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How to become a Pest Control Technician

Also called: Exterminator, Disinfection worker, Termite control technician, Rodent control worker, Pest control operator

Prevents and gets rid of living things that are harmful to people, such as pest animals, insects and bacteria.

Main tasks

Workers in this job say high school or university is common. From job tag's survey of people in each job, who could give several answers. It shows what workers see as common, not how many workers hold each level.

How to become one

No particular education or qualification is required to start. Knowledge of chemistry, medical zoology (animals that harm people) or microbiology is helpful, but many people have arts and humanities degrees. In the job, many hold qualifications such as pest control work supervisor, poisonous and deleterious substances manager, and industry qualifications such as pest control technician and termite control technician. These are usually gained after joining while building experience. You often drive to sites, so a standard car licence is useful. It is said to take three to five years of practical experience to be recognised as a fully capable pest control technician. The Japan Pest Control Association, the Japan Environmental Sanitation Center and others run courses for gaining qualifications and training for pest control workers, and some businesses use these alongside in-house training. Pest control technicians need knowledge of the behaviour of the living things they deal with, plus advanced knowledge and experience of the equipment and materials used and which to use when. Pest control work is often done in places residents cannot see, such as roof spaces and under floors, so winning the customer's trust is important. The job involves dealing directly with customers, for example when they ask for advice, so communication skills are needed. You also need to act quickly when something unexpected happens.

Ways in

Pay · Job openings · AI and this job

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Pest Control Technician?

No particular education or qualification is required to start. Knowledge of chemistry, medical zoology (animals that harm people) or microbiology is helpful, but many people have arts and humanities degrees. In the job, many hold qualifications such as pest control work supervisor, poisonous and deleterious substances manager, and industry qualifications such as pest control technician and termite control technician. These are usually gained after joining while building experience. You often drive to sites, so a standard car licence is useful. It is said to take three to five years of practical experience to be recognised as a fully capable pest control technician. The Japan Pest Control Association, the Japan Environmental Sanitation Center and others run courses for gaining qualifications and training for pest control workers, and some businesses use these alongside in-house training. Pest control technicians need knowledge of the behaviour of the living things they deal with, plus advanced knowledge and experience of the equipment and materials used and which to use when. Pest control work is often done in places residents cannot see, such as roof spaces and under floors, so winning the customer's trust is important. The job involves dealing directly with customers, for example when they ask for advice, so communication skills are needed. You also need to act quickly when something unexpected happens.

How much does a Pest Control Technician earn in Japan?

Average annual income in the private sector, bonus included, is ¥3,986,000 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). The figure is for the wage survey group Cleaners (except buildings) and waste workers, which covers several jobs.

Do you need a degree to become a Pest Control Technician?

Usually not. In this job's census occupation group, only 15% of workers are university graduates.

Will AI change the work of a Pest Control Technician?

Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 解説系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_description_7_01.xlsx）ver.7.01 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 簡易版数値系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_numeric_7_00.xlsx）ver.7.00 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

Sources: JILPT Occupational Information Database download data via job tag (解説系 ver.7.01 and 簡易版数値系 ver.7.00, downloaded 4 October 2026), processed by Peernovo; MHLW, Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025; Statistics Bureau of Japan, 2020 Population Census; MEXT, School Basic Survey 2025; MHLW, Employment Referrals for General Workers (Hello Work statistics). Figures processed by Peernovo. English job names, translations and the matching of jobs to statistical groups, schools and degree fields by Peernovo.

Updated 4 October 2026