Pest Controlling
Federal headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison for the Pest Controlling occupation series (code 5026), drawn directly from the OPM FedScope dataset (June 2026).
The verdict
In the Plant and Animal Work Family family, Pest Controlling counts 289 employees, a smaller, specialized federal occupation at 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 0.3% from the prior period; pay averages $72,091, which pays below the federal-wide $117,339.
- Employees
- 289
- Share of workforce
- 0.0%
- Avg salary
- $72,091
- Avg tenure
- 13 yrs
What the Numbers Say About Pest Controlling
Federal agencies employ 289 people in the Pest Controlling occupation (OPM code 5026), accounting for 0.0% of the total federal civilian workforce of 1,953,300 for the June 2026 reporting window. Headcount in this occupation moved down by -0.3% versus the prior period, though at this small a headcount, year-to-year swings can reflect a handful of hires or departures rather than a broad hiring trend.
The average salary for Pest Controlling is $72,091 per year. Salaries moved down by -0.0% from the prior period, a small shift, within the range of normal year-to-year rounding rather than a broad pay-table change. Average length of service in this role is 13 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career.
The Plant and Animal Work Family family (code 50) groups Pest Controlling together with 6 other related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Pest Controlling postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Plant and Animal Work Family family.
Pest Controlling makes up 19.7% of the 1,470 employees across the Plant and Animal Work Family family, ranking #3 of 7 occupations in that family by headcount.
Salary context · lean-pay series
How Pest Controlling pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$72,091
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-38.6%
Where Pest Controlling ranks on lean federal pay
Its average salary of $72,091 is higher than 28% of federal occupation series (154 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Pest Controlling sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Pest Controlling ranks higher than 28%.
Related Occupations in Plant and Animal Work Family
6 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gardening | 465 | $67,401 | 11.9 yrs |
| Animal Caretaking | 307 | $58,156 | 8.7 yrs |
| Miscellaneous Plant and Animal Work | 249 | $68,338 | 9.3 yrs |
| Insects Production Working | 97 | $55,565 | 8.6 yrs |
| Tree Trimming and Removing | 62 | $75,736 | 10 yrs |
| Farming | 1 | $71,083 | 28.5 yrs |
Nationwide occupation series with similar scale or pay
Two peer sets for Pest Controlling outside the Plant and Animal Work Family family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (289 here).
Similar lean average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($72,091 here).
Key takeaways
- Pest Controlling pays below the federal average by 38.6% ($72,091 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 28th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 289 employees, 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 0.3% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Pest Controlling ranks #368 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Pest Controlling makes up 19.7% of the 1,470 employees across the Plant and Animal Work Family family, ranking #3 of 7 occupations in that family by headcount.
OPM FedScope and Federal Workforce Data figures are federal civilian headcounts, average salaries, and length-of-service statistics - not job-quality scores, hiring advice, or a live vacancy listing. A larger or higher-paid agency is not a better employer.