How to become a pesticide handler
Official title: Pesticide handler
Also called: Spray operator, Agricultural spray operator, Sprayer, Landscape operator, Garden maintenance weedsprayer, Herbicide sprayer, Pesticide sprayer
Pesticide handlers apply herbicides, fungicides and insecticides to trees, plants, soil and crops to prevent or control weeds, diseases and insects.
Main tasks
- Apply pest control products to plants and trees
- Inspect plants for pest problems
- Prepare chemicals for safe use
- Operate spraying and maintenance equipment
- Check application results
- Maintain and repair equipment
- Teach safe work practices to staff
- Clean equipment and work areas safely
How to become one
You usually learn on the job to become a pesticide handler and experience and a qualification may be useful. You usually don’t need specific NCEA levels for this job, but Level 2 may be useful. Required: a driver licence. Other requirements: experience in similar work; a Class 2 driver licence; a New Zealand Certificate in Pest Control (Level 3); a New Zealand Certificate in Agrichemical Application (Level 4); to be registered with the Pest Management Association of New Zealand; a First Aid Certificate; a Certified Handler Compliance Certificate; a Controlled Substance Licence; to get a Growsafe certificate.
Ways in
- Certificates and diplomas: Entry certificates in pest and weed control. TEC links this job to study in environmental studies. Qualifications: NZ Cert in Pest Operations. Usually 6 to 7 months. Graduates of these qualifications earn a median $50,000 a year one year after study; 53% are employed one year after (TEC, from Stats NZ IDI data).
Pay · Past change
- Median pay: $63,000 a year, a TEC estimate before tax.
- Upper: $93,000 a year
- TEC shows pay for this job by the hour: median $30.29 an hour.
- TEC's pay figures are estimates only. TEC says they must not be used to set pay, in pay negotiations or in visa applications.
- Change in the number of people doing this job between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses: Decrease (TEC). This is past change, not a forecast.
Who does this work
- About 140 people did this job at the 2023 Census (TEC).
Related jobs
- Viticulturist
- Forest manager
- Grounds maintenance supervisor
- Gardener and groundskeeper
- Forestry equipment operator
- Log scaler and quality controller
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Questions people ask
How do I become a pesticide handler?
You usually learn on the job to become a pesticide handler and experience and a qualification may be useful. You usually don’t need specific NCEA levels for this job, but Level 2 may be useful. Required: a driver licence. Other requirements: experience in similar work; a Class 2 driver licence; a New Zealand Certificate in Pest Control (Level 3); a New Zealand Certificate in Agrichemical Application (Level 4); to be registered with the Pest Management Association of New Zealand; a First Aid Certificate; a Certified Handler Compliance Certificate; a Controlled Substance Licence; to get a Growsafe certificate.
How much does a pesticide handler earn in New Zealand?
The Tertiary Education Commission estimates median pay at $63,000 a year, before tax.
Has the number of people working as a pesticide handler grown in New Zealand?
It has shrunk: TEC records a decrease in the number of people doing this job between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses. This is past change, not a forecast.
Sources
- Tertiary Education Commission (Tahatu Career Navigator): Tahatu career ideas: descriptions, tasks, pay estimates, people employed, employment change 2018 to 2023, entry requirements, registration, interest scores (Site scrape 2026-10 (816 career ideas, sitemap lastmod 2026-10-01)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
This content is sourced from the Tertiary Education Commission through the Tahatū Career Navigator website (www.tahatu.govt.nz) and used under the CC BY 4.0 licence. All or some of the information has been modified by Peernovo. TEC has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. TEC will not be held accountable for any errors within this content.
Qualification information from NZQA, used under CC BY 3.0 NZ.
This work is based on/includes Stats NZ's data which are licensed by Stats NZ for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. Census data via Figure.NZ.
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Sources: Tertiary Education Commission, Tahatū Career Navigator (career ideas, pay estimates, entry requirements and study options, CC BY 4.0, modified by Peernovo); Stats NZ, 2023 Census (via Figure.NZ) and the National Occupation List (CC BY 4.0); NZQA qualification information (CC BY 3.0 NZ); O*NET interest scores (CC BY 4.0); ILO global generative AI exposure index (CC BY 4.0). Links between career ideas and ANZSCO groups, degree fields and broad job groups are Peernovo's.
These results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.
Graduate outcomes: these results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.
Updated 4 October 2026