Also called: Air Force 3E4X3, Entomology Technician (military)
Keeps Air Force bases free of disease-carrying mosquitoes, rodents, termites, and birds that can wreck jet engines.
Specialists inspect dining halls, hangars and housing for pests, set traps, and apply pesticides safely. They survey mosquitoes and ticks for disease, and help keep birds and wildlife off runways. Deployed, they protect troops from insect-borne diseases like malaria.
Regular military compensation (RMC = base pay + housing and food allowances + their tax advantage) for typical E-1 to E-6 ranks, 2026 estimate. Junior troops often live in free barracks, so cash in hand is lower early on.
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 diploma, Air Force basic training, then pest management tech school. Free-college benefits: Tuition Assistance (up to $4,500/yr) while serving, the Post-9/11 GI Bill (36 months of tuition + housing stipend) afterward, and SkillBridge internships before separating.
Ways in: Military, On-the-job training, Certification. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Entomology, Biology.
Growing about average. Military specialties are not in BLS projections. The services recruit for this job every year and openings track force size and retention rather than market growth.
Low risk for 10 years. Smart traps help monitor; inspecting and treating stays hands-on.
Classes: Biology, Chemistry, Agriculture.
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.