Commercial Irrigation recruiters serving Bakersfield.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers are scarcer in Bakersfield than in most of the country, 21% fewer per job, so the roughly 1,630 who work here are rarely short of offers. BLS counts 151 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 Bakersfield.
BLS counts about 2,810 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Bakersfield metro, the largest group being landscaping and groundskeeping workers (about 1,630). Relative to the size of the local economy, landscaping and groundskeeping workers are less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.79). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Irrigation hub.
Irrigation Technician / Installer
Bakersfield: 1,630 employed · $43,770 median, 30th-highest of 112 metros
Certified Irrigation Technician (CIT)
Irrigation System Designer
Bakersfield: BLS does not publish a local figure for this occupation.
Backflow Prevention Specialist
Bakersfield: 960 employed · $66,450 median, 36th-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Service / Repair Technician
Irrigation Foreman / Crew Lead
Bakersfield: 220 employed · $62,050 median, 24th-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Project Manager
Bakersfield: 720 employed · $127,890 median, 19th-highest of 111 metros
Irrigation Estimator
Bakersfield: 410 employed · $82,390 median, 20th-highest of 111 metros
Smart / Controller Systems Technician
Landscape Water Management Auditor
What Commercial Irrigation roles earn in Bakersfield.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Bakersfield earn a median $43,770, 12% over the $39,150 national figure, and 30th of 112 metros. Pay runs $35,680 at the tenth percentile to $57,630 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters, at $66,450 against $63,800 nationally. BLS withholds Bakersfield pay for one occupation in the table.
| Role | Bakersfield 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) | $43,770 | $35,680–$57,630 | $39,150 | +12% | 1,630 |
| Irrigation System DesignerLandscape Architects (17-1012) | – | – | $79,870 | – | – |
| Backflow Prevention SpecialistPlumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (47-2152) | $66,450 | $45,670–$117,840 | $63,800 | +4% | 960 |
| Irrigation Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers (37-1012) | $62,050 | $44,030–$94,320 | $58,430 | +6% | 220 |
| Irrigation Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $127,890 | $83,600–$204,170 | $114,990 | +11% | 720 |
| Irrigation EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $82,390 | $49,540–$145,340 | $78,740 | +5% | 410 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Bakersfield 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 Bakersfield's commercial irrigation market has changed since 2018.
The number of landscaping companies in Bakersfield rose from 141 in 2018 to 151 in 2023, up 7%, behind the 13% growth nationally. Headcount at those firms went up 43%, to about 1,314 people. Average annual pay there went from $32,747 to $49,242 (+50%), faster than the 31% national increase, a sign employers here have had to bid up.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaping companies: business locations | 141 | 151 | +7% |
| Landscaping companies: employment | 921 | 1,314 | +43% |
| Landscaping companies: average annual pay | $32,747 | $49,242 | +50% |
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
Bakersfield runs 21% 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 Bakersfield's commercial irrigation market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Bakersfield ranks 89th for headcount, 26th for median pay and 88th for concentration for landscaping and groundskeeping workers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 27,860 | $44,650 | 0.73 | 2,053 |
| Riverside | 13,190 | $43,650 | 1.25 | 1,009 |
| San Francisco | 12,270 | $48,040 | 0.84 | 1,164 |
| San Diego | 10,870 | $45,560 | 1.15 | 966 |
| Sacramento | 7,410 | $45,110 | 1.12 | 766 |
| San Jose | 6,000 | $48,330 | 0.86 | 519 |
| Fresno | 3,040 | $40,710 | 1.04 | 211 |
| Bakersfield | 1,630 | $43,770 | 0.79 | 151 |
| Stockton | 1,390 | $44,280 | 0.78 | 168 |
| Modesto | 1,080 | $45,740 | 0.90 | 120 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial irrigation employers in Bakersfield, the local pool is thin and local employers have been cutting headcount. Senior hires often come from outside the metro or from adjacent trades, so start searches earlier than you would elsewhere.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Bakersfield metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Commercial Irrigation licensing in California.
Public water systems in California must use backflow assembly testers certified by recognized, accredited certifying organizations; the State Water Board does not issue the certification itself. From July 1, 2027, only organizations with ANSI accreditation to ISO/IEC 17024 will qualify. The same state rules apply in Los Angeles, Riverside, San Francisco, San Diego, Sacramento, San Jose, Fresno, Stockton and Modesto, so candidates licensed there can work in Bakersfield without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: California State Water Resources Control Board. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Bakersfield talent.
The closest metro we cover is Los Angeles, about 100 miles away, with roughly 27,860 landscaping and groundskeeping workers (17.1 times Bakersfield's 1,630). San Jose pays the most nearby, a $48,330 median, 10% above Bakersfield. That is the number any Bakersfield offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Los Angeles has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield | – | 1,630 | $43,770 |
| Los Angeles | 101 mi | 27,860 | $44,650 |
| Fresno | 104 mi | 3,040 | $40,710 |
| Riverside | 135 mi | 13,190 | $43,650 |
| Modesto | 191 mi | 1,080 | $45,740 |
| San Jose | 210 mi | 6,000 | $48,330 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Bakersfield crews.
Not commercial irrigation work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Bakersfield in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Bakersfield Renewable Fuels refinery conversion$365M capital partnershipCompleted 2024; restructured 2025, now operating as Grapevine Energy Holdings
Converted a former crude-oil refinery into a renewable diesel bio-refinery producing roughly 250,000 gallons per day. The project went through a 2025 prepackaged Chapter 11 restructuring after a dispute with its EPC contractor and emerged 118 days later under new ownership - real turbulence, but the facility itself is operating.
- Regional clean-energy investment$69B (region-wide, as reported)Cumulative through 2026
Kern County has attracted a large wave of renewable natural gas, solar-to-hydrogen, and related facility investment, reshaping the region's traditional oil-and-gas industrial base.
These are the 2 projects we track in Bakersfield. The Bakersfield market page covers hiring conditions across every trade here.
What credentials matter for commercial irrigation, and what kills offers in Bakersfield.
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 Bakersfield.
What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in Bakersfield?
BLS puts the Bakersfield median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers at $43,770 a year, 12% above the $39,150 national median. That ranks 30th of 112 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Pay is bunched together here, $35,680 to $57,630 across the 10th to 90th percentile and only a 1.6x gap, so small differences in an offer are noticed. Within California, San Jose pays more, at $48,330.
Is it hard to hire landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Bakersfield?
Yes. Bakersfield has 21% fewer landscaping and groundskeeping workers per job than the country as a whole, roughly 1,630 in the metro, so most of the people worth hiring are already employed. The 151 landscaping companies here average about 8.7 employees per location.
Which commercial irrigation roles pay the most in Bakersfield?
Of the roles we recruit for, Irrigation Project Manager pays the most in Bakersfield, a $127,890 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Backflow Prevention Specialist at $66,450, 48% below it. Irrigation Technician / Installer is the lowest-paid field role at $43,770. Relative to national pay, Irrigation Technician / Installer is the strongest-paying role here (12% above).
How many landscaping companies operate in Bakersfield?
BLS counted 151 landscaping companies in Bakersfield in 2023, employing about 1,314 people between them. Up from 141 in 2018, a 7% increase against 13% growth nationally. That averages 8.7 people per location. They pay about the national average of $48,279. BLS counts irrigation contractors under landscaping companies.
Which nearby metros compete with Bakersfield for landscaping and groundskeeping workers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Los Angeles (101 miles, about 27,860, $44,650 median), Fresno (104 miles, about 3,040, $40,710 median) and Riverside (135 miles, about 13,190, $43,650 median). Los Angeles has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Bakersfield out-pays Fresno, an advantage when recruiting from there.
Thin market. Short list anyway.
With landscaping and groundskeeping workers this scarce in Bakersfield, an open seat rarely fills from a job posting. Let's line up the people before the next one opens.
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