Pest control marketing statistics for 2026: 30 numbers with their sources
30 US pest control statistics for 2026: industry size, how many homes have pests, how customers choose, Google Ads costs and seasonal demand, all sourced.
Three numbers frame pest control marketing in the US in 2026. The country had 17,701 private pest control establishments with paid staff in 2025 (BLS). In a 2026 Harris Poll for the National Pest Management Association, 52 percent of US homeowners had used a licensed pest control professional in the past year (NPMA). And 97 percent of US consumers read reviews for local businesses (BrightLocal).
This page lists 30 statistics. Each one was opened and checked at its source on 2 October 2026, and each row gives the year and what was counted.
The short version
- The US had 17,701 private exterminating and pest control establishments in 2025, employing an average of 155,687 people, according to the BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages.
- BLS counts 108,700 pest control worker jobs in 2025 and projects 6 percent growth from 2025 to 2035, with about 13,700 openings a year.
- A Harris Poll for NPMA in early 2026 found that 52 percent of US homeowners used a licensed pest control professional in the past year.
- The Census Bureau’s 2019 American Housing Survey found that 14 million occupied US homes reported roaches and 14.8 million reported rodents in the previous 12 months.
- Pest control employment rose from 147,341 in January 2025 to 162,095 in July 2025, a seasonal rise of about 10 percent.
- LocaliQ’s 2026 search benchmarks put the median cost per lead for Home and Home Improvement at $90.92, and they have no separate pest control row.
How big is the pest control industry in the US?
It is a small, steady trade next to other home services. BLS counted 17,701 private pest control establishments in 2025, with 155,687 employees between them.
| Statistic | Figure | Source and year |
|---|---|---|
| Pest control worker jobs, US | 108,700 | BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025 |
| Projected job growth | 6 percent, 2025 to 2035 | BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025 |
| Projected openings each year | About 13,700 | BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025 to 2035 |
| Median pay, pest control workers | $45,250 a year, $21.75 an hour | BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025 |
| Share of those workers employed in exterminating and pest control services | 88 percent | BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025 |
| Share of pest control workers who are self-employed | 5 percent | BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025 |
| Private pest control establishments (NAICS 561710) | 17,701 | BLS QCEW, 2025 annual average |
| Employees at those establishments | 155,687 | BLS QCEW, 2025 annual average |
| Average weekly wage at those establishments | $1,141 | BLS QCEW, 2025 annual average |
The establishment count has grown slowly. It was 17,341 in 2023, 17,606 in 2024 and 17,701 in 2025. An establishment is a location with paid staff, so a firm with four branches counts four times. One-person firms with no employees are not in it.
The jobs figure and the employees figure measure different things. The 108,700 is people working as pest control workers. The 155,687 is everyone on the payroll of pest control firms, including office staff, sales staff and managers.
For how employer counts and business counts differ in general, see US small business counts by market.
Photo: Michelangelo Buonarroti on Pexels.
How many US homes have a pest problem?
Roughly one home in nine reported roaches, and a similar share reported rodents, in the Census Bureau’s 2019 American Housing Survey. A trade body poll puts the wider figure much higher, because it asked about any bug, insect or rodent.
| Statistic | Figure | Source and year |
|---|---|---|
| Homeowners who used a licensed pest control professional in the past year | 52 percent | Harris Poll for NPMA, 1,389 US homeowners, 2026 |
| Americans who had bugs, insects or rodents in their home in the past year | 88 percent | Harris Poll for NPMA, 2,044 US adults, 2023 |
| Occupied homes that reported seeing roaches in the last 12 months | About 14 million, 11.3 percent of households | Census Bureau, American Housing Survey, 2019 |
| Occupied homes that reported seeing rodents in the last 12 months | Nearly 14.8 million, 11.9 percent of households | Census Bureau, American Housing Survey, 2019 |
| Occupied homes that reported both roaches and rodents | About 2.9 million | Census Bureau, American Housing Survey, 2019 |
| Highest share of homes reporting roaches in a metro area | 35.2 percent, Houston metro | Census Bureau, American Housing Survey, 2019 |
| Highest share of homes reporting rodents in a metro area | 18.9 percent, Philadelphia metro | Census Bureau, American Housing Survey, 2019 |
The two NPMA figures come from an industry body, which has an interest in the answer. Both polls were run online by The Harris Poll, and both releases state the sample and dates. The 2026 poll ran from 29 January to 2 February 2026. The 2023 poll ran from 2 to 6 March 2023.
The Census figures are older and narrower. They count roaches and rodents only, in 2019, out of about 124 million occupied homes. The metro rows are the highest shares named in the Census Bureau’s own article on the survey. The same article puts Seattle lowest for roaches at about 0.7 percent, and Phoenix lowest for rodents at 3.1 percent.
How do customers choose a pest control company?
Reviews do much of the choosing. No survey we could open breaks this out for pest control alone, so the figures below cover all local businesses in the US.
They come from the Local Consumer Review Survey 2026, which asked 1,002 US adults and was published on 11 February 2026 (BrightLocal).
| Statistic | Figure | Source and year |
|---|---|---|
| Consumers who read reviews for local businesses | 97 percent | BrightLocal, US, 2026 |
| Consumers who use Google to read reviews | 71 percent, down from 83 percent in 2025 | BrightLocal, US, 2026 |
| Consumers who will only use a business with four stars or more | 68 percent | BrightLocal, US, 2026 |
| Consumers who will not use a business with fewer than 20 reviews | 47 percent | BrightLocal, US, 2026 |
| Consumers who look for reviews written in the last three months | 74 percent | BrightLocal, US, 2026 |
| Consumers who expect the owner to respond to reviews | 89 percent | BrightLocal, US, 2026 |
What do Google Ads cost for pest control companies?
There is no current benchmark for pest control alone. The 2026 LocaliQ report groups it inside Home and Home Improvement, where the median click cost $8.33 and the median lead cost $90.92 (LocaliQ).
| Statistic | Figure | Source and year |
|---|---|---|
| Cost per click, Home and Home Improvement (not pest control alone) | $8.33 | LocaliQ search benchmarks, 2026 |
| Conversion rate, Home and Home Improvement | 8.05 percent | LocaliQ search benchmarks, 2026 |
| Cost per lead, Home and Home Improvement | $90.92 | LocaliQ search benchmarks, 2026 |
| Cost per click, Pest and Rodent Control | $6.55 | LocaliQ home services benchmarks, data from May 2020 to June 2021 |
| Cost per lead, Pest and Rodent Control | $39.25 | LocaliQ home services benchmarks, data from May 2020 to June 2021 |
| Median monthly search ad spend, Pest and Rodent Control | $1,250 | LocaliQ home services benchmarks, data from May 2020 to June 2021 |
The last three rows are the only pest control figures LocaliQ publishes, and they are old. They come from 4,595 North American LocaliQ clients between May 2020 and June 2021. Treat them as history. They are not a 2026 price.
LocaliQ’s newer 2025 home services report lists 16 trades and has no pest control row (LocaliQ).
The Google Ads cost guide explains how the auction sets click prices. The cost per lead benchmarks post covers the other industries. Pest control firms can also buy pay-per-lead ads, which Local Services Ads against Google Ads compares.
Photo: Cristian Aragón on Pexels.
When do customers buy and what do they pay?
Demand rises through spring and peaks in summer, on the staffing evidence. On price, we found no government, trade body or survey source for what US customers pay, so this page gives none.
| Statistic | Figure | Source and year |
|---|---|---|
| Pest control employment, January | 147,341 | BLS QCEW, US, 2025 |
| Pest control employment, July | 162,095 | BLS QCEW, US, 2025 |
That is a rise of about 10 percent from January to July, by our arithmetic on the two BLS rows. Employment was above 160,000 from May through August 2025. Staffing is a proxy for demand. It is not a count of customer calls.
The swing is far smaller than in lawn and garden work. Pest control keeps most of its staff through winter, which fits a trade with recurring service plans. That last point is our reading, and BLS does not say it.
Many pest control cost figures circulate online. The ones we found traced back to marketing blogs or lead sellers with no stated sample, so they are left out.
What does this mean for your marketing?
This section is our reading at Mavix. It is opinion built on the figures above.
Almost half of homeowners did not use a professional last year. The NPMA poll puts usage at 52 percent. The rest are the people a search for a specific pest can reach. SEO for pest control companies covers the pages that answer those searches.
Be ready before May. The BLS payroll figures show the industry growing from spring. We would have reviews and the Google Business Profile in order by then. Local SEO for pest control companies covers the map results.
Do not budget from the old lead price. The $39.25 figure is from 2020 and 2021. Plan from the 2026 home category median, then measure your own. Run the numbers through the Google Ads ROI calculator before looking at Google Ads for pest control companies.
The pest control marketing page sets out how we approach the trade.
The bottom line
A statistic is useful when you know who counted, what they counted and when. The government figures here are firm. The poll figures come from a trade body, and the ad figures are either broad or old. Use them to set expectations, then measure your own calls and jobs.
Questions people ask about this
How many pest control companies are there in the US?
BLS recorded 17,701 private exterminating and pest control establishments in 2025, up from 17,606 in 2024. An establishment is one location with paid staff, so a company with several branches is counted once for each. Self-employed operators with no employees are not included in that count.
Is the pest control industry growing?
Yes, slowly. BLS projects 6 percent growth in pest control worker jobs from 2025 to 2035, which it calls faster than average, with about 13,700 openings a year. The number of establishments rose from 17,341 in 2023 to 17,701 in 2025.
What percentage of homeowners use pest control?
A Harris Poll for the National Pest Management Association found that 52 percent of US homeowners used a licensed pest control professional in the past year. The poll ran online from 29 January to 2 February 2026 among 1,389 homeowners. NPMA is the industry’s trade body, so read the figure with that in mind.
How common are roaches and rodents in US homes?
The Census Bureau’s 2019 American Housing Survey found roaches in about 14 million occupied homes and rodents in nearly 14.8 million. That is 11.3 percent and 11.9 percent of households. About 2.9 million homes reported both. The figures are sightings in the previous 12 months, as reported by the household.
What is the cost per lead for pest control on Google Ads?
No current figure exists for pest control alone in the reports we opened. LocaliQ’s 2026 benchmarks put the Home and Home Improvement median at $90.92 a lead. Its older home services report gave $39.25 for Pest and Rodent Control, from data collected between May 2020 and June 2021.
When is the busy season for pest control?
Late spring and summer, on the staffing evidence. BLS payroll data shows pest control employment at 147,341 in January 2025 and 162,095 in July 2025. This is a national figure. Warm states will have a longer season than cold ones, and the data does not break that out.
How much do pest control workers earn?
The median pay for pest control workers was $45,250 a year in 2025, or $21.75 an hour, according to BLS. Across private pest control establishments, the average weekly wage was $1,141 in 2025. The second figure covers every job in those firms, including sales and office staff.
Sources for every number on this page
- Pest Control Workers, Occupational Outlook Handbook, US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025 data.
- Number of establishments, NAICS 561710, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- All employees, NAICS 561710, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Average weekly wage, NAICS 561710, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- National Pest Management Month release, National Pest Management Association, 1 April 2026.
- National Pest Management Month release, National Pest Management Association, 1 April 2023.
- How Many American Homes Have Pests?, US Census Bureau, 21 April 2021, on the 2019 American Housing Survey.
- Local Consumer Review Survey 2026, BrightLocal, published 11 February 2026.
- Search Advertising Benchmarks for Every Industry, 2026, LocaliQ.
- Home Services Advertising Benchmarks, LocaliQ, data from May 2020 to June 2021.
- 2025 Search Ad Benchmarks for Home Services, LocaliQ.
Last checked against the sources on 2026-10-02.
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