Pest Control Technicians in the El Centro area earn a median of $47,100 a year, 6% above the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #45 of 243 U.S. metros nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in San Diego and Prescott Valley, but less in Yuma.
It's one of 22 California metros with published pay for this trade; see statewide pest control technician pay.
What this means Our calculation
Pay for pest control technicians here is in the top 20% of U.S. metros, and also in the top 20% once local prices are factored in. For the wider job market, unemployment is higher than in most metros (18.9%) and the population is growing slowly (+1.0% since 2020).
A summary of the numbers on this page; nothing here is estimated beyond them.
El Centro scorecard for pest control technicians Our calculation
Grades compare El Centro with every other U.S. metro for this trade (A = top 20%).
Pay Government data
Pay range
Shaded: the middle half of workers. Grey line: typical U.S. metro ($44,460).
Pay over time
The median pay for pest control technicians in the El Centro area went from $45,250 in 2020 to $47,100 in 2025, up 4.1%. Prices rose 25% over the same period, so after inflation that's -17.0% — a real pay cut.
BLS OEWS, May 2020–May 2025; inflation: CPI-U (May to May). Year-to-year changes can include survey noise.
Compared with nearby metros
What the pay is really worth in El Centro Our calculation
Prices in the El Centro area run 5% below the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $49,488 would in a typical place, ranking #27 of 242 on real pay.
Two different views, don't combine them. Real pay already accounts for housing, because the price index includes rent. Rent burden shows what share of pay a typical 1-bedroom takes. Use either one, not both together.
What pest control technicians do
Apply or release chemical solutions or toxic gases and set traps to kill or remove pests and vermin that infest buildings and surrounding areas.
Most important day-to-day tasks
- Record work activities performed.
- Clean work site after completion of job.
- Measure area dimensions requiring treatment, calculate fumigant requirements, and estimate cost for service.
- Spray or dust chemical solutions, powders, or gases into rooms, onto clothing, furnishings, or wood, or over marshlands, ditches, or catch basins.
- Recommend treatment and prevention methods for pest problems to clients.
Outlook & getting started
Nationally, pest control technician jobs are projected to grow 5.5% from 2025 to 2035 (all jobs: 3.5%), with about 13,700 openings a year. About 5% are self-employed.
What the work is like Government data
How often pest control technicians deal with each condition, from surveys of workers in the job.
Getting started usually takes some preparation (high school plus months of training).
O*NET 31.0 Work Context and Job Zones (U.S. Department of Labor), national.
Licensing in California Official source
The main state licensing office in California is the Contractors State License Board. Licenses all trades by classification (e.g. C-10 electrical; C-36 plumbing). It can point you to the right license for pest control technicians.
Official California licensing site ↗
Requirements for pest control technicians vary by state and sometimes by city; always confirm with the official agency.
On-the-job safety Government data
Nationally, pest control technicians have 150 injuries or illnesses serious enough to miss work per 10,000 full-time workers, 1.7× the rate for all jobs (87). The most common cause is falls, slips and trips.
BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024 (national, cases with days away from work).
Highest-paying CA metros for pest control technicians
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| San FranciscoCALIFORNIA · CA | $53,380 | $46,171 | 1,210 |
| San JoseCALIFORNIA · CA | $53,050 | $48,043 | 590 |
| Santa CruzCALIFORNIA · CA | $50,440 | $45,898 | 50 |
| VallejoCALIFORNIA · CA | $50,420 | $46,479 | 110 |
| SacramentoCALIFORNIA · CA | $48,420 | $45,392 | 1,860 |
| Santa RosaCALIFORNIA · CA | $48,140 | $44,663 | 220 |
| San Luis ObispoCALIFORNIA · CA | $48,000 | $44,201 | 120 |
| SalinasCALIFORNIA · CA | $47,860 | $43,891 | 130 |
| ModestoCALIFORNIA · CA | $47,480 | $45,606 | 160 |
| San DiegoCALIFORNIA · CA | $47,470 | $42,427 | 1,230 |
See every metro in California.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The El Centro area's unemployment rate was 18.9% in 2025 (all workers, not just pest control technicians), above the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 18.0% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the El Centro area is 24 minutes each way, about the same as the typical metro (24 min). 10% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 77% drive alone, 1% take transit and 6% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The El Centro area's population grew 1.0% from 2020 to 2025 (179,532 → 181,411), ranking #249 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). More people moved out than in (net -2,745).
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
Homes in El Centro
The El Centro area has about 59,001 homes. 39% were built before 1980 (typical metro 45%), so its housing is newer than most; 13% were built in 2010 or later. 60% of households own their home, and the median home value is $352,800.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
New construction
New-home permits in El Centro are down 56% from 2021 to 2025 (555 → 242).
In 2025 the El Centro area approved permits for 242 new homes (224 single-family), or 1.3 per 1,000 residents, ranking #342 of 393 metros.
Employee vs. working for yourself Your scenario
A model, not a market rate. It shows the minimum you'd need to bill to match a $47,100 employee salary once you cover what an employer normally pays for. Change any number.
Minimum billing rate
How this calculator works. Billable hours are hours you can charge a customer. Driving, quoting, paperwork and slow weeks aren't billable, which is why 1,400 is a common starting point versus 2,080 paid hours as an employee.
Get pest control technician pricing & estimate templates →Compare El Centro with another city →
About this data
- Pay: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2025, local to this metro.
- Pay over time: BLS OEWS May 2020–2025, local; inflation from the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U).
- Real pay: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024, local.
- Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027, local (county rents weighted by population).
- Job outlook, education, training: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national.
- Duties: O*NET 31.0, national.
- Safety: BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024, national.
- New construction: Census Building Permits, 2021–2025, local.
- Housing: Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year, local (age of homes, ownership, home values).
- Population: Census Bureau population estimates, 2020–2025, local.
- Commute: Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year, local, all workers.
- Unemployment: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, 2021–2025 annual averages, local, all workers (2025 preliminary).
- Competition: Census Nonemployer Statistics 2024 and County Business Patterns 2023, local, reported by industry, so related trades can share one figure.
- Jobs are employment estimates, not open positions. Grades rank this metro against all others for the same trade.
Report a data issue on this page
The Census doesn't publish one-person business or competition figures for pest control technicians as a separate industry, so that section is left out.