Commercial Irrigation recruiters serving Augusta.
Augusta has 24% more landscaping and groundskeeping workers per job than the country as a whole, about 1,770 in the metro. BLS counts 193 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 Augusta.
BLS counts about 2,570 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Augusta metro, the largest group being landscaping and groundskeeping workers (about 1,770). Relative to the size of the local economy, landscaping and groundskeeping workers are more concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 1.24). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Irrigation hub.
Irrigation Technician / Installer
Augusta: 1,770 employed · $36,840 median, 82nd-highest of 112 metros
Certified Irrigation Technician (CIT)
Irrigation System Designer
Augusta: BLS does not publish a local figure for this occupation.
Backflow Prevention Specialist
Augusta: 540 employed · $54,690 median, 98th-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Service / Repair Technician
Irrigation Foreman / Crew Lead
Augusta: 260 employed · $49,450 median, 96th-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Project Manager
Augusta: 770 employed · $108,110 median, 61st-highest of 111 metros
Irrigation Estimator
Augusta: 340 employed · $68,550 median, 106th-highest of 111 metros
Smart / Controller Systems Technician
Landscape Water Management Auditor
What Commercial Irrigation roles earn in Augusta.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Augusta earn a median $36,840, 6% under the $39,150 national figure, and 82nd of 112 metros. Pay runs $27,820 at the tenth percentile to $45,970 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters, at $54,690 against $63,800 nationally. BLS withholds Augusta pay for one occupation in the table.
| Role | Augusta 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) | $36,840 | $27,820–$45,970 | $39,150 | −6% | 1,770 |
| Irrigation System DesignerLandscape Architects (17-1012) | – | – | $79,870 | – | – |
| Backflow Prevention SpecialistPlumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (47-2152) | $54,690 | $36,490–$77,330 | $63,800 | −14% | 540 |
| Irrigation Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers (37-1012) | $49,450 | $36,010–$75,660 | $58,430 | −15% | 260 |
| Irrigation Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $108,110 | $73,420–$189,900 | $114,990 | −6% | 770 |
| Irrigation EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $68,550 | $46,970–$129,310 | $78,740 | −13% | 340 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Augusta 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 Augusta's commercial irrigation market has changed since 2018.
The number of landscaping companies in Augusta rose from 153 in 2018 to 193 in 2023, up 26%, ahead of the 13% national rise. Headcount at those firms went up 18%, to about 1,384 people. Average annual pay there went from $29,187 to $39,474 (+35%), faster than the 31% national increase, a sign employers here have had to bid up.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaping companies: business locations | 153 | 193 | +26% |
| Landscaping companies: employment | 1,168 | 1,384 | +18% |
| Landscaping companies: average annual pay | $29,187 | $39,474 | +35% |
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
Augusta runs 24% 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 Augusta's commercial irrigation market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Augusta ranks 82nd for headcount, 75th for median pay and 20th for concentration for landscaping and groundskeeping workers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | 15,300 | $38,500 | 0.86 | 1,926 |
| Augusta | 1,770 | $36,840 | 1.24 | 193 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial irrigation employers in Augusta, the pool is deep and still growing, so the constraint is competition rather than supply. Move fast on good candidates, because another local firm is probably talking to them too.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Augusta metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Commercial Irrigation licensing in Georgia.
Georgia has no irrigation contractor license and no irrigation or landscape contractor board. The Secretary of State licensing boards cover plumbers, electrical, low voltage, conditioned air, utility contractors and general contractors, so irrigation work that ties into a potable water supply falls under the plumbing license, with Class I and Class II Master Plumber and Journeyman Plumber the relevant grades. Backflow is the real credential to check: Georgia Rules for Drinking Water 391-3-5-.13(7) requires field testing of backflow prevention assemblies to be done by a certified tester, and Georgia EPD runs the Backflow Prevention Assembly Tester program. Holders of ASSE or ABPA certification still have to pass the Georgia exam, so ask to see the Georgia card rather than an out-of-state one. The same state rules apply in Atlanta, so candidates licensed there can work in Augusta without re-qualifying. The Augusta metro crosses a state line, so check the rules in the neighboring state too for crews that work on both sides.
Licensing authority: Georgia Environmental Protection Division (backflow tester certification); Georgia Secretary of State, State Construction Industry Licensing Board, Division of Master and Journeyman Plumbers. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Augusta talent.
The closest metro we cover is Columbia, about 65 miles away, with roughly 1,890 landscaping and groundskeeping workers (1.1 times Augusta's 1,770). Charlotte pays the most nearby, a $38,630 median, 5% above Augusta. That is the number any Augusta offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Atlanta has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Augusta | – | 1,770 | $36,840 |
| Columbia | 65 mi | 1,890 | $36,180 |
| Greenville | 98 mi | 2,420 | $36,610 |
| Charleston | 128 mi | 3,020 | $37,720 |
| Charlotte | 137 mi | 8,400 | $38,630 |
| Atlanta | 140 mi | 15,300 | $38,500 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Augusta crews.
Not commercial irrigation work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Augusta in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- "Project Eisenhower" data center campus~$2BFirst delivery now expected ~2027 (slipped from earlier Q2 2026 estimate)
A 2.1+ million sq ft data center campus developed by Eagle South LLC - roughly twice the size of Augusta Mall.
- New Augusta Arena$250MPartial opening 2027, full completion mid-2027
Superstructure steel now complete, with crews shifting to interior work - a major downtown civic anchor.
- Fort Eisenhower construction program$2B+ over 10 years ($1.6B already underway through 2028)80+ projects planned
17,000+ new military personnel, civilians, contractors, and family members expected in the region. (The Georgia Cyber Innovation & Training Center, a $100M facility and the largest government cybersecurity building in the US, is an already-completed 2018 project in the same footprint, not part of this new pipeline.)
Showing 3 of 4 projects tracked in this metro. The Augusta market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for commercial irrigation, and what kills offers in Augusta.
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 Augusta.
What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in Augusta?
BLS puts the Augusta median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers at $36,840 a year, 6% below the $39,150 national median. That ranks 82nd of 112 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Most of the market sits between $27,820 and $45,970, a 1.7x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. Within Georgia, Atlanta pays more, at $38,500.
Is it hard to hire landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Augusta?
Not by national standards. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers make up 24% more of the Augusta workforce than they do nationally, about 1,770 people. The 193 landscaping companies here average about 7.2 employees per location, mostly small shops, so candidates often know every employer in town by name. With 26% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial irrigation roles pay the most in Augusta?
Of the roles we recruit for, Irrigation Project Manager pays the most in Augusta, a $108,110 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Backflow Prevention Specialist at $54,690, 49% below it. Irrigation Technician / Installer is the lowest-paid field role at $36,840. Irrigation Foreman / Crew Lead trails national pay the most (15% below).
How many landscaping companies operate in Augusta?
BLS counted 193 landscaping companies in Augusta in 2023, employing about 1,384 people between them. Up from 153 in 2018, a 26% increase against 13% growth nationally. That averages 7.2 people per location, so most are small shops. They pay an average of $39,474, 18% below the $48,279 national average for the same kind of employer. BLS counts irrigation contractors under landscaping companies.
Which nearby metros compete with Augusta for landscaping and groundskeeping workers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Columbia (65 miles, about 1,890, $36,180 median), Greenville (98 miles, about 2,420, $36,610 median) and Charleston (128 miles, about 3,020, $37,720 median). Charleston 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.
Augusta 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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