Commercial Irrigation recruiters serving Albany.
About 2,400 landscaping and groundskeeping workers work in the Albany metro, at a $41,290 median. BLS counts 380 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 Albany.
BLS counts about 4,230 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Albany metro, the largest group being landscaping and groundskeeping workers (about 2,400). Relative to the size of the local economy, landscaping and groundskeeping workers are less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.87). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Irrigation hub.
Irrigation Technician / Installer
Albany: 2,400 employed · $41,290 median, 37th-highest of 112 metros
Certified Irrigation Technician (CIT)
Irrigation System Designer
Albany: 90 employed · $83,590 median, 25th-highest of 78 metros
Backflow Prevention Specialist
Albany: 1,470 employed · $77,460 median, 17th-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Service / Repair Technician
Irrigation Foreman / Crew Lead
Albany: 270 employed · $64,900 median, 13th-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Project Manager
Albany: 570 employed · $130,980 median, 13th-highest of 111 metros
Irrigation Estimator
Albany: 620 employed · $81,290 median, 29th-highest of 111 metros
Smart / Controller Systems Technician
Landscape Water Management Auditor
What Commercial Irrigation roles earn in Albany.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Albany earn a median $41,290, 5% over the $39,150 national figure, and 37th of 112 metros. Pay runs $35,590 at the tenth percentile to $54,600 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is landscape architects, at $83,590 against $79,870 nationally.
| Role | Albany 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) | $41,290 | $35,590–$54,600 | $39,150 | +5% | 2,400 |
| Irrigation System DesignerLandscape Architects (17-1012) | $83,590 | $61,380–$127,820 | $79,870 | +5% | 90 |
| Backflow Prevention SpecialistPlumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (47-2152) | $77,460 | $47,050–$116,550 | $63,800 | +21% | 1,470 |
| Irrigation Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers (37-1012) | $64,900 | $47,590–$88,640 | $58,430 | +11% | 270 |
| Irrigation Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $130,980 | $79,020–$219,090 | $114,990 | +14% | 570 |
| Irrigation EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $81,290 | $49,470–$130,060 | $78,740 | +3% | 620 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Albany 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 Albany's commercial irrigation market has changed since 2018.
The number of landscaping companies in Albany rose from 357 in 2018 to 380 in 2023, up 6%, behind the 13% growth nationally. Headcount at those firms went up 20%, to about 1,892 people. Average annual pay there went from $34,479 to $49,417 (+43%), faster than the 31% national increase, a sign employers here have had to bid up.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaping companies: business locations | 357 | 380 | +6% |
| Landscaping companies: employment | 1,579 | 1,892 | +20% |
| Landscaping companies: average annual pay | $34,479 | $49,417 | +43% |
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
Albany runs 13% fewer commercial irrigation workers per job than the country as a whole — below the national concentration. Fewer per job means the people you want are already working, and usually for someone who would rather keep 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 Albany's commercial irrigation market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Albany ranks 65th for headcount, 33rd for median pay and 78th for concentration for landscaping and groundskeeping workers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 50,410 | $45,530 | 0.87 | 8,422 |
| Rochester | 3,060 | $39,680 | 1.01 | 473 |
| Buffalo | 2,870 | $41,770 | 0.88 | 587 |
| Albany | 2,400 | $41,290 | 0.87 | 380 |
| Syracuse | 1,670 | $40,010 | 0.91 | 289 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial irrigation employers in Albany, the local pool is thin but growing. Expect a mix of local candidates and people recruited in from nearby metros, and budget for relocation on senior roles.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Albany metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Commercial Irrigation licensing in New York.
New York requires backflow testers to be certified. Since March 2011, initial certifications have been issued by training providers the Department of Health approves. The same state rules apply in New York, Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse, so candidates licensed there can work in Albany without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: New York State Department of Health. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Albany talent.
The closest metro we cover is Hartford, about 80 miles away, with roughly 4,060 landscaping and groundskeeping workers (1.7 times Albany's 2,400). Worcester pays the most nearby, a $47,980 median, 16% above Albany. That is the number any Albany offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Bridgeport has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albany | – | 2,400 | $41,290 |
| Hartford | 82 mi | 4,060 | $44,860 |
| Worcester | 103 mi | 2,170 | $47,980 |
| Bridgeport | 106 mi | 4,920 | $46,430 |
| Syracuse | 124 mi | 1,670 | $40,010 |
| Scranton | 130 mi | 1,330 | $37,330 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Albany crews.
Not commercial irrigation work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Albany in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- GlobalFoundries Fab 8 expansion (Malta)$11.6B (plus $575M packaging/testing + $186M R&D)Began 2025, multi-year buildout
A new 358,000 sq ft semiconductor manufacturing facility on GlobalFoundries' existing Malta campus, creating 1,500+ direct jobs plus thousands of indirect jobs - the anchor of the region's two-decade-old chip cluster.
- Downtown Albany Strategy$200M ($120M projects + $40M housing + $40M community)Multi-year rollout
A three-fund investment strategy to revitalize the capital city's core - major projects, housing, and public-space improvements.
- Albany NanoTech High NA EUV Lithography Center$10B partnershipUnder construction
The first and only publicly-owned High NA Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography Center in North America, at NY CREATES' Albany NanoTech Complex - cutting-edge semiconductor R&D infrastructure.
Showing 3 of 4 projects tracked in this metro. The Albany market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for commercial irrigation, and what kills offers in Albany.
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 Albany.
What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in Albany?
BLS puts the Albany median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers at $41,290 a year, 5% above the $39,150 national median. That ranks 37th of 112 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Pay is bunched together here, $35,590 to $54,600 across the 10th to 90th percentile and only a 1.5x gap, so small differences in an offer are noticed. Within New York, New York pays more, at $45,530.
Is it hard to hire landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Albany?
It is about average. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers are as common in Albany as they are nationally (location quotient 0.87), with about 2,400 in the metro. The 380 landscaping companies here average about 5.0 employees per location, mostly small shops, so candidates often know every employer in town by name.
Which commercial irrigation roles pay the most in Albany?
Of the roles we recruit for, Irrigation Project Manager pays the most in Albany, a $130,980 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Irrigation System Designer at $83,590, 36% below it. Irrigation Technician / Installer is the lowest-paid field role at $41,290. Relative to national pay, Backflow Prevention Specialist is the strongest-paying role here (21% above).
How many landscaping companies operate in Albany?
BLS counted 380 landscaping companies in Albany in 2023, employing about 1,892 people between them. Up from 357 in 2018, a 6% increase against 13% growth nationally. That averages 5.0 people per location, so most are small shops. They pay about the national average of $48,279. BLS counts irrigation contractors under landscaping companies.
Which nearby metros compete with Albany for landscaping and groundskeeping workers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Hartford (82 miles, about 4,060, $44,860 median), Worcester (103 miles, about 2,170, $47,980 median) and Bridgeport (106 miles, about 4,920, $46,430 median). Hartford has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Hartford pays 9% more, which is where Albany employers tend to lose people.
The seat is open. The pipeline should not be.
380 landscaping companies in Albany are drawing on the same 2,400 landscaping and groundskeeping workers. Let's get your next hire lined up first.
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