08 (bridge v1.2.1)
License: CC BY 4.0 (EU Reuse Notice)
ESCO reuse terms and the modification notice are in Credits.
France classification links (ROME)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and ROME 4.0 job profiles, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side. Links marked “provisional” were adopted on the judgments of two judges from the same model family (Claude) alone, or by an operator rule applied to their judgments, so they rest on weaker evidence than confirmed links.
| ROME code | ROME title (French) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| K2305 | Agent / Agente de désinsectisation | Same scopeprovisional |
| K2319 | Technicien / Technicienne hygiéniste | Overlapping, not the sameprovisional |
Source: France Travail — Répertoire Opérationnel des Métiers et des Emplois (ROME 4.0), version 61, last updated 15 June 2026 (https://www.data.gouv.fr/datasets/repertoire-operationnel-des-metiers-et-des-emplois-rome). Licence Ouverte 2.0.
ROME codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET-SOC occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a France Travail correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: fr-direct v1)
Spain classification links (CNO-11)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and CNO-11 occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| CNO-11 code | CNO-11 title (Spanish) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 7894 | Fumigadores y otros controladores de plagas y malas hierbas | This occupation is narrowerprovisional |
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), National Classification of Occupations 2011 (CNO-11, Royal Decree 1591/2010) — www.ine.es · Licensed CC BY 4.0. CNO-11 codes and Spanish titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not an INE correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: es-direct v1)
Germany classification links (KldB)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and KldB occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| KldB code | KldB title (German) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 53342 | Berufe in der Desinfektion und Schädlingsbekämpfung - fachlich ausgerichtete Tätigkeiten | This occupation is narrowerprovisional |
| 33242 | Berufe im Holz- und Bautenschutz - fachlich ausgerichtete Tätigkeiten | Related, not a matchprovisional |
| 53393 | Aufsichtskräfte - Gewerbe- und Gesundheitsaufsicht, Desinfektion | Related, not a matchprovisional |
Source: © Statistik der Bundesagentur für Arbeit — Klassifikation der Berufe 2010 – überarbeitete Fassung 2020, https://statistik.arbeitsagentur.de. KldB codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own mapping (eigene Zuordnung) and are not a Bundesagentur für Arbeit correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: de-direct v1)
Japan classification links (JSCO)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and JSCO occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| JSCO code | JSCO title (Japanese) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 719 | その他の清掃従事者 | This occupation is narrowerprovisional |
Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), Japan Standard Occupational Classification (Dec. 2009, MIC Notification No. 555). JSCO codes and Japanese titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a MIC correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: jp-direct v1)
Sources, licenses and AI Changing Work's modification and translation notices for this page: Credits & sources