Also called: Insect Rearing Technician (USDA), Sterile Fly Production Technician
Mass-rears pests like screwworm flies or fruit flies, sterilizes them with radiation and releases them by the millions so wild pests can't breed.
Works in a giant fly factory, mixing larval food, tending trays of millions of larvae and checking pupae quality under a microscope. Pupae go through an irradiator that makes them sterile, then planes drop them over ranchland or farms. When wild flies mate with sterile ones, no young hatch.
Estimate based on federal and state technician pay.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 0.5 years after high school. High school or associate degree in biology; trained on the job. Biologists lead the programs.
Ways in: On-the-job training, 2-year college. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Biology, Entomology.
Growing faster than average. The New World screwworm returned to Mexico in 2024-25, and the US is building new sterile fly capacity.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. Automation sorts more pupae, but rearing living insects and checking their quality stays hands-on.
Classes: Biology, Chemistry, Agriscience (FFA).
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.