Control Income
Pest control has huge revenue potential. There is steady demand because pests are a never-ending challenge for home and business owners. Also, with the right processes and people, it’s possible to bring in high revenue each month without heavy spending.
But could your pest control business earn more? How does it compare to what other companies are making? And what can you do to maximize your pest control income?
Let’s take a look at how much a typical pest control business makes and surefire ways to help you increase your income.
How Much Does a Pest Control Business Make?
Local pest control companies with a good business model make about $10,000 or more monthly in profits. According to research from 2023, average earnings before taxes were $180,855.
That number reflects profits, or gross revenue, minus business costs like labor, operating costs, and costs of services.
Larger companies make far more. Rollins, which employs 17,500 people and has 800 offices nationwide, earned over $2.5 billion in revenue in 2022. Rollins is the biggest pest control company in America.
The 100th largest—Town & Country Pest Solutions in Rochester, New York—earned over $7.8 million in 2022 with one office and 47 employees.
If you’re a startup, your pest control company probably makes far less. Small companies or new entrants earn around $4,000 in monthly revenue. The average annual base salary for a small pest control business owner in the US is $45,348.
Ultimately, how much a pest control business makes depends on a few key factors:
- Location: Urban areas with high population density will have higher demand, so the income potential is higher.
- Types of pest control services: Insect control and extermination make up nearly half of the market. Specializing in these services can help your company attract more customers.
- Business model: Efficient processes, a skilled team, and high-quality equipment can greatly impact your earning potential.
- Size: A larger company can handle more service calls. That fact alone leads to higher income.
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How Much Does Pest Control Make Compared to Related Industries?
Wondering how pest control earnings stack up against other home services industries?
Let’s take a look.
Pest Control vs. HVAC
The average income of an HVAC business owner is between $35,000 and $75,000, so pest control and HVAC are neck and neck when it comes to the typical business. However, pest control companies have the potential to earn more than this if they excel at bringing in recurring customers.
Differing labor costs can also impact income. HVAC business owners need highly skilled technicians to be successful. As a result, they need to spend more on labor so their wages match the required skill level.
A pest control company can train their employees in-house. Most pest control technicians receive on-the-job training and then earn more after staying with their employer.
Pest Control vs. Handyman
The average salary for a handyman is about $70,000. That means a good handyman can earn more than a small pest control business owner.
As a handyman, you don’t have the costs involved in running a pest control company, so you get to keep more of your revenue. You might work alone or only hire one or two contractors to complete jobs.
While a handyman might earn more than a small pest control business owner, the earning potential in pest control is far higher. As your pest control company grows, you’ll be able to earn several times the income of a handyman.
Pest Control vs. Lawn Care
Lawn care business owners can start making six figures more quickly. The average salary for a lawn care business owner is $127,973.
Lawn care also has the high potential that pest control offers. With a larger team and more clients, you could earn even more.
The biggest income inhibitor in this industry is competition. Because lawn care has such a low barrier to entry, there are always entrepreneurs entering the market. New entrants can easily attract some of the market by offering lower prices.
That can make it more difficult to keep clients.
With pest control, if you build a strong brand reputation, new entrants will have a harder time competing with you. That means you’ll face less income volatility in pest control.
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How Can I Maximize My Pest Control Services?
A pest control business can earn anywhere from a couple thousand to tens of thousands a month. If you want to earn more, maximize your service offerings.
Better service leads to more positive online reviews, more repeat business, and more sales. And if you expand your services, you can upsell, creating more opportunities within your existing customer base. That means more revenue without spending time and money attracting new clients.
Here are 4 ways to maximize your services:
1. Create Upsell Opportunities With Specialized Pest Management Solutions.
Most companies start with extermination and control for the usual suspects: ants, cockroaches, bed bugs, and rodents. Consider adding specialized pest management services to your list of offerings. These could include things like:
- Bee or hornet removal
- Mosquito and tick lawn control
- Real estate inspections
- Eco-friendly pest control
Then, when you help your client get rid of an ant infestation or help clear up a mouse problem in their home, you can upsell with other services.
They might sign up for tick control so their pets can play safely in the yard. Or when they move to a new house, they’ll call your business to inspect their potential dream home for signs of a pest infestation.
Once you impress your customers, they’ll prefer to contract with your company for any future needs.
2. Collaborate With Other Pest Control Professionals.
Interested in offering termite control but lack the expertise? Do you have clients interested in green pest control but aren’t experienced in this niche?
Collaborate with other pest control experts in your area.
When you collaborate, you can offer unique services you aren’t yet ready to offer yourself. This can help you upsell. It also allows you to build relationships with other local experts in your industry.
3. Offer a Subscription Service Option.
The reality is that pests can return every year if proper precautions aren’t taken. Ants, mice, mosquitos, and other critters are often seasonal.
That’s where you, the hero pest control service provider, can come in to save the day.
Offer your customers a subscription service to help keep pests at bay. Your techs can come by every month, quarter, or season to spray, seal, and set up other deterrents.
This type of service is especially valuable for your business clients. Restaurants, grocers, and other stores are always vulnerable to pests. But with ongoing services, they can reduce the risk of an infestation for a reasonable price. Meanwhile, your business wins a steady income stream.
4. Level Up Your Technician Training.
You can increase your prices when you offer premium services.
And how can you offer premium pest control services? With better-skilled technicians.
In addition to routine training, offer specialized training to ensure your pest management techs have a high level of expertise. That will ensure better client outcomes, a better reputation, and the ability to charge more because you offer more value.
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How Can I Enhance My Pest Control Marketing Strategies?
The other side of maximizing your income is marketing. If your pest control company masters digital marketing techniques, you can increase online visibility. That leads to:
- More new website visitors and leads
- Greater brand recognition
- Higher sales
Here are 4 ways you can start enhancing your pest control marketing strategy:
1. Optimize Your Google Business Profile.
Your Google Business Profile is critical. As a local service business, many potential customers search for your services on Google.
With an optimized profile, you can increase the chances of your company appearing in local search results on Google.
Here are 3 ways to optimize your profile:
- Upload high-resolution images.
- Use local keywords in your business description, such as “termite infestation in [city]” and “pest control in [city].”
- Ensure your business description is compelling and shows your company’s unique value proposition.
2. Follow SEO Best Practices on Your Website.
You might need an SEO agency to fully optimize your site. But that doesn’t mean you can’t spruce things up yourself right now.
Here are 3 SEO best practices to implement on your website:
- Compress your images—large image file sizes will slow down your site.
- Include optimized metadata, such as meta descriptions, titles, and alt tags.
- Increase readability on your web pages with clear subheadings and white space.
3. Encourage Customers To Leave Reviews.
Online reviews are one of the best ways to drum up sales for your business.
Asking for them is also free.
After delivering exceptional service, send an email, hand over your business chart, or send a follow-up SMS message. Ask for a review of your services. The more positive reviews, the more people will trust your business.
4. Build a Consistent Posting Schedule on Social Media.
Make sure you post regularly on social media.
To get started, create a calendar with a posting schedule. Start small, such as one post a week on Facebook, X, and Instagram, for instance.
Consistent posting will help build trust with your target market.
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Top Tips for Maximizing Your Pest Control Income
Boosting your pest control income doesn’t happen overnight. But you don’t have to wait to get started. Here are 3 actionable tips to help you get the ball rolling:
- Make an income goal. More income is a nice idea. But you need a clear goal to turn that idea into reality. Decide how much you want your pest control company to make in six months, one year, and three years.
- Choose one upselling focus. Upselling is one of the best ways to maximize your pest control income. But doing too much at once can backfire. Pick one or two of the best upselling opportunities for your business right now. Focus on those, and then expand later.
- Create a strategy calendar. Create a dedicated calendar for all your income-boosting activities. That will help you stay on task.
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