Industry & Market Data
Pest Control Business Statistics by State (2026)
The U.S. has about 32,672 pest control businesses employing roughly 139,150 people, at an average of $53,466 per year. We ranked all 50 states plus D.C. on business count, density, employment, and pay using U.S. Census data. Florida has the most businesses; Utah the highest density.
By Ihor Lavrenenko · Founder, Smarfle CRM
Published June 24, 2026 · Data current as of 2023-2024
32,672
Pest control businesses
139,150
Jobs
$53,466
Avg annual pay
+10.7%
Growth since 2019
Key findings
- The U.S. has roughly 32,672 pest control businesses (16,535 with employees, 16,137 solo), employing about 139,150 people.
- The average pest control worker earns about $53,466/year, ranging from $45,422 to $99,182 by state.
- Florida has the most pest control businesses (3,814), ahead of California and Texas.
- By density, Utah leads at 2.7 businesses per 10,000 residents, followed by Idaho and Florida.
- About 49% are solo operators, but pest control is unusually recurring (quarterly and monthly contracts), which rewards operators who systematize routes and billing.
Pest control businesses, mapped
Total pest control businesses by state. Darker means more. Hover a state for its count.
Pest control businesses by state
All 50 states plus D.C., with total businesses, density, employment, and average pay. Search or sort any column.
| 1 | Florida | 3,814 | 1.6 | 17,524 | $48,640 | +7% |
| 2 | California | 3,514 | 0.9 | 16,819 | $59,890 | +4.8% |
| 3 | Texas | 3,497 | 1.1 | 13,034 | $52,027 | +10.1% |
| 4 | New York | 1,576 | 0.8 | 4,808 | $57,533 | +6.6% |
| 5 | Georgia | 1,400 | 1.3 | 8,328 | $53,729 | +13.2% |
| 6 | Arizona | 1,212 | 1.6 | 4,914 | $47,047 | +9.1% |
| 7 | Utah | 959 | 2.7 | 1,503 | $51,918 | +62% |
| 8 | North Carolina | 956 | 0.9 | 6,703 | $50,709 | +11.2% |
| 9 | Ohio | 838 | 0.7 | 3,095 | $54,767 | +6.6% |
| 10 | New Jersey | 827 | 0.9 | 3,372 | $57,717 | +10% |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | 806 | 0.6 | 3,857 | $59,902 | +12.6% |
| 12 | Tennessee | 778 | 1.1 | 4,216 | $51,523 | +13.4% |
| 13 | South Carolina | 765 | 1.4 | 3,568 | $48,242 | +5.1% |
| 14 | Alabama | 726 | 1.4 | 3,909 | $46,061 | +6.1% |
| 15 | Illinois | 718 | 0.6 | 3,444 | $54,792 | +5.7% |
| 16 | Virginia | 705 | 0.8 | 4,425 | $52,592 | +8.5% |
| 17 | Oklahoma | 638 | 1.6 | 1,612 | $46,083 | +19% |
| 18 | Missouri | 606 | 1 | 2,157 | $51,433 | +4.8% |
| 19 | Louisiana | 601 | 1.3 | 2,510 | $48,875 | +5.1% |
| 20 | Michigan | 579 | 0.6 | 1,900 | $60,142 | +17.7% |
| 21 | Indiana | 490 | 0.7 | 2,169 | $52,467 | +14% |
| 22 | Massachusetts | 477 | 0.7 | 2,420 | $63,879 | +9.9% |
| 23 | Maryland | 437 | 0.7 | 2,314 | $56,513 | +13.2% |
| 24 | Wisconsin | 436 | 0.7 | 1,121 | $56,661 | +13.2% |
| 25 | Nevada | 428 | 1.3 | 1,092 | $53,212 | +3.6% |
| 26 | Washington | 390 | 0.5 | 2,120 | $60,484 | +21.1% |
| 27 | Mississippi | 365 | 1.2 | 1,323 | $47,586 | +14.1% |
| 28 | Idaho | 353 | 1.8 | 874 | $49,640 | +32.7% |
| 29 | Kansas | 343 | 1.2 | 1,367 | $49,996 | +8.5% |
| 30 | Colorado | 340 | 0.6 | 1,182 | $56,696 | +17.2% |
| 31 | Kentucky | 327 | 0.7 | 1,283 | $47,733 | +14.7% |
| 32 | Iowa | 312 | 1 | 818 | $51,544 | +20.9% |
| 33 | Arkansas | 285 | 0.9 | 1,970 | $51,332 | +1.8% |
| 34 | Oregon | 276 | 0.6 | 933 | $55,243 | +13.6% |
| 35 | New Mexico | 273 | 1.3 | 505 | $45,422 | +7.1% |
| 36 | Minnesota | 244 | 0.4 | 1,321 | $64,117 | +13% |
| 37 | Connecticut | 221 | 0.6 | 877 | $62,544 | +20.1% |
| 38 | Nebraska | 177 | 0.9 | 538 | $49,431 | +4.1% |
| 39 | Rhode Island | 110 | 1 | 333 | $62,718 | +10% |
| 40 | New Hampshire | 107 | 0.8 | 336 | $62,634 | +39% |
| 41 | Maine | 106 | 0.8 | 346 | $59,199 | +26.2% |
| 42 | West Virginia | 104 | 0.6 | 491 | $50,741 | +8.3% |
| 43 | Montana | 103 | 0.9 | 121 | $47,868 | +22.6% |
| 44 | South Dakota | 95 | 1 | 118 | $61,017 | +58.3% |
| 45 | Hawaii | 92 | 0.6 | 766 | $55,242 | -14.8% |
| 46 | Wyoming | 77 | 1.3 | 67 | $52,015 | +71.1% |
| 47 | Delaware | 72 | 0.7 | 432 | $58,907 | +5.9% |
| 48 | North Dakota | 38 | 0.5 | 37 | $56,135 | +5.6% |
| 49 | Vermont | 37 | 0.6 | 94 | $65,064 | +27.6% |
| 50 | Alaska | 29 | 0.4 | 62 | $46,919 | +61.1% |
| 51 | District of Columbia | 13 | 0.2 | 22 | $99,182 | -23.5% |
Total businesses
3,814
Rank #1 of 51
Per 10k residents
2
Rank #3 of 51
Employees
17,524
Rank #1 of 51
Avg annual pay
$48,640
Rank #42 of 51
Top 15 states by total businesses
Highest density: businesses per 10,000 residents
Density shows where pest control is most active relative to population, a clearer read on local market activity than raw count.
Where pest control pays the most
Average annual pay at employer firms (Census payroll divided by employment), top states.
Fastest-growing markets since 2019
Pest control businesses grew 10.7% nationwide since 2019 (pre-pandemic). These large markets grew fastest. Sort the table above by “Growth since 2019” to see every state.
What this means for operators
Pest control is one of the best recurring-revenue trades in home services: the work is contract-based (quarterly or monthly), not one-and-done. That makes route density and retention the levers that matter most. The biggest markets (Florida, California, Texas) are competitive, but the recurring model means a well-run operator compounds steadily.
With about 49% of the market made up of solo operators, the operators who pull ahead are the ones who systematize: automated scheduling and reminders, optimized routes, and billing that runs itself on every recurring account.
Methodology
Pest control businesses = employer establishments (County Business Patterns, NAICS 561710) plus nonemployer firms (Nonemployer Statistics, NAICS 56171). Employment and average pay come from CBP (annual payroll divided by employment at employer firms). Density is businesses per 10,000 residents using 2024 ACS population. Covers the 50 states plus D.C.
Employer vs. nonemployer: County Business Patterns counts businesses with paid employees; Nonemployer Statistics counts owner-operator firms with none. We sum both for total businesses.
Pay: average annual pay is Census employer-firm annual payroll divided by employment, an industry average across all roles, not a single occupation wage. Caveats: figures are establishments and firms, not companies. NAICS 561710 (Exterminating and Pest Control Services). Coverage is the 50 states plus D.C.
Source
U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns (2023), Nonemployer Statistics (2023), and American Community Survey (2024).
Census programs: County Business Patterns, Nonemployer Statistics, American Community Survey.
Frequently asked questions
How many pest control businesses are there in the U.S.?+
About 32,672 across the 50 states plus D.C.: 16,535 businesses with employees and 16,137 solo / owner-operator firms. The industry employs roughly 139,150 people at employer firms.
Which state has the most pest control businesses?+
Florida leads with 3,814 pest control businesses, followed by California (3,514) and Texas (3,497). Warm, humid states with year-round pest pressure dominate.
How much do pest control workers make?+
The national average is about $53,466 per year at employer firms (Census annual payroll divided by employment). It varies by state, from around $45,422 to $99,182, with District of Columbia paying the most.
Which state has the highest pest control business density?+
Utah has the most pest control businesses per capita, at 2.7 per 10,000 residents, ahead of Idaho and Florida. Density is a better read on local market activity than raw count.
Is pest control a good business to start?+
Pest control is attractive because it is recurring by nature: most accounts are quarterly or monthly contracts, not one-off jobs. About 49% of pest control businesses are solo operators, so the barrier to entry is low, but recurring revenue rewards operators who systematize scheduling, routing, and billing.
Is the pest control industry growing?+
Yes. The number of pest control businesses grew about 10.7% nationwide since 2019, from roughly 29,508 to 32,672. Growth has been fastest in Sun Belt and Mountain West states.
Where does this data come from?+
U.S. Census Bureau: County Business Patterns (2023) for employer establishments, employment, and payroll; Nonemployer Statistics (2023) for solo firms (NAICS 561710); and the American Community Survey (2024) for state population, plus County Business Patterns and Nonemployer Statistics 2019 for the growth comparison. See the methodology below.
Cite this study
Free to reference with a link back. Please credit Smarfle Research as the source.
Ihor Lavrenenko (2026). Pest Control Business Statistics by State. Smarfle Research. https://www.smarfle.com/small-business-statistics/pest-control-business-statistics
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