Career comparison
Environmental Health Specialist vs. Pest Control Technician
Side-by-side pay, training, growth and day-to-day duties to help you choose between two related careers.
Environmental health specialists earn more at the median ($82,220 vs. $45,250), while pest control technicians usually get to work faster (1–3 months of training). Environmental health specialists inspect restaurants, pools, water and housing to protect public health. Pest control technicians inspect for and control insects, rodents and other pests in homes and businesses.
Pay data: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Outlook: BLS 2025–35 · Checked October 15, 2026
| Environmental Health Specialist | Pest Control Technician | |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $82,220 ($39.53/hr) | $45,250 ($21.75/hr) |
| Pay range (10th–90th) | $52,520 – $140,010 | $34,680 – $61,890 |
| Job growth, 2025–35 | +6.1% (faster than average) | +5.5% (faster than average) |
| Openings per year | 7,300 | 13,700 |
| Typical entry education | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Training time | 4 years | 1–3 months |
| Key credential | Registered Environmental Health Specialist (REHS/RS) | State commercial pesticide applicator license |
| Work setting | Specialists work in health department offices and in the field at restaurants, pools, homes and businesses. | Technicians work in homes, businesses, crawl spaces, attics and outdoors. |
What each job does
Environmental Health Specialist
- Inspect restaurants, food stores and processors
- Review plans for new food and pool facilities
- Test pools, private wells and water supplies
- Evaluate and permit septic systems
- Investigate complaints and foodborne illness outbreaks
Pest Control Technician
- Inspect properties for pests and conditions that attract them
- Identify insects, rodents and wildlife
- Apply pesticides and baits according to label directions
- Set and service traps and monitoring stations
- Seal entry points and recommend repairs
How they’re similar
Both careers involve helping others, working outdoors, indoor work, and travel. Both are part of the safety & environmental field, so many skills transfer between them.
Which should you choose?
Choose environmental health specialist if…
- I like science that protects people
- I don’t mind enforcing rules
- I like working in the field
Choose pest control technician if…
- I don’t mind bugs, rodents or crawl spaces
- I like working on my own
- I enjoy solving problems
Still torn? Take the Environmental Health Specialist fit quiz and the Pest Control Technician fit quiz, or the full Career Match Quiz.
Quick comparisons
Which pays more, environmental health specialist or pest control technician?
Environmental Health Specialists earn more at the median: $82,220 versus $45,250 for pest control technicians, based on BLS May 2025 data.
Which takes less time to train for?
Pest Control Technicians typically train faster (1–3 months) than environmental health specialists (4 years).
Which career has better job growth?
BLS projects environmental health specialists to grow +6.1% from 2025–35, compared with +5.5% for pest control technicians.