Pest Control Services
Industry Profile Report
Dive Deep into the industry with a 25+ page industry report (pdf format) including the following chapters
Industry Overview Current Conditions, Industry Structure, How Firms Operate, Industry Trends, Credit Underwriting & Risks, and Industry Forecast.
Call Preparation Call Prep Questions, Industry Terms, and Weblinks.
Financial Insights Working Capital, Capital Financing, Business Valuation, and Financial Benchmarks.
Industry Profile Excerpts
Industry Overview
The 13,500 pest control services in the US exterminate and control the presence of unwanted creatures, such as insects, rodents, or other small animals. Companies may specialize in residential or non-residential services. Over 70% of industry revenue comes from residential services. Providers may also specialize in a particular industry, such as food manufacturing or health care.
Hazardous Substances
Pest control often involves the application of toxic chemicals that have the potential to harm humans, pets, plants, or the environment.
Government Regulation
Because pest control involves toxic substances, the EPA and state governments regulate various elements of operations, including licensing, record keeping, standards of application, training, and product registration.
Industry size & Structure
The average pest control services provider operates out of a single location, employs 11 workers, and generates $1.6 million annually.
- The pest control services industry consists of about 13,500 companies that employ about 148,000 workers and generate about $21.5 billion annually.
- The industry is concentrated at the top and fragmented at the bottom; the top four firms account for about 27% of industry sales. The majority of pest control service providers are small, independent companies or franchises.
- Large companies include Rollins (Orkin) and Rentokil (Terminix).
Industry Forecast
Pest Control Services Industry Growth
Recent Developments
Mar 25, 2025 - Texas, California Cities Deemed Most Pest Infested
- Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and San Francisco led the list of Terminix’s Top 50 Cities for commercial pest infestations in the US, according to a report in Pest Management Professional. The company developed the list after collecting data from over 300 Terminix branches, identifying the cities where businesses most often rely on commercial pest control services. Rounding out the top 10 were Honolulu, New York City, Tampa, Columbus, and Miami. Falling out of the top 10 in 2025 were Orlando, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC. According to Terminix’s Marc Potzler, “Pest pressures in commercial spaces can vary by region, season and industry, but they all have one thing in common. If left unaddressed, pests can harm employee health, disrupt daily operations and damage reputations. This annual ranking aims to raise awareness around the importance of year-round pest management to protect businesses of all types.”
- US office vacancy rates improved in the fourth quarter of 2024, falling 10 basis points to 18.9% compared to the previous quarter, according to real estate firm CBRE’s 4Q office report in Facilities Dive; office occupancy levels are a demand indicator for pest control services, which count businesses and commercial property managers as customers. The US office markets tracked by CBRE in Q4 saw positive net absorption, with 10.3 million square feet of net absorption. The net absorption was the highest quarterly total in three years. The report cites stronger demand for high-quality space in prime locations during the period while commodity buildings continued to draw limited tenant interest.
- The US William Blair/PCO M&A Specialists Pest Index increased 9% in January 2025 year over year, according to Pest Control Technology. January’s increase is slightly lower than the long-term average index growth rate of 10%. Segments with the highest year-over-year growth in January 2025 were bed bug (12%), commercial pest (10%), residential pest (10%), and termite (5%). The mosquito index fell 1% in January month over month. The January result decelerated from December’s Pest Index results of 11%. The pest index is a proprietary index of the monthly sales for approximately 150 US pest control firms, focused on residential, commercial, and termite markets.
- According to the 2025 Pest Management Professional State of the Industry survey, 54% of companies reported a revenue increase of 10% or more in 2024 compared to 2023, with only 5% showing revenue declines. Looking ahead, 47% of companies in the survey project revenues in 2025 in the $1 million to $10 million range, 42% project revenues under $1 million, and 11% project revenues of $10 million or more. Employment by pest control services increased 6.1% in November 2024 compared to the previous year, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Average wages for nonsupervisory employees at pest control services rose nearly 2% in November 2024, reaching $24.53 per hour.
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