Commercial Irrigation recruiters serving Albuquerque.
About 2,270 landscaping and groundskeeping workers work in the Albuquerque metro, at a $37,760 median. BLS counts 162 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 Albuquerque.
BLS counts about 4,000 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Albuquerque metro, the largest group being landscaping and groundskeeping workers (about 2,270). Relative to the size of the local economy, landscaping and groundskeeping workers are less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.91). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Irrigation hub.
Irrigation Technician / Installer
Albuquerque: 2,270 employed · $37,760 median, 67th-highest of 112 metros
Certified Irrigation Technician (CIT)
Irrigation System Designer
Albuquerque: 30 employed · $67,850 median, 69th-highest of 78 metros
Backflow Prevention Specialist
Albuquerque: 1,440 employed · $63,900 median, 46th-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Service / Repair Technician
Irrigation Foreman / Crew Lead
Albuquerque: 260 employed · $58,250 median, 54th-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Project Manager
Albuquerque: 1,210 employed · $101,650 median, 94th-highest of 111 metros
Irrigation Estimator
Albuquerque: 520 employed · $73,090 median, 89th-highest of 111 metros
Smart / Controller Systems Technician
Landscape Water Management Auditor
Hiring the same trade in another market? We recruit it in Rochester, NY, Sacramento, CA too.
What Commercial Irrigation roles earn in Albuquerque.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Albuquerque earn a median $37,760, 4% under the $39,150 national figure, and 67th of 112 metros. Pay runs $30,050 at the tenth percentile to $47,290 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is landscape architects, at $67,850 against $79,870 nationally.
| Role | Albuquerque 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) | $37,760 | $30,050–$47,290 | $39,150 | −4% | 2,270 |
| Irrigation System DesignerLandscape Architects (17-1012) | $67,850 | $49,760–$94,400 | $79,870 | −15% | 30 |
| Backflow Prevention SpecialistPlumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (47-2152) | $63,900 | $37,280–$87,920 | $63,800 | 0% | 1,440 |
| Irrigation Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers (37-1012) | $58,250 | $43,710–$89,600 | $58,430 | 0% | 260 |
| Irrigation Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $101,650 | $69,860–$157,750 | $114,990 | −12% | 1,210 |
| Irrigation EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $73,090 | $39,810–$115,970 | $78,740 | −7% | 520 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Albuquerque 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 Albuquerque's commercial irrigation market has changed since 2018.
The number of landscaping companies in Albuquerque rose from 141 in 2018 to 162 in 2023, up 15%, close to the 13% national change. Headcount at those firms went up 9%, to about 1,887 people. Average annual pay there went from $30,989 to $40,801 (+32%), in step with the 31% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaping companies: business locations | 141 | 162 | +15% |
| Landscaping companies: employment | 1,733 | 1,887 | +9% |
| Landscaping companies: average annual pay | $30,989 | $40,801 | +32% |
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
Albuquerque runs 9% 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 Albuquerque's commercial irrigation market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Albuquerque ranks 70th for headcount, 61st for median pay and 63rd for concentration for landscaping and groundskeeping workers.
What this means for hiring:For commercial irrigation employers in Albuquerque, the pool is about the national norm for its size and local employers are adding people, so expect competing offers on experienced candidates and keep the process short.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Albuquerque metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Commercial Irrigation licensing in New Mexico.
New Mexico licenses lawn sprinkler work under the MS-6 classification. Its scope covers potable water sprinkler systems, incidental backflow prevention devices and low-voltage controls.
Licensing authority: New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department, Construction Industries Division. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Albuquerque talent.
The closest metro we cover is El Paso, about 230 miles away, with roughly 1,200 landscaping and groundskeeping workers (0.5 times Albuquerque's 2,270). Albuquerque pays more than every metro we cover within reach ($37,760 median), which helps when recruiting people in from El Paso at $30,640. Albuquerque is the largest market for this work in the region, so nearby metros tend to recruit from here rather than the other way round.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albuquerque | – | 2,270 | $37,760 |
| El Paso | 230 mi | 1,200 | $30,640 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Albuquerque crews.
Not commercial irrigation work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Albuquerque in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Sandia National Laboratories Power Sources Capability buildingOne of Sandia's largest projects in a decadeStarted August 2025; final beam installed April 2026; completing 2028
Replaces an aging facility with one designed to adapt to changing weapons-systems missions over the next 50 years. Federal-facility-grade mechanical and electrical construction at a scale few commercial projects in the region reach.
This is the only project we track in Albuquerque. The Albuquerque market page covers hiring conditions across every trade here.
What credentials matter for commercial irrigation, and what kills offers in Albuquerque.
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 Albuquerque.
What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in Albuquerque?
BLS puts the Albuquerque median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers at $37,760 a year, 4% below the $39,150 national median. That ranks 67th of 112 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Pay is bunched together here, $30,050 to $47,290 across the 10th to 90th percentile and only a 1.6x gap, so small differences in an offer are noticed.
Is it hard to hire landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Albuquerque?
It is about average. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers are as common in Albuquerque as they are nationally (location quotient 0.91), with about 2,270 in the metro. The 162 landscaping companies here average about 12 employees per location. With 15% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial irrigation roles pay the most in Albuquerque?
Of the roles we recruit for, Irrigation Project Manager pays the most in Albuquerque, a $101,650 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Irrigation System Designer at $67,850, 33% below it. Irrigation Technician / Installer is the lowest-paid field role at $37,760. Irrigation System Designer trails national pay the most (15% below).
How many landscaping companies operate in Albuquerque?
BLS counted 162 landscaping companies in Albuquerque in 2023, employing about 1,887 people between them. Up from 141 in 2018, a 15% increase against 13% growth nationally. That averages 12 people per location. They pay an average of $40,801, 15% below the $48,279 national average for the same kind of employer. BLS counts irrigation contractors under landscaping companies.
Which nearby metros compete with Albuquerque for landscaping and groundskeeping workers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are El Paso (230 miles, about 1,200, $30,640 median). Albuquerque out-pays El Paso, an advantage when recruiting from there.
The seat is open. The pipeline should not be.
162 landscaping companies in Albuquerque are drawing on the same 2,270 landscaping and groundskeeping workers. Let's get your next hire lined up first.
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