Commercial Irrigation recruiters serving Akron.
About 2,250 landscaping and groundskeeping workers work in the Akron metro, at a $37,610 median. BLS counts 323 business locations of landscaping companies across the metro. Below: local pay for every role we staff, the state licensing rules that apply and the nearby markets competing for the same people.
Positions we recruit for in Akron.
BLS counts about 3,570 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Akron metro, the largest group being landscaping and groundskeeping workers (about 2,250). Relative to the size of the local economy, landscaping and groundskeeping workers are more concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 1.15). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Irrigation hub.
Irrigation Technician / Installer
Akron: 2,250 employed · $37,610 median, 71st-highest of 112 metros
Certified Irrigation Technician (CIT)
Irrigation System Designer
Akron: BLS does not publish a local figure for this occupation.
Backflow Prevention Specialist
Akron: 1,070 employed · $63,450 median, 49th-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Service / Repair Technician
Irrigation Foreman / Crew Lead
Akron: 250 employed · $53,320 median, 81st-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Project Manager
Akron: 920 employed · $102,630 median, 86th-highest of 111 metros
Irrigation Estimator
Akron: 530 employed · $77,490 median, 63rd-highest of 111 metros
Smart / Controller Systems Technician
Landscape Water Management Auditor
What Commercial Irrigation roles earn in Akron.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Akron earn a median $37,610, 4% under the $39,150 national figure, and 71st of 112 metros. Pay runs $28,250 at the tenth percentile to $49,740 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters, at $63,450 against $63,800 nationally. BLS withholds Akron pay for one occupation in the table.
| Role | Akron median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Irrigation Technician / Installer · Certified Irrigation Technician (CIT) · Irrigation Service / Repair TechnicianLandscaping and Groundskeeping Workers (37-3011) | $37,610 | $28,250–$49,740 | $39,150 | −4% | 2,250 |
| Irrigation System DesignerLandscape Architects (17-1012) | – | – | $79,870 | – | – |
| Backflow Prevention SpecialistPlumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (47-2152) | $63,450 | $44,780–$99,710 | $63,800 | −1% | 1,070 |
| Irrigation Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers (37-1012) | $53,320 | $43,510–$76,040 | $58,430 | −9% | 250 |
| Irrigation Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $102,630 | $62,920–$161,140 | $114,990 | −11% | 920 |
| Irrigation EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $77,490 | $50,030–$122,300 | $78,740 | −2% | 530 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Akron metro. Range is 10th to 90th percentile; management and office roles are metro-wide. A metro ranking counts only the metros where BLS publishes that occupation.
How Akron's commercial irrigation market has changed since 2018.
The number of landscaping companies in Akron rose from 303 in 2018 to 323 in 2023, up 7%, behind the 13% growth nationally. Headcount at those firms went up 8%, to about 2,011 people. Average annual pay there went from $34,578 to $46,074 (+33%), in step with the 31% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaping companies: business locations | 303 | 323 | +7% |
| Landscaping companies: employment | 1,864 | 2,011 | +8% |
| Landscaping companies: average annual pay | $34,578 | $46,074 | +33% |
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, private employers, annual averages. A dash means BLS did not publish the figure.
Free Commercial Irrigation hiring resources.
Definitive Guide to Commercial Irrigation · 2026 Commercial Irrigation Salary Guide · 3-Step Interview Guide for Commercial Irrigation
Akron runs 15% more commercial irrigation workers per job than the country as a whole — above the national concentration. More per job means more people to reach, and more employers reaching them.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers (nearest published occupation for this trade). Metro-wide figures for the base occupation; the wage table above is role-specific and commercial.
How Akron's commercial irrigation market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Akron ranks 71st for headcount, 65th for median pay and 27th for concentration for landscaping and groundskeeping workers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland | 6,910 | $38,230 | 1.09 | 1,028 |
| Columbus | 6,820 | $39,100 | 1.01 | 636 |
| Cincinnati | 6,610 | $38,600 | 0.98 | 814 |
| Akron | 2,250 | $37,610 | 1.15 | 323 |
| Dayton | 2,080 | $37,880 | 0.91 | 269 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial irrigation employers in Akron, the pool is deep but local employers have been cutting headcount. Experienced people are here, and some will be open to a move, so a clear offer and a defined path up usually beat a higher posted rate.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Akron metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Commercial Irrigation licensing in Ohio.
Ohio certifies backflow technicians in three classes. Class B covers backflow devices on lawn irrigation systems, and certification requires training, experience and a state exam. The same state rules apply in Cincinnati, Columbus, Cleveland and Dayton, so candidates licensed there can work in Akron without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Industrial Compliance. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Akron talent.
The closest metro we cover is Cleveland, about 30 miles away, with roughly 6,910 landscaping and groundskeeping workers (3.1 times Akron's 2,250). Pay is close across the region: medians run from $37,690 in Pittsburgh to $39,100 in Columbus, against $37,610 here. Detroit has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Akron | – | 2,250 | $37,610 |
| Cleveland | 30 mi | 6,910 | $38,230 |
| Pittsburgh | 91 mi | 6,650 | $37,690 |
| Columbus | 110 mi | 6,820 | $39,100 |
| Detroit | 117 mi | 12,990 | $38,820 |
| Dayton | 168 mi | 2,080 | $37,880 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Akron crews.
Not commercial irrigation work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Akron in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- East End & Goodyear HQ redevelopmentUndisclosed (400-acre site)Phase II ongoing
A 642,000 sq ft consolidated Goodyear world headquarters already built, with Phase II reimagining the original 1.4 million sq ft Goodyear Headquarters and Goodyear Hall as a mixed-use "live, work, play" district.
- Akron 2026 Capital Budget$341.9M2026 fiscal year
Water/sewer infrastructure (including the Northside Interceptor Tunnel and $23.5M Brittain Road Reservoir replacement), $53M+ in transportation projects, and a multi-year Stubbs Justice Center renovation.
- NEO-SMART advanced manufacturing initiative$160M (NSF grant)10-year initiative
Aims to create or retain 20,000 jobs regionally and train 12,000 workers in new materials and manufacturing.
Showing 3 of 4 projects tracked in this metro. The Akron market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for commercial irrigation, and what kills offers in Akron.
The 4 credentials that gate the work and the 4 things that most often end a commercial irrigation offer are the same in every market, kept in one place: Commercial Irrigation credentials and offer risks, each linked to the body that issues it. What is local is the licensing rule above and the pay further up this page.
Frequently asked - Commercial Irrigation hiring in Akron.
What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in Akron?
BLS puts the Akron median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers at $37,610 a year, 4% below the $39,150 national median. That ranks 71st of 112 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Most of the market sits between $28,250 and $49,740, a 1.8x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. Within Ohio, Columbus pays more, at $39,100.
Is it hard to hire landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Akron?
Not by national standards. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers make up 15% more of the Akron workforce than they do nationally, about 2,250 people. The 323 landscaping companies here average about 6.2 employees per location, mostly small shops, so candidates often know every employer in town by name.
Which commercial irrigation roles pay the most in Akron?
Of the roles we recruit for, Irrigation Project Manager pays the most in Akron, a $102,630 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Backflow Prevention Specialist at $63,450, 38% below it. Irrigation Technician / Installer is the lowest-paid field role at $37,610. Irrigation Project Manager trails national pay the most (11% below).
How many landscaping companies operate in Akron?
BLS counted 323 landscaping companies in Akron in 2023, employing about 2,011 people between them. Up from 303 in 2018, a 7% increase against 13% growth nationally. That averages 6.2 people per location, so most are small shops. They pay an average of $46,074, 5% below the $48,279 national average for the same kind of employer. BLS counts irrigation contractors under landscaping companies.
Which nearby metros compete with Akron for landscaping and groundskeeping workers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Cleveland (30 miles, about 6,910, $38,230 median), Pittsburgh (91 miles, about 6,650, $37,690 median) and Columbus (110 miles, about 6,820, $39,100 median). Cleveland has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move.
Plenty of people. Few of them looking.
Akron has one of the deeper pools of landscaping and groundskeeping workers we cover, but the best of them are already working. Let's find the ones ready to move.
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