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
Jan 27, 2025 - Pest Index Up in November
- The US William Blair/PCO M&A Specialists Pest Index grew 9% in November 2024 year over year, according to Pest Control Technology. November’s increase is slightly lower than the long-term average index growth rate of 10%. Segments with the highest year-over-year growth in November 2024 were mosquito (19% year-over-year), commercial pest (11%), residential pest (11%), and bed bug (4%). The November result decelerated from October’s Pest Index results of 12%. 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.
- The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) monthly jobs report shows that unfilled job openings declined in December 2024, with a seasonally adjusted 35% of small business owners reporting jobs they could not fill. The reading is down one point from November 2024. A seasonally adjusted net 19% of small business owners plan to create new jobs over the next three months, up one point from November. About 20% of owners reported labor quality as the most important problem facing the business. According to NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg, “Finding qualified workers remained a major headwind for stronger job growth on Main Street in December. In the meantime, compensation increases have softened among small businesses, but remained solid as the year came to an end.”
- 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.
- US office vacancy rates remained steady at 19% in the third quarter of 2024 compared to the previous quarter, according to real estate firm CBRE’s 3Q office report in Facilities Dive. The US office markets tracked by CBRE in Q3 saw positive net absorption, with 4.3 million square feet of net absorption. The net absorption was up 87% from the previous quarter, marking the second consecutive quarter of positive demand for office space. This follows six consecutive quarters of negative net absorption. The report cites a shift in patterns of office attendance and interest rate cuts by the US Federal Reserve creating more favorable conditions for commercial real estate. Office occupancy levels are a demand indicator for pest control services, which count businesses and commercial property managers as customers.
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