Blog>Trade>Growing your trade business>What’s the average pest controller salary?
Last updated: 19 December 2024
What’s the average pest controller salary?
Pest control can be a great trade to work in, with plenty of demand for your services. But what’s the average salary for a pest control technician? We’ll reveal all here.
Thinking about getting into pest control? Knowing about pest controller salary figures could help your decision.
Are you an experienced professional looking to go self-employed? Or run a pest control business and looking to expand?
Wherever you’re at in your journey into the trade, it can be useful to understand the average pest control salary.
Luckily, we’ve put together a guide with all you need to know.
Average pest controller salary in the UK
Pest control salaries in the UK range from £11,063 for an apprentice to £71,200 for a limited company owner.
However, how much you can earn as a pest controller will vary based on a number of factors. These include your location, how many jobs you complete each year, and your hourly rate.
| Level | Per hour | Per day | Per year | Business Costs* | Approximate Take Home Pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice | £6.30 | £50.40 | £11,063 | 0 | £10,715 |
| Newly Qualified | £13.50 | £108.30 | £23,776 | 0 | £19,241 |
| Employed | £18.20 | £145.50 | £37,835 | 0 | £29,222 |
| Sole Trader | £40 | £320 | £59,002 | £7,375 | £40,000 |
| Business Owner (ltd company) | £48.30 | £386.10 | £71,200 | £12,460 | £46,150 |
| *includes estimated costs for business expenses such as vehicle, tools, insurance, fuel etc | |||||
| Last updated: May 2024 Our costs are ballpark averages - get a local tradesperson to quote now | |||||
How much do pest controllers earn as employees?
Working as a pest controller for a company can be a great way to gain all-important experience. However, you won’t have the potential to earn as much as a self-employed pest controller.
Boost the visibility of your pest control business
Thousands of homeowners look for pest controllers on Checkatrade
Pest control technician salary
So, what is the average pest control salary in the UK? As an employed pest control technician, your salary will depend on your level of experience and any specialisms.
Here’s the average pest controller salary for a range of career levels:
Pest controller’s apprentice: £11,063 per year (£10,715 take home)
Newly qualified pest controller: £23,776 per year (£19,241 take home)
Employed pest controller: £37,835 per year (£29,222 take home)
Hourly pest control wages in the UK
Wondering what pest control technicians earn per hour? Well, we’ve broken down the average pest controller salary in the UK to find the typical hourly rate:
Pest controller’s apprentice: £6.30 per hour
Newly qualified pest controller: £13.50 per hour
Employed pest controller: £18.20 per hour
Self-employed pest control salary UK
If you decide to start a pest control business, you’ll be able to choose your own rates. You’ll also be able to control how many jobs you win per year. So, perhaps it’s no surprise that this way, you’ll maximise your earnings.
Pest control business revenue
How much you could earn as a self-employed pest controller will depend on different factors. For instance, it will differ based on whether you operate as a sole trader or a limited company:
Sole trader: £59,002 per year (£40,000 take home)
Limited company owner: £71,200 per year (£46,150 take home)
Should I be a sole trader or a limited company?
Starting up, looking to grow, or wanting to learn the difference between a sole trader and a limited company? We've got you covered. Find out the difference between a sole trader and a limited company in this article. Then, you can understand what’s right for you and your business. The difference
You’ll notice that there’s quite a big difference between a self-employed pest controller’s salary and approximate take-home income.
That’s because there are various expenses that come with running a business, from equipment to insurance and transport costs.
It’s important to take these into account when you’re working out potential earnings as a self-employed pest controller.
How to claim expenses for your trade business
Working out your expenses is probably a main contender for the least favourite work task. But having an efficient small business tracking process ensures you deduct the right expenses from your taxable profit. Keeping on top of limited company expenses reduces taxable profit and helps businesses to
How much does a pest controller earn per hour self-employed?
Wondering how much a self-employed pest controller can earn per hour? We’ve broken down the typical self-employed pest control salary in the UK to get an average hourly rate.
Sole trader: £40 per hour
Limited company owner: £48.30 per hour
As you can see, this is a lot more than you could make as an employed pest control technician! Just remember you won’t be able to pocket your whole hourly rate as you must take into account business expenses.
Boost the visibility of your pest control business
Thousands of homeowners look for pest controllers on Checkatrade
Set your hours and pay by starting your own pest control business
By starting your own pest control business, you’ll have the highest earning potential. But you’ll also benefit in other ways, such as being able to choose your own hours.
Sound tempting? Then make sure to sign up to our ‘Become the Boss’ series.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoRV0Fsrgnk
We’ll send you 7 emails (plus a bonus one!) featuring actionable tips from tradespeople who were once in your position. Plus, you’ll receive a free business strategy call.
By the end of it, you’ll have your own pest control business. You’ll also have all the knowledge and confidence you need to make sure it’s successful!
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How to boost your pest control business profit
Once you’ve set up your pest control business, you’ll want to understand how you can boost its earning potential. Here are some of the key ways you can grow your business and therefore increase your pest controller salary.
Define your USP
First things first, consider what makes you and your business stand out from the crowd. Why should someone hire you instead of your competitor?
It might be because of your customer service, because of your prices or because of your service area. However, a lot of the time, it will be because of the services you offer.
Look at what other pest control businesses offer in your area and try to spot a gap in the market. By specialising (for example, in rodent pest control), you’ll be more likely to attract customers looking for that specific service.
Assess your pricing
Your prices will need to be competitive enough to attract customers, but high enough to easily cover your outgoings.
When deciding on your pricing, do some research to understand what other pest control businesses are charging in your area. At the same time, consider how much it costs you to carry out a job.
If you feel you need to charge more than other companies near you, ask yourself what you can provide as extra to incentivise homeowners to choose you.
Invest in marketing
Marketing your business will help you to increase brand awareness and boost lead generation. So, it’s important that you invest in marketing from the outset.
A few ideas for marketing your pest control business include:
Print flyers and business cards
Advertise in the local newspaper
Use social media
Try digital advertising
Our guide to growing your trade business has more ideas and a free download.
How to grow your trade business in [year] - Free guide included
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Reduce your expenditure
Boosting your pest control business profit isn’t just about increasing your revenue. It’s also about reducing your outgoings. That way, more of your earnings will stay in your pocket!
One of the easiest ways you can curb your spending is by getting good deals on quality tools and equipment. Luckily, Checkatrade members get a range of exclusive discounts with our trade partners on everything from vans to tools.
Run your pest control business for less
Get access to exclusive discounts with Checkatrade
Consider your service area
Whether you buy or lease a van, having a vehicle means you can expand your service area.
But you’ll need to decide how far you’re willing to travel to carry out jobs.
The further you travel, the more homeowners you’ll be able to target with your marketing. But at the same time, travelling further will come with more expenses which will eat into your profit.
With that in mind, it pays to either keep your service area small or charge more for further afield jobs.
Join Checkatrade!
Last (but certainly not least!) the best way to grow your new business is by joining Checkatrade.
In 2023 alone, there were around 195,000 homeowners looking for pest controllers in the UK on Checkatrade**. By becoming a member, you can make sure you’re one of the businesses that they find.
Want to get a piece of that interest?
Boost the visibility of your pest control business
Thousands of homeowners look for pest controllers on Checkatrade
Pest control salary FAQs
How profitable is a pest control business?
Running a pest control business can be very profitable. Setting up your own limited company will give you the highest earning potential if you work in pest control.
* Internal search data from users of the Checkatrade.com website in 2023
