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37-3012.00 - Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation


Mix or apply pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, or insecticides through sprays, dusts, vapors, soil incorporation, or chemical application on trees, shrubs, lawns, or crops. Usually requires specific training and state or federal certification.


Key Facts
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Bright Outlook
Career Details
Green Job
Career Details
Current Employment
36,400
Estimate
Forecasted Employment
37,800
Estimate
Change in Employment
+1,400
Estimate
Change in Employment %
+3.8%
Estimate
Tasks
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Tasks
The tasks listed below can be performed to prepare you for a career in this field.
Core
  • Fill sprayer tanks with water and chemicals, according to formulas.
  • Mix pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides for application to trees, shrubs, lawns, or botanical crops.
  • Cover areas to specified depths with pesticides, applying knowledge of weather conditions, droplet sizes, elevation-to-distance ratios, and obstructions.
  • Lift, push, and swing nozzles, hoses, and tubes to direct spray over designated areas.
  • Start motors and engage machinery, such as sprayer agitators or pumps or portable spray equipment.
  • Connect hoses and nozzles selected according to terrain, distribution pattern requirements, types of infestations, and velocities.
  • Clean or service machinery to ensure operating efficiency, using water, gasoline, lubricants, or hand tools.
  • Identify lawn or plant diseases to determine the appropriate course of treatment.
Supplemental
  • Provide driving instructions to truck drivers to ensure complete coverage of designated areas, using hand and horn signals.
  • Plant grass with seed spreaders, and operate straw blowers to cover seeded areas with mixtures of asphalt and straw.
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Knowledge
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Knowledge

The items listed below are organized into sections that contain knowledge useful for pursuing a career in this field. Each section also contains a "Percentage of Importance" statistic that shows how relevant an item is to the occupation.
 Customer and Personal Service
  • 71%
    Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
 Biology
  • 71%
    Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
 Production and Processing
  • 70%
    Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
 English Language
  • 69%
    Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
 Administration and Management
  • 67%
    Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
 Public Safety and Security
  • 63%
    Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
 Education and Training
  • 62%
    Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
 Law and Government
  • 62%
    Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
 Mathematics
  • 62%
    Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
 Transportation
  • 61%
    Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
 Chemistry
  • 61%
    Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
 Mechanical
  • 60%
    Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
 Sales and Marketing
  • 54%
    Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
 Clerical
  • 52%
    Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Tools
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Tools
The tools listed below include machines, equipment, tools, and software that is useful for individuals who are interested in this career.
 Respiratory protection
  • Air purifying respirators
 Dispersing and spraying appliances for agriculture
  • Backpack sprayers
  • Boom sprayers
  • Broadcast boom sprayers
  • Cold foggers
  • Electrostatic spray guns
  • Mechanical aerosol generators
  • Power sprayers
  • Thermal foggers
 Safety apparel
  • Chemical protection gloves
  • Chemical-resistant suits
 Safety footwear
  • Chemical-resistant footwear
 Indicating and recording instruments
  • Digital flowmeters
 Watches
  • Digital stopwatches
 Face and head protection
  • Face masks
  • Protective face shields
 Dispensing tools
  • Handheld pump sprayers
 Computers
  • Laptop computers
  • Personal computers
  • Tablet computers
 General laboratory glassware and plasticware and supplies
  • Measuring containers
 Measuring and layout tools
  • Measuring tapes
 Vision protection and accessories
  • Protective safety glasses
  • Safety goggles
 Agricultural machinery for planting and seeding
  • Seed spreaders
 Specialized and recreational vehicles
  • Truck mounted sprayers
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Technology
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Technology
The technologies listed below include machines, equipment, tools, and software that is useful for individuals who are interested in this career.
 Data management and query software
  • Customer database software
 Content authoring and editing software
  • FacebookHOT
  • Microsoft ExcelHOT
 Business function specific software
  • Materials inventory software
  • Microsoft OfficeHOT
 Industry specific software
  • Rate calculation software
  • Unit conversion software
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Certifications
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Certifications
FastForward at Virginia's Community Colleges is a short-term training program for high-demand industries, like healthcare, information technology, and skilled trades and infrastructure, helping Virginians get the jobs and salaries they need. Our goal is to get you trained, help you earn your certification, and get you into a career that can support you and your family. Explore the latest training program offerings by visiting FastForward
The certifications listed below are useful to pursue if you are interested in a career in this field.
 Specialty
 Advanced
 Core
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Licensing
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Licensing
The licensing information below is organized into sections and is useful for pursuing if you are interested in a career in this field.
No specific licensing information is listed for this occupation in the area you have selected.
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Related Programs
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Programs related to this career, offered by participating institution(s), are listed below.

Clicking on the Degree programs in the list below will take you away from the Careers page.
INSTITUTION
PROGRAMS
Tidewater Community College
 Programs
Virginia Highlands Community College
 Programs