Will AI replace Pest Control Workers?
Estimated risk score: 26 out of 100
Lower replacement risk
Estimate from published task research, not reviewed by a person · how we estimate
Within about 19 points for 4 in 5 of the jobs we checked (7 to 45).
For the occupation as a whole, from ratings of its 15 O*NET tasks published in 2023 and calibrated to our hand scores. A specialty inside it can sit higher or lower.
O*NET-SOC 37-2021.00 · Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance
Tasks rated in 2023 as ones AI could do or speed up
Tasks a GPT-4-class model could do, or do in half the time or less: 2 of its 15 rated tasks. In O*NET’s words.
- Record work activities performed.
- Measure area dimensions requiring treatment, calculate fumigant requirements, and estimate cost for service.
Tasks rated in 2023 as not sped up by AI
Tasks such a model was rated as not speeding up or taking over: 11 of its 15 rated tasks; the first 6 are shown. In O*NET’s words.
- Clean work site after completion of job.
- Direct, or assist other workers in, treatment or extermination processes to eliminate or control rodents, insects, or weeds.
- Drive truck equipped with power spraying equipment.
- Spray or dust chemical solutions, powders, or gases into rooms, onto clothing, furnishings, or wood, or over marshlands, ditches, or catch basins.
- Inspect premises to identify infestation source and extent of damage to property, wall, or roof porosity and access to infested locations.
- Clean and remove blockages from infested areas to facilitate spraying procedures and provide drainage, using brooms, mops, shovels, or rakes.
What the job is
Apply or release chemical solutions or toxic gases and set traps to kill or remove pests and vermin that infest buildings and surrounding areas.
Also called: Exterminator, Residential Pest Control Technician, Pest Control Technician (Pest Control Tech), Spray Crew, Spray Worker, Pest Controller, Termite Treater, Tick Eradicator.
Related jobs, estimated
- Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleanersestimate ±198Very low
- Maids and Housekeeping Cleanersestimate ±197Very low
- First-Line Supervisors of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workersestimate ±1941Lower
- First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workersestimate ±1941Lower
Source. This site includes information from the O*NET 30.1 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. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. (O*NET, CC BY 4.0.) Task ratings: Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin and Rock (2023), “GPTs are GPTs: An Early Look at the Labor Market Impact Potential of Large Language Models”, data used under the MIT licence (licence texts). Our change: we averaged the ratings over this occupation’s tasks and calibrated them to our 0–100 scale. It is not a prediction about any one person and not career advice. Disagree? Write to hello@yourstopwashit.com. How we estimate