Pest Control Technician
What the work is
Implements and applies pest management techniques to manage and control animal and invertebrate pests inside and outside domestic, commercial and industrial premises.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Inspects commercial, industrial and residential premises and surrounds to assess pest activity, identify the pests and the extent of any infestation and damage
- Develops pest management plans considering pests' biology and behavior, as well as the potential impact on health, safety and infrastructure
- Evaluates the need for pest management, and implements suitable treatment plans and methods
- Works with clients to provide recommendations for building maintenance and hygiene activities to prevent pests
- Applies non-chemical solutions and pesticides to manage and minimise the risk of pest infestations, health risks and diseases
- Operates and maintains electric, pneumatic and mechanical equipment such as cameras, drones and other technology to monitor and report on pest infestations
- Uses traps, baits and other pest control devices to capture and remove pests
- Monitors and evaluates the effectiveness of pest management activities
- May read, interpret and prepare plans, and select materials to devise and install pest management systems
- May conduct timber pest inspections and advise on and manage appropriate treatment
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a pest control van moving between homes, cafes and warehouses in a regional town. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- A family finally sleeps well after weeks of scratching noises in the ceiling
- You find exactly where the pests are getting in, and it is a gap nobody noticed
- A cafe owner passes their inspection and thanks you for the plan, not just the spray
Hard days
- Crawling through a hot, tight roof space on a summer afternoon
- A customer who wants it all gone today, when the job needs more than one visit
- Delivering bad news about a house to someone who is very attached to it
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 399331, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.