Hiring is one of the most important moves you’ll ever make in your pest control business. Knowing when to hire and how to do it right is often the difference between 10X growth or complete burnout.
I’m Jonas Olson, owner of Pest Badger. We’re now an eight-figure pest control company, but I’ve made just about every hiring mistake in the book before getting it right. At this point, I’ve hired hundreds of technicians, and I’ve refined our process into a reliable system. This blog walks you through everything you need to know to hire your first tech the right way.
Signs That It’s Time to Hire
Hiring shouldn't be based on a gut feeling. There are clear signs that indicate you're ready.
You’re constantly booked out two weeks or more.
You’re turning down work because you can’t keep up.
You’re doing admin work at night and on weekends.
Customer service is starting to slip.
You have your systems, routes, and CRM dialed in.
If you’re not hitting all of these yet, hold off. Hiring too early—before you’ve hit full capacity—can create more stress than growth. You want to be as certain as possible that there’s enough work to keep a new hire busy and paid.
Revenue Milestones to Hit Before Hiring
One of the most common questions I get is, “How much revenue should I be doing before I hire?”
Here’s the truth: the average technician in the U.S. generates around $108,000 per year in service revenue. Personally, I like to wait until I’m closer to $200,000 before bringing someone on.
Your direct labor cost will average around 20%. So if a tech is doing $10K to $15K a month in revenue, they’ll cost you roughly $4,500/month after taxes, insurance, fuel, and product costs. That still leaves room for overhead and profit.
If you’re not there yet, your number one job is to push revenue and systemize your operations.
How to Hire the Right Way
Once your numbers are in place, here’s how to bring someone on successfully.
1. Document Everything
From treatment steps to equipment use, safety protocols, and customer service—write it all down. Use tools like ChatGPT to help generate SOPs if needed.
2. Know Your Numbers
Budget $4,500 per month per technician. Factor in everything from payroll to gas to product use. Set up systems to track efficiency and performance.
3. Start with a Trial Period
Use a 30–60 day trial with clear expectations. Provide an employee handbook and start with ride-alongs and daily training. Use checklists for every part of the job.
4. Inspect Their Work
Even after they’re solo, check in often. Talk to clients, review job quality, and stay involved.
5. Handle the Legal Side
Make sure your employee is set up properly with insurance, payroll taxes, and compliance with state labor laws. Most CPAs or payroll platforms can help you with this.
Learn to Let Go and Lead
I get it—nobody does it like you. You’ve built every inch of your business. But if you hold on too long, you’ll cap your growth, burn out, and miss bigger opportunities.
Hiring isn’t about giving up control. It’s about learning how to lead.
I remember hiring my first tech. It was scary. I didn’t have all the systems I needed. I didn’t pay payroll taxes the first year and got hit hard. But once I figured it out, it freed up my time to focus on growth.
Make the Most of Your Hire
Once your tech is trained and out in the field, don’t use your extra time to relax. Use it to grow.
Focus Areas After Hiring:
Sales and Marketing: Follow up on leads, build referral partnerships, and push for 50+ Google reviews fast.
System Building: Automate admin, text campaigns, email flows, and route optimization.
Leadership: Train and coach your team. Meet with them daily.
Strategy: Map out your next 12 months. Set quarterly, monthly, weekly, and daily goals.
Hiring your first tech might be uncomfortable, but it will transform your business. It allows you to work on the business instead of in it. If your revenue is there and your systems are solid, take the leap.
Train them well. Lead them better. Build your future.
Jonas Olson
CEO, Pest Badger
P.S. Watch the full video here:
