Commercial Irrigation recruiters serving Boston.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Boston earn a $49,030 median, 25% above the national figure, and about 15,120 of them work in the metro. BLS counts 2,688 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 Boston.
BLS counts about 26,360 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Boston metro, the largest group being landscaping and groundskeeping workers (about 15,120). 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
Boston: 15,120 employed · $49,030 median, highest of 112 metros
Certified Irrigation Technician (CIT)
Irrigation System Designer
Boston: 350 employed · $91,520 median, 14th-highest of 78 metros
Backflow Prevention Specialist
Boston: 9,200 employed · $96,760 median, 5th-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Service / Repair Technician
Irrigation Foreman / Crew Lead
Boston: 1,690 employed · $68,100 median, 9th-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Project Manager
Boston: 7,570 employed · $156,470 median, 5th-highest of 111 metros
Irrigation Estimator
Boston: 3,110 employed · $102,640 median, highest of 111 metros
Smart / Controller Systems Technician
Landscape Water Management Auditor
What Commercial Irrigation roles earn in Boston.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Boston earn a median $49,030, 25% over the $39,150 national figure, and 1st of 112 metros. Pay runs $37,940 at the tenth percentile to $62,370 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters, at $96,760 against $63,800 nationally.
| Role | Boston 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) | $49,030 | $37,940–$62,370 | $39,150 | +25% | 15,120 |
| Irrigation System DesignerLandscape Architects (17-1012) | $91,520 | $70,460–$125,010 | $79,870 | +15% | 350 |
| Backflow Prevention SpecialistPlumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (47-2152) | $96,760 | $52,270–$143,950 | $63,800 | +52% | 9,200 |
| Irrigation Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers (37-1012) | $68,100 | $47,640–$100,310 | $58,430 | +17% | 1,690 |
| Irrigation Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $156,470 | $105,860–$217,860 | $114,990 | +36% | 7,570 |
| Irrigation EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $102,640 | $63,200–$157,200 | $78,740 | +30% | 3,110 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Boston 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 Boston's commercial irrigation market has changed since 2018.
The number of landscaping companies in Boston rose from 2,383 in 2018 to 2,688 in 2023, up 13%, close to the 13% national change. Headcount at those firms went up 11%, to about 15,686 people. Average annual pay there went from $48,162 to $62,482 (+30%), in step with the 31% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaping companies: business locations | 2,383 | 2,688 | +13% |
| Landscaping companies: employment | 14,191 | 15,686 | +11% |
| Landscaping companies: average annual pay | $48,162 | $62,482 | +30% |
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
Boston 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 Boston's commercial irrigation market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Boston ranks 10th for headcount, 1st for median pay and 63rd for concentration for landscaping and groundskeeping workers. Pay here is among the highest we see, so offers need to start near the top of the range.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston | 15,120 | $49,030 | 0.91 | 2,688 |
| Worcester | 2,170 | $47,980 | 1.01 | 503 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial irrigation employers in Boston, 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, Boston metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Commercial Irrigation licensing in Massachusetts.
MassDEP certifies backflow prevention device testers and cross-connection surveyors, with applications and renewals handled online. The same state rules apply in Worcester, so candidates licensed there can work in Boston without re-qualifying. The Boston metro crosses a state line, so check the rules in the neighboring state too for crews that work on both sides.
Licensing authority: Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP). Confirm current rules with the agency.
We have not closed a commercial irrigation search in Boston 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 Boston than imply a record in this trade that we do not have yet.
- Commercial HVAC Service TechnicianTwo decades of HVAC and refrigeration, including chief engineer roles.
Nearby markets competing for Boston talent.
The closest metro we cover is Worcester, about 40 miles away, with roughly 2,170 landscaping and groundskeeping workers (0.1 times Boston's 15,120). Boston pays more than every metro we cover within reach ($49,030 median), which helps when recruiting people in from Albany at $41,290. Boston 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston | – | 15,120 | $49,030 |
| Worcester | 38 mi | 2,170 | $47,980 |
| Providence | 41 mi | 5,530 | $45,250 |
| Hartford | 93 mi | 4,060 | $44,860 |
| Bridgeport | 137 mi | 4,920 | $46,430 |
| Albany | 139 mi | 2,400 | $41,290 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Boston crews.
Not commercial irrigation work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Boston in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Suffolk Downs redevelopment (East Boston/Revere)$8B+ plannedPhased through 2040
160-acre mixed-use neighborhood - commercial, life-sciences, residential, infrastructure. Long-duration commercial construction pipeline.
- MIT & Harvard campus development (Cambridge/Allston)$3B+ combinedRolling
University lab, research, and institutional construction. High-spec finishes, custom lab MEP, LEED-driven mechanical. Long-duration institutional pipeline.
- Seaport life-sciences build-out (South Boston)$4B+ pipelinePhased through 2030
New lab towers and biomanufacturing on the waterfront. Specialty cleanroom + process MEP. Coastal cold-climate envelope considerations drive premiums.
Showing 3 of 6 projects tracked in this metro. The Boston market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for commercial irrigation, and what kills offers in Boston.
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 Boston.
What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in Boston?
BLS puts the Boston median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers at $49,030 a year, 25% above the $39,150 national median. That ranks first of 112 metros with published figures, in the top quarter. Pay is bunched together here, $37,940 to $62,370 across the 10th to 90th percentile and only a 1.6x gap, so small differences in an offer are noticed. No other Massachusetts metro we cover pays more for this work (Worcester: $47,980).
Is it hard to hire landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Boston?
It is about average. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers are as common in Boston as they are nationally (location quotient 0.91), with about 15,120 in the metro. The 2,688 landscaping companies here average about 5.8 employees per location, mostly small shops, so candidates often know every employer in town by name. With 13% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial irrigation roles pay the most in Boston?
Of the roles we recruit for, Irrigation Project Manager pays the most in Boston, a $156,470 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Backflow Prevention Specialist at $96,760, 38% below it. Irrigation Technician / Installer is the lowest-paid field role at $49,030. Relative to national pay, Backflow Prevention Specialist is the strongest-paying role here (52% above).
How many landscaping companies operate in Boston?
BLS counted 2,688 landscaping companies in Boston in 2023, employing about 15,686 people between them. Up from 2,383 in 2018, a 13% increase against 13% growth nationally. That averages 5.8 people per location, so most are small shops. They pay an average of $62,482, 29% above the $48,279 national average for the same kind of employer. BLS counts irrigation contractors under landscaping companies.
Which nearby metros compete with Boston for landscaping and groundskeeping workers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Worcester (38 miles, about 2,170, $47,980 median), Providence (41 miles, about 5,530, $45,250 median) and Hartford (93 miles, about 4,060, $44,860 median). Boston out-pays Providence and Hartford, an advantage when recruiting from there.
The seat is open. The pipeline should not be.
2,688 landscaping companies in Boston are drawing on the same 15,120 landscaping and groundskeeping workers. Let's get your next hire lined up first.
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