SOC 37-3012 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation — Washington
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
At $44,440, median pay for Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation in Washington, DC tracks the national median of $46,340 closely.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow about as fast as average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +3.8%
- Openings per year
- 4,100
- Typical entry-level education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
At $44,440, median pay for Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation in Washington, DC tracks the national median of $46,340 closely. Pay ranges from under $44,440 at the tenth percentile to more than $62,910 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $44,440 to $47,730.
Of the 707 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 618th.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $44,440 | −4.1% |
| 25th | $44,440 | −4.1% |
| Median (50th) | $44,440 | −4.1% |
| 75th | $47,730 | +3.0% |
| 90th | $62,910 | +35.8% |
| Mean | $48,170 | +3.9% |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Washington run 8.9% above the national average, so the median of $44,440 buys what $40,808 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way the gap against the national median narrows to 11.9% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$44,440as reported by BLSLocal price level
108.9US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$40,808US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $44,440 a year, 4.1% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $44,440 to $62,910 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation in Washington, DC?
The median annual wage is $44,440, or $21.36 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $46,340, so pay in Washington, DC is 4.1% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Washington, DC earns more than $62,910 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $44,440 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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