Is there good money in pest control?
There is a living to be made in pest control if you know how to do it right but I would rush to add that the living is no way superior to a living doing other occupations. As a salaried pest control technician you will rarely make significantly more than the UK average wage. If you are self-employed then you have the potential to make a lot more but do not go assuming millions. All those millions are tied up with larger companies who have the man-power and the infrastructure to deal with companies that have a lot of money to spend on pest control.
According to indeed -the jobs website- the average wage of a pest control technician is £22,000. Self employed pest controllers can earn the same or a hell of a lot more depending on their hard work, luck and contacts in the industry if they’re well known.
In fact I know a window cleaner with few if any qualifications to his name who makes way more than most self-employed pest control contractors I know. How much money you make is massively dependant on what effort you put into an endeavour.
I know of pest control companies who have not raised the prices of their pest control contracts in 20 years. Like all industries and markets in the UK the pest control industry has a lot of competition. There are big and small companies out there battling for custom doing everything in their power to get customers. Some charge ridiculously high prices and some ridiculously low prices.
Pest control is especially price sensitive as no customer wants pest control -they need it and hence will look for the cheapest in a lot of cases. This is especially true for commercial pest control customers who will do everything they can to keep the cost down.
I should add though that a lot of pest control companies owners I know are successful in earning a living salary from there business but few if any of them have the traditional trappings of wealth like big houses or cars.
So if you have a get rich quick mentality then that is not going to happen. Blood, sweat, tears and years is what it will take to build a pest control business up to a good wage level. I would like to add that it is worth it in the end but that is the same with any business where you graft your way to a living.
Pest control technicians need to have a thorough and detailed understanding of various pests, practical control methods, legislation, safety protocols and the paperwork associated with all of the above. One mistake can send you to jail. I’m not kidding. You are usually working with products not available to the public and so great care and effort are required when your out on the field. At the same time due to the knowledge and experience required by a professional pest controller and the fact that it is not an obvious career choice for most people, it is quite stable.
I would add that pest control is not a recession proof industry, but it is recession resilient. I mean that pests will always be around so they will need to be controlled but as any experienced pest controller will tell you commercial work is an important part of the job and that can be affected in a recession. I know many pest control technicians who have lost there jobs in a recession but many who have kept them also.
If you want to do it as a career then I don’t see why not. Pest control is an undervalued but extremely important service. You will in most cases make a reasonable living doing pest control, be it employed or self-employed, but your effort and luck will determine your outcome. I think that applies to everything in life.
