Staff role

Pesticide Handler / Sprayer / Applicator / 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.

O*NET reports this occupation under titles such as: Applicator; Chemical Applicator; Herbicide Applicator; IPM Technician (Integrated Pest Management Technician); Lawn Specialist; Pesticide Applicator; Shrub Technician (Shrub Tech); Spray Applicator; Spray Technician (Spray Tech); Sprayer

Tasks

  • Fill sprayer tanks with water and chemicals, according to formulas.
  • Record information about pesticide applications, such as the type used and amount applied.
  • Mix pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides for application to trees, shrubs, lawns, or botanical crops.
  • Start motors and engage machinery, such as sprayer agitators or pumps or portable spray equipment.
  • Lift, push, and swing nozzles, hoses, and tubes to direct spray over designated areas.
  • Establish driving routes for pesticide applications.
  • Clean or service machinery to ensure operating efficiency, using water, gasoline, lubricants, or hand tools.
  • Connect hoses and nozzles selected according to terrain, distribution pattern requirements, types of infestations, and velocities.
  • Cover areas to specified depths with pesticides, applying knowledge of weather conditions, droplet sizes, elevation-to-distance ratios, and obstructions.

Knowledge

  • Customer and Personal Service
  • English Language
  • Sales and Marketing
  • Chemistry
  • Production and Processing
  • Biology
  • Education and Training
  • Administration and Management
  • Mathematics
  • Public Safety and Security
  • Computers and Electronics
  • Transportation

Abilities

  • Near Vision
  • Oral Comprehension
  • Problem Sensitivity
  • Arm-Hand Steadiness
  • Manual Dexterity
  • Control Precision
  • Multilimb Coordination
  • Trunk Strength
  • Written Comprehension
  • Deductive Reasoning
  • Inductive Reasoning
  • Selective Attention
  • Static Strength
  • Far Vision
  • Speech Recognition

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database 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.

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