Pest Control Technicians in the Hilton Head Island area earn a median of $43,130 a year, 3% below the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #143 of 243 metros for pest control technicians nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Charleston and Columbia, but less in Savannah.
It's one of 6 South Carolina metros with published pay for this trade; see pest control technician pay in South Carolina.
Pest Control Technician pay in Hilton Head Island at a glance
- Pest control technicians in the Hilton Head Island, SC metro earn a median $43,130 a year ($20.73 an hour), #143 of 243 U.S. metros (BLS, May 2025).
- The middle 80% earn between $37,240 and $62,480.
- After local prices, that median buys what $44,003 would in a typical U.S. place (BEA, 2024).
- A typical 1-bedroom rents for $1,788 a month, 50% of the median pay (HUD, FY2027).
Check your pay here
Enter a rate to see where it falls among pest control technicians in Hilton Head Island.
Comparing two real offers with overtime and commutes? Use the job offer checker.
What this means Our calculation
Pay for pest control technicians here is about average compared with other U.S. metros, and below average once local prices are factored in. For the wider job market, unemployment is about the same as in most metros (4.2%) and the population is growing faster than most (+12.0% since 2020). On your own, you'd join about 12 one-person pest control businesses averaging $144,667 in revenue, and you'd need to bill roughly $60/hour to match the median salary (at our default assumptions).
Hilton Head Island scorecard for pest control technicians Our calculation
Grades compare Hilton Head Island 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 Hilton Head Island area went from $36,290 in 2020 to $43,130 in 2025, up 18.8%. Prices rose 25% over the same period, so after inflation that's -5.2% — 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 Hilton Head Island Our calculation
Prices in the Hilton Head Island area run 2% below the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $44,003 would in a typical place, ranking #147 of 242 on real pay.
Real pay or rent burden?
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.
Want the full picture? Build a cost-of-living budget for Hilton Head Island from this pay, local rent and prices.
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 South Carolina Official source
The main state licensing office in South Carolina is the South Carolina Contractors' Licensing Board. It can point you to the right license for pest control technicians.
Official South Carolina 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 SC metros for pest control technicians
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| SpartanburgSOUTH CAROLINA · SC | $47,630 | $52,311 | 70 |
| ColumbiaSOUTH CAROLINA · SC | $44,620 | $47,639 | 440 |
| FlorenceSOUTH CAROLINA · SC | $44,460 | $51,237 | 120 |
| CharlestonSOUTH CAROLINA · SC | $43,530 | $43,115 | 510 |
| Hilton Head IslandSOUTH CAROLINA · SC | $43,130 | $44,003 | 180 |
| Myrtle BeachSOUTH CAROLINA · SC | $38,100 | $40,687 | 270 |
See every metro in South Carolina.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Hilton Head Island area's unemployment rate was 4.2% in 2025 (all workers, not just pest control technicians), above the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 3.3% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Hilton Head Island area is 26 minutes each way, longer than the typical metro (24 min). 16% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 64% drive alone, 0% take transit and 16% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The Hilton Head Island area's population grew 12.0% from 2020 to 2025 (216,972 → 242,966), ranking #23 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). People moving in (net +26,794) account for more than all of the change.
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
Homes in Hilton Head Island
The Hilton Head Island area has about 124,076 homes. 16% were built before 1980 (typical metro 45%), so its housing is newer than most; 28% were built in 2010 or later. 75% of households own their home, and the median home value is $511,100.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
New construction
New-home permits in Hilton Head Island are down 17% from 2021 to 2025 (3,698 → 3,077).
In 2025 the Hilton Head Island area approved permits for 3,077 new homes (2,390 single-family), or 13.5 per 1,000 residents, ranking #11 of 393 metros.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 12 one-person businesses (no employees) in pest control, averaging $144,667 a year in revenue before expenses. See how Hilton Head Island compares among the best cities to start a pest control technician business.
They compete with 28 pest control companies that have employees (about 294 workers in total). 43% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
Working outdoors in Hilton Head Island Government data
In an average year, Hilton Head Island has 73 days at 90°F or hotter (more than most metros; typical metro 33), including 2 at 100°F or more, 17 nights below freezing (typical 90) and 68 days with a tenth of an inch of rain or more. Summer afternoons average 90°F and winter nights 42°F. That matters for pest control technicians: heat and freezes shape the working season and the hours.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 averages, Beaufort Mcas, SC station. Compare cities on outdoor work weather.
Employee vs. working for yourself Your scenario
A model, not a market rate. It shows the break-even rate to match a $43,130 employee salary once you cover what an employer normally pays for (including the employer half of Social Security and Medicare, 7.65%), then adds your profit margin. Change any number.
Break-even rate
With your profit margin
How this calculator works. Weighing a contractor job against a W-2 one? Try the 1099 vs. W-2 comparison. 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 Hilton Head Island with another city →
Keep exploring
Could this trade pay more somewhere else?
ToolBest cities for pest control techniciansRank every metro on pay, buying power, rent and jobs.Is a job offer here any good?
ToolCheck an offer in Hilton Head IslandSee where it falls among local pest control technicians, after the commute.Could you afford to live here?
ToolHilton Head Island budgetMonthly take-home, HUD rent and local prices on this pay.About this data
Local to the Hilton Head Island metro: pay (BLS, May 2025) and pay over time (2020–2025, CPI-adjusted), prices (BEA, 2024), rent (HUD, FY2027), new construction, housing, population and commuting (Census), unemployment (BLS) and business counts (Census, by industry). National: job outlook and training (BLS projections), injury rates (BLS) and duties (O*NET). Jobs are employment estimates, not open positions; grades rank Hilton Head Island against every other metro for pest control technicians. Every source, year and formula is on our data page.