If you’re looking for employment in the pest control industry or you own a pest control business, knowing which companies are hiring can give you an excellent sense of the industry as a whole. This data can shape your job search, as well as give you a feel for who your biggest competitors might be.
In the third installment of our series on the national pest control job market using data collected from Indeed.com (read about National Salaries), we took a look at the companies that have the most job openings across the country.
But first, a bit of information about the data we collected and how we analyzed it.
When collecting the data, we took into account whether pest control appeared in both the job title and the job description. This means that some jobs could have pest control duties while not being exclusively pest control jobs. Nevertheless, we did not exclude these jobs from the data since they include pest control responsibilities.
Note: We did leave out Nationwide Hotel Management Company from our data since most of their postings were for room attendants who simply inspected for pests. They don’t do any actual pest removal. We also left out Restaurant Depot and SBM Life Science Corp for similar reasons.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at the data.
Top companies hiring pest control technicians
One initial observation based on this data is that the top five companies hiring pest control technicians are all specifically pest control companies. This is a marked difference from the top five companies hiring electricians or plumbers, which included organizations like hotels and the U.S. Army.
This is good news if you’re hoping to get a job specifically in the pest control industry. There are numerous job openings for you at a number of pest control companies.
Additionally, the two companies with the most openings (Terminix and Orkin) dwarf the other companies in terms of the number of jobs posted. You may have more success finding a pest control job at one of these companies.
The raw data can give us the big picture when it comes to the pest control industry, but we also wanted to get some first-hand knowledge about who’s hiring and what roles are most in demand.
To this end, we manually researched numerous listings on Indeed and pulled some specific examples of the job listings being posted.
So what types of pest control jobs are being posted by the above companies? Here are some examples of job descriptions pulled directly from Indeed.
Terminix
Terminix International Company, L.P. is one of the largest pest control companies in the world, operating in 47 states in the United States and 22 countries around the world. It is a subsidiary of ServiceMaster Global Holdings, Inc.
They currently have approximately 8,500 employees scattered across numerous franchises.
- Field Service Technician / Termite Technician: The technician must verify that job specifications are appropriate for each work order and ready the job site for treatment. They must be able to apply anti-termite treatments to structures in accordance with the schedule, safety procedures and label instructions. They must have the ability to install attic insulation and will be responsible to exclude rodents from homes. They must also have the ability to interact with customers as required by the job.
- Pest Control Tech: Pest Control Technicians work in the neighborhoods Terminix serves, visiting residential customers and performing pest control treatments. The technicians must be able to apply pesticides to structures according to schedule, safety procedures and label instructions. They must also be able to respond on a timely basis to customers’ requests for telephone and in-person service calls and call customers to confirm scheduled services. Finally, they should have the ability to identify and act upon opportunities to sell additional Terminix products or services
What’s clear from these job postings is that they are very specific to the pest control industry. Unlike some other companies, which include pest control among a myriad of other duties, Terminix focuses exclusively on pest control.
Some of the job descriptions do note that experience in the field is not necessary, implying that they’ll train you on the job. However, if you do have experience, you’re more likely to get a higher paying job with more responsibilities.
Orkin LLC
Orkin is an Atlanta-based company that provides residential and commercial pest control services. It is a subsidiary of Rollins, Inc.
They currently have approximately 8,000 employees, making them, along with Terminix, one of the biggest pest control companies in the United States.
- Pest Control Technician: The technician will inspect the customer’s location to identify pest problems and use appropriate products to eliminate pests. Upon completion of the job, they will complete the necessary paperwork, as well as inform the customer of the services provided. They must also contact customers to schedule service appointments and respond to any problems.
- Pest Control Route Technician: The technician will complete the company paid training and learn the skills required for the job. They will follow a route within their assigned territory, as well as interact with customers to ensure satisfaction and discuss additional services that meet customer needs for a complete pest management program.
Like Terminix, it’s clear that Orkin jobs are focused almost exclusively on pest control. While there are certainly other responsibilities involved, they all revolve around the primary task of identifying and eliminating pests. If you’re seeking a job specifically in the pest control industry, Orkin may be a good choice given the number of jobs they have available.
It’s also obvious that Orkin provides on-the-job training. If you’re seeking to break into the pest control industry but don’t have any prior experience, Orkin may be an outstanding option.
Reviews of pest control techs working for Terminix and Orkin
If you’re thinking about taking a job at a particular company, it can be very helpful to know what it’s actually like to work for that company. You want to know about the overall company environment, management, benefits, pay, etc.
To give you a sense of what it might be like to work for some of the aforementioned companies, here are some individual reviews from the top 5 companies.
Terminix
With scores ranging from 2.8 to 3.2, Terminix appears to be a mediocre to average place to work.
The reviews seem to suggest that there are some problems with management, as well as challenges with job security and advancement. The pay and benefits also do not appear to be strengths.
One former pest technician left a 2-star review of the company, saying, “The time that I was employed by Terminix was no good. The reason I say that is because I was overworked and not appreciated for my hard work and willingness to help other technicians get out of a jam. The manager I had towards the end of my career at Terminix was rude, and over abused his power as a manager.”
Orkin, LLC
Orkin appears to fall right in the middle when it comes to places to work. With scores averaging between 3.0 to 3.4, it looks like it’s at least marginally better to work for than Terminix. The primary strength appears to be pay and benefits. On the negative side, are management and work/life balance.
A pest control technician left a 4-star review, saying, “Fast paced work environment that requires working alone and making decisions. Heavy interaction with customers and staff. Must be able to operate a vehicle and perform maintenance on that vehicle.” In the pros section of his review, he noted the free education provided by the company.
Final Thoughts
Two things emerge when looking at the data above. First, there are plenty of jobs available if you’re hoping to get into the pest control industry. With large companies like Terminix and Orkin offering many jobs, you shouldn’t have an overly difficult time finding a pest control job.
Unfortunately, as the job reviews and scores show, there is no perfect pest control company. Most of the companies have average scores, with both very positive and very negative reviews.
When considering taking a job with a particular company, we recommend reading a number of reviews to get an overall sense of what the company is really like. This will give you a better feel what it’s really like to work for a given company.
