Commercial Irrigation recruiters serving Austin.
About 7,600 landscaping and groundskeeping workers work in the Austin metro, at a $38,370 median. BLS counts 610 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 Austin.
BLS counts about 12,860 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Austin metro, the largest group being landscaping and groundskeeping workers (about 7,600). Relative to the size of the local economy, landscaping and groundskeeping workers are about as concentrated here as nationally (location quotient 0.96). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Irrigation hub.
Irrigation Technician / Installer
Austin: 7,600 employed · $38,370 median, 57th-highest of 112 metros
Certified Irrigation Technician (CIT)
Irrigation System Designer
Austin: $91,140 median, 15th-highest of 78 metros
Backflow Prevention Specialist
Austin: 5,260 employed · $62,810 median, 57th-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Service / Repair Technician
Irrigation Foreman / Crew Lead
Austin: $48,380 median, 99th-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Project Manager
Austin: 6,040 employed · $102,980 median, 85th-highest of 111 metros
Irrigation Estimator
Austin: 1,990 employed · $78,650 median, 51st-highest of 111 metros
Smart / Controller Systems Technician
Landscape Water Management Auditor
What Commercial Irrigation roles earn in Austin.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Austin earn a median $38,370, level with the $39,150 national figure, and 57th of 112 metros. Pay runs $31,260 at the tenth percentile to $49,800 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is landscape architects, at $91,140 against $79,870 nationally.
| Role | Austin 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) | $38,370 | $31,260–$49,800 | $39,150 | −2% | 7,600 |
| Irrigation System DesignerLandscape Architects (17-1012) | $91,140 | $41,420–$128,020 | $79,870 | +14% | – |
| Backflow Prevention SpecialistPlumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (47-2152) | $62,810 | $40,810–$80,920 | $63,800 | −2% | 5,260 |
| Irrigation Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers (37-1012) | $48,380 | $39,270–$72,500 | $58,430 | −17% | – |
| Irrigation Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $102,980 | $69,740–$169,110 | $114,990 | −10% | 6,040 |
| Irrigation EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $78,650 | $48,670–$134,230 | $78,740 | 0% | 1,990 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Austin 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 Austin's commercial irrigation market has changed since 2018.
The number of landscaping companies in Austin rose from 496 in 2018 to 610 in 2023, up 23%, ahead of the 13% national rise. Headcount at those firms went up 27%, to about 8,497 people. Average annual pay there went from $40,930 to $55,515 (+36%), faster than the 31% national increase, a sign employers here have had to bid up.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaping companies: business locations | 496 | 610 | +23% |
| Landscaping companies: employment | 6,685 | 8,497 | +27% |
| Landscaping companies: average annual pay | $40,930 | $55,515 | +36% |
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
Austin sits at about the national rate for commercial irrigation — neither unusually deep nor unusually thin.
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 Austin's commercial irrigation market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Austin ranks 23rd for headcount, 52nd for median pay and 55th for concentration for landscaping and groundskeeping workers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 19,750 | $37,680 | 0.80 | 1,629 |
| Houston | 14,840 | $36,280 | 0.74 | 1,026 |
| Austin | 7,600 | $38,370 | 0.96 | 610 |
| San Antonio | 3,760 | $35,630 | 0.55 | 467 |
| El Paso | 1,200 | $30,640 | 0.58 | 88 |
| McAllen | 680 | $29,060 | 0.37 | 33 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial irrigation employers in Austin, 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, Austin metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Commercial Irrigation licensing in Texas.
Texas licenses landscape irrigators, irrigation technicians and irrigation inspectors at the state level through TCEQ. TCEQ also issues a separate Backflow Prevention Assembly Tester (BPAT) license. The same state rules apply in Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, McAllen and El Paso, so candidates licensed there can work in Austin without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). Confirm current rules with the agency.
We have not closed a commercial irrigation search in Austin yet. Here is what we have closed.
These are other trades in the same market. We would rather show you the searches we have actually run in Austin than imply a record in this trade that we do not have yet.
- Chiller Service TechnicianChillers from one ton to 5,000-ton centrifugals, for data-center clients - placed in twelve days.
Nearby markets competing for Austin talent.
The closest metro we cover is San Antonio, about 75 miles away, with roughly 3,760 landscaping and groundskeeping workers (0.5 times Austin's 7,600). Austin pays more than every metro we cover within reach ($38,370 median), which helps when recruiting people in from McAllen at $29,060. Dallas-Fort Worth has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austin | – | 7,600 | $38,370 |
| San Antonio | 74 mi | 3,760 | $35,630 |
| Houston | 147 mi | 14,840 | $36,280 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 182 mi | 19,750 | $37,680 |
| McAllen | 282 mi | 680 | $29,060 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Austin crews.
Not commercial irrigation work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Austin in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Apple Austin campusMulti-billion campus build-outPhased, ongoing
Class-A corporate construction driving high-end commercial MEP, finishes, and specialty trades in the north submarket.
- Hyperscale data center campuses (multiple operators)Billions announced 2024-2026Rolling
Central Texas is now a fast-growing data center corridor. Power-systems electricians, mechanical PMs, and controls techs in extreme demand - competing directly with the fabs for the same crews.
- Samsung Taylor semiconductor fab~$17B (expanding toward $40B+)Phase 1 ramping, expansion ongoing
The single largest force in the Austin-area labor market. Cleanroom, process-piping, high-purity mechanical, and mission-critical electrical trades pulled to premium wages across the entire region.
Showing 3 of 5 projects tracked in this metro. The Austin market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for commercial irrigation, and what kills offers in Austin.
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 Austin.
What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in Austin?
BLS puts the Austin median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers at $38,370 a year, about the same as the $39,150 national median. That ranks 57th of 112 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Pay is bunched together here, $31,260 to $49,800 across the 10th to 90th percentile and only a 1.6x gap, so small differences in an offer are noticed. No other Texas metro we cover pays more for this work.
Is it hard to hire landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Austin?
It is about average. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers are as common in Austin as they are nationally (location quotient 0.96), with about 7,600 in the metro. The 610 landscaping companies here average about 14 employees per location. With 23% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial irrigation roles pay the most in Austin?
Of the roles we recruit for, Irrigation Project Manager pays the most in Austin, a $102,980 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Irrigation System Designer at $91,140, 11% below it. Irrigation Technician / Installer is the lowest-paid field role at $38,370. Relative to national pay, Irrigation System Designer is the strongest-paying role here (14% above). Irrigation Foreman / Crew Lead trails national pay the most (17% below).
How many landscaping companies operate in Austin?
BLS counted 610 landscaping companies in Austin in 2023, employing about 8,497 people between them. Up from 496 in 2018, a 23% increase against 13% growth nationally. That averages 14 people per location. They pay an average of $55,515, 15% above the $48,279 national average for the same kind of employer. BLS counts irrigation contractors under landscaping companies.
Which nearby metros compete with Austin for landscaping and groundskeeping workers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are San Antonio (74 miles, about 3,760, $35,630 median), Houston (147 miles, about 14,840, $36,280 median) and Dallas-Fort Worth (182 miles, about 19,750, $37,680 median). Houston has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Austin out-pays San Antonio and Houston, an advantage when recruiting from there.
The seat is open. The pipeline should not be.
610 landscaping companies in Austin are drawing on the same 7,600 landscaping and groundskeeping workers. Let's get your next hire lined up first.
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