Commercial Irrigation recruiters serving Baltimore.
About 7,480 landscaping and groundskeeping workers work in the Baltimore metro, at a $39,620 median. BLS counts 988 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 Baltimore.
BLS counts about 15,080 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Baltimore metro, the largest group being landscaping and groundskeeping workers (about 7,480). Relative to the size of the local economy, landscaping and groundskeeping workers are less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.90). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Irrigation hub.
Irrigation Technician / Installer
Baltimore: 7,480 employed · $39,620 median, 42nd-highest of 112 metros
Certified Irrigation Technician (CIT)
Irrigation System Designer
Baltimore: 470 employed · $92,970 median, 13th-highest of 78 metros
Backflow Prevention Specialist
Baltimore: 5,220 employed · $63,200 median, 53rd-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Service / Repair Technician
Irrigation Foreman / Crew Lead
Baltimore: 1,910 employed · $50,120 median, 92nd-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Project Manager
Baltimore: 2,780 employed · $121,490 median, 32nd-highest of 111 metros
Irrigation Estimator
Baltimore: 2,430 employed · $80,130 median, 36th-highest of 111 metros
Smart / Controller Systems Technician
Landscape Water Management Auditor
What Commercial Irrigation roles earn in Baltimore.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Baltimore earn a median $39,620, level with the $39,150 national figure, and 42nd of 112 metros. Pay runs $35,760 at the tenth percentile to $55,490 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is landscape architects, at $92,970 against $79,870 nationally.
| Role | Baltimore 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) | $39,620 | $35,760–$55,490 | $39,150 | +1% | 7,480 |
| Irrigation System DesignerLandscape Architects (17-1012) | $92,970 | $58,220–$136,450 | $79,870 | +16% | 470 |
| Backflow Prevention SpecialistPlumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (47-2152) | $63,200 | $45,220–$102,640 | $63,800 | −1% | 5,220 |
| Irrigation Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers (37-1012) | $50,120 | $42,890–$75,020 | $58,430 | −14% | 1,910 |
| Irrigation Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $121,490 | $78,560–$211,260 | $114,990 | +6% | 2,780 |
| Irrigation EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $80,130 | $49,750–$126,330 | $78,740 | +2% | 2,430 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Baltimore 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 Baltimore's commercial irrigation market has changed since 2018.
Baltimore lost landscaping companies between 2018 and 2023, from 1,033 business locations to 988 (down 4%), behind the 13% growth nationally. Headcount at those firms went up 6%, to about 9,346 people, so fewer firms are employing more people each. Average annual pay there went from $42,240 to $52,101 (+23%), slower than the 31% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaping companies: business locations | 1,033 | 988 | −4% |
| Landscaping companies: employment | 8,786 | 9,346 | +6% |
| Landscaping companies: average annual pay | $42,240 | $52,101 | +23% |
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
Baltimore runs 10% 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 Baltimore's commercial irrigation market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Baltimore ranks 24th for headcount, 38th for median pay and 70th for concentration for landscaping and groundskeeping workers.
What this means for hiring:For commercial irrigation employers in Baltimore, 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, Baltimore metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Commercial Irrigation licensing in Maryland.
In Maryland, completing an approved cross-connection/backflow certification program is not enough to test backflow devices: the person must also be licensed by the Board of Plumbing as a master or journey plumber.
Licensing authority: Maryland Board of Plumbing. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Baltimore talent.
The closest metro we cover is Washington, D.C., about 35 miles away, with roughly 17,140 landscaping and groundskeeping workers (2.3 times Baltimore's 7,480). Washington, D.C. pays the most nearby, a $42,700 median, 8% above Baltimore. That is the number any Baltimore offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Philadelphia has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore | – | 7,480 | $39,620 |
| Washington, D.C. | 36 mi | 17,140 | $42,700 |
| Lancaster | 54 mi | 1,650 | $39,140 |
| Harrisburg | 70 mi | 1,630 | $38,700 |
| Philadelphia | 90 mi | 17,700 | $42,130 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem | 109 mi | 2,310 | $39,350 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Baltimore crews.
Not commercial irrigation work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Baltimore in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- University of Maryland Medical System expansionsPhased campus work2025-2028
Downtown and suburban campus build-out. Occupied-facility renovation experience is the differentiator - very different skill set from ground-up.
- Baltimore Peninsula / Port Covington build-out$5.5B master planPhased through 2030s
Mixed-use vertical construction. Steady mid-market demand for MEP trades, curtain wall, and interior finish crews between the infrastructure peaks.
- Francis Scott Key Bridge rebuild$4B – $4.8BProcurements 2026, construction through 2030
The largest single infrastructure program in Maryland history. MDTA split it into four packages - demolition, north approach, south approach, and main span - specifically to widen the contractor pool. Heavy civil, marine, structural steel, and crane crews in demand for the better part of a decade.
Showing 3 of 6 projects tracked in this metro. The Baltimore market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for commercial irrigation, and what kills offers in Baltimore.
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 Baltimore.
What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in Baltimore?
BLS puts the Baltimore median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers at $39,620 a year, about the same as the $39,150 national median. That ranks 42nd of 112 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Pay is bunched together here, $35,760 to $55,490 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 Baltimore?
It is about average. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers are as common in Baltimore as they are nationally (location quotient 0.90), with about 7,480 in the metro. The 988 landscaping companies here average about 9.5 employees per location.
Which commercial irrigation roles pay the most in Baltimore?
Of the roles we recruit for, Irrigation Project Manager pays the most in Baltimore, a $121,490 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Irrigation System Designer at $92,970, 23% below it. Irrigation Technician / Installer is the lowest-paid field role at $39,620. Relative to national pay, Irrigation System Designer is the strongest-paying role here (16% above). Irrigation Foreman / Crew Lead trails national pay the most (14% below).
How many landscaping companies operate in Baltimore?
BLS counted 988 landscaping companies in Baltimore in 2023, employing about 9,346 people between them. Down from 1,033 in 2018, a 4% decline against 13% growth nationally. That averages 9.5 people per location. They pay an average of $52,101, 8% above the $48,279 national average for the same kind of employer. BLS counts irrigation contractors under landscaping companies.
Which nearby metros compete with Baltimore for landscaping and groundskeeping workers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Washington, D.C. (36 miles, about 17,140, $42,700 median), Lancaster (54 miles, about 1,650, $39,140 median) and Harrisburg (70 miles, about 1,630, $38,700 median). Washington, D.C. has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Washington, D.C. pays 8% more, which is where Baltimore employers tend to lose people.
The seat is open. The pipeline should not be.
988 landscaping companies in Baltimore are drawing on the same 7,480 landscaping and groundskeeping workers. Let's get your next hire lined up first.
Schedule a Discovery Call →