What’s the average pest controller salary?

Thinking about getting into pest control? An experienced professional looking to go self-employed? 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 control salary UK

Pest control salaries in the UK range from £11,063 for an apprentice to £71,200 for a limited company owner.

However, exactly how much you can expect to earn as a pest controller in the UK will vary based on a number of factors, such as your location, how many jobs you complete each year and your hourly rate.

How much do pest controllers earn as employees?

Working as a pest controller for a company can be a great way to gain experience and rise up the ranks. However, you won’t have the potential to earn as much as a self-employed pest controller.

Pest control technician salary

As an employed pest control technician, your salary will depend on your level of experience and any specialisms. Here’s the average pest control technician 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 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 and 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

Exactly how much you could stand to earn as a self-employed pest controller will depend on whether you decide to 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 limited company?

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 lots of expenses that come with running your own business, from equipment and tools to insurance and transport costs. It’s important to take these into account when you’re working out how much you could earn as a self-employed pest controller.

Business expenses – everything you need to know to boss them

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’ll need to take into account the business expenses we mentioned earlier.

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, like being able to choose your own hours and being in control of how many jobs you win each year.

Sound tempting? Then make sure to sign up to our ‘Become the Boss’ series.

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 and all the knowledge and confidence you need to make sure it’s successful!

Just enter your email address below to get trade business insider secrets sent straight to your pocket.

How to boost your pest control business profit

Once you’ve got your pest control business up and running, 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.

Take a look at what other pest control businesses offer in your area and see if you can spot a gap in the market. By specialising your business (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 you’re 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 extra to incentivise homeowners to choose you.

Invest in marketing

Marketing your business will help you to increase brand awareness and gain new leads. 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
• Build a website
• Use social media
• Try digital advertising
• Feature in a trade directory 

Our guide to growing your trade business has more ideas and a free download.

How to grow your trade business in 2023 – Free guide included

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. In fact, members using the offers and discounts save on average £500 per year (year runs from April 20’ to March 21’)!

Consider your service area

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 travel expenses which will eat into your profit.

With that in mind, it pays to either keep your service area small or charge more for jobs that are further afield.

Join Checkatrade!

Last (but certainly not least!) the best way to grow your new business is by joining Checkatrade. We’re the ‘tick people trust,’ with 8 out of 10 people saying they would choose a trade endorsed by Checkatrade compared to one that isn’t*.

There are over 2 million homeowners looking for trades like pest controllers in the UK on Checkatrade every year. By becoming a member, you can make sure you’re one of the businesses that they find.

FAQs

How much do pest controllers earn in the UK?

Employed pest controllers earn an average of £37,835 per year in the UK (£29,222 take home).

How much can you earn from a pest control business?

If you run your pest control business as a sole trader, you can expect to earn an average of £59,002 per year (£40,000 take home). Meanwhile, if you choose to run it as a limited company, you could earn around £71,200 per year (£46,150 take home).

How profitable is a pest control business?

Running a pest control business can be very profitable. In fact, setting up your own limited company will give you the highest earning potential if you work in pest control.

*Deep Blue Thinking 2021 Trade Perception Survey