Commercial Irrigation recruiters serving Buffalo.
About 2,870 landscaping and groundskeeping workers work in the Buffalo metro, at a $41,770 median. BLS counts 587 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 Buffalo.
BLS counts about 4,630 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Buffalo metro, the largest group being landscaping and groundskeeping workers (about 2,870). Relative to the size of the local economy, landscaping and groundskeeping workers are less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.88). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Irrigation hub.
Irrigation Technician / Installer
Buffalo: 2,870 employed · $41,770 median, 35th-highest of 112 metros
Certified Irrigation Technician (CIT)
Irrigation System Designer
Buffalo: 40 employed · $74,990 median, 58th-highest of 78 metros
Backflow Prevention Specialist
Buffalo: 1,430 employed · $72,230 median, 31st-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Service / Repair Technician
Irrigation Foreman / Crew Lead
Buffalo: 290 employed · $63,020 median, 18th-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Project Manager
Buffalo: 390 employed · $127,550 median, 20th-highest of 111 metros
Irrigation Estimator
Buffalo: 650 employed · $75,300 median, 76th-highest of 111 metros
Smart / Controller Systems Technician
Landscape Water Management Auditor
What Commercial Irrigation roles earn in Buffalo.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Buffalo earn a median $41,770, 7% over the $39,150 national figure, and 35th of 112 metros. Pay runs $34,780 at the tenth percentile to $62,140 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is landscape architects, at $74,990 against $79,870 nationally.
| Role | Buffalo 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) | $41,770 | $34,780–$62,140 | $39,150 | +7% | 2,870 |
| Irrigation System DesignerLandscape Architects (17-1012) | $74,990 | $61,090–$116,700 | $79,870 | −6% | 40 |
| Backflow Prevention SpecialistPlumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (47-2152) | $72,230 | $40,300–$104,040 | $63,800 | +13% | 1,430 |
| Irrigation Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers (37-1012) | $63,020 | $46,680–$78,060 | $58,430 | +8% | 290 |
| Irrigation Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $127,550 | $78,000–$190,470 | $114,990 | +11% | 390 |
| Irrigation EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $75,300 | $48,570–$122,910 | $78,740 | −4% | 650 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Buffalo 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 Buffalo's commercial irrigation market has changed since 2018.
The number of landscaping companies in Buffalo rose from 542 in 2018 to 587 in 2023, up 8%, behind the 13% growth nationally. Headcount at those firms went up 12%, to about 2,708 people. Average annual pay there went from $32,063 to $44,626 (+39%), faster than the 31% national increase, a sign employers here have had to bid up.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaping companies: business locations | 542 | 587 | +8% |
| Landscaping companies: employment | 2,427 | 2,708 | +12% |
| Landscaping companies: average annual pay | $32,063 | $44,626 | +39% |
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
Buffalo runs 12% 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 Buffalo's commercial irrigation market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Buffalo ranks 59th for headcount, 31st for median pay and 77th for concentration for landscaping and groundskeeping workers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 50,410 | $45,530 | 0.87 | 8,422 |
| Rochester | 3,060 | $39,680 | 1.01 | 473 |
| Buffalo | 2,870 | $41,770 | 0.88 | 587 |
| Albany | 2,400 | $41,290 | 0.87 | 380 |
| Syracuse | 1,670 | $40,010 | 0.91 | 289 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial irrigation employers in Buffalo, the local pool is thinner than most, so plan on recruiting some roles in from outside the metro.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Buffalo metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Commercial Irrigation licensing in New York.
New York requires backflow testers to be certified. Since March 2011, initial certifications have been issued by training providers the Department of Health approves. The same state rules apply in New York, Rochester, Albany and Syracuse, so candidates licensed there can work in Buffalo without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: New York State Department of Health. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Buffalo talent.
The closest metro we cover is Rochester, about 65 miles away, with roughly 3,060 landscaping and groundskeeping workers (1.1 times Buffalo's 2,870). Buffalo pays more than every metro we cover within reach ($41,770 median), which helps when recruiting people in from Akron at $37,610. Cleveland has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo | – | 2,870 | $41,770 |
| Rochester | 66 mi | 3,060 | $39,680 |
| Syracuse | 139 mi | 1,670 | $40,010 |
| Cleveland | 173 mi | 6,910 | $38,230 |
| Pittsburgh | 179 mi | 6,650 | $37,690 |
| Akron | 184 mi | 2,250 | $37,610 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Buffalo crews.
Not commercial irrigation work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Buffalo in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Micron semiconductor manufacturing campus (Clay, NY - Syracuse area, ~150 mi east)$100B over ~20 yearsBroke ground January 2026; foundations underway by August 2026
A four-factory campus described by state officials as the largest private-sector investment in New York history and the largest planned semiconductor facility in the United States. Construction has already progressed from site preparation to vertical construction. Located near Syracuse, not Buffalo - but as the anchor of the NY SMART I-Corridor along I-90, it is expected to pull skilled trades demand across the corridor, including Buffalo, over the next decade.
- NY SMART I-Corridor (CHIPS Act tech hub)Federal implementation funding, one of 12 designated hubs nationallyThrough 2034
A semiconductor manufacturing corridor along I-90 from Albany to Buffalo, with a stated goal that 1 in 4 US-made chips come from within 350 miles of Upstate New York by 2034. Buffalo sits at the western anchor of this corridor.
These are the 2 projects we track in Buffalo. The Buffalo market page covers hiring conditions across every trade here.
What credentials matter for commercial irrigation, and what kills offers in Buffalo.
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 Buffalo.
What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in Buffalo?
BLS puts the Buffalo median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers at $41,770 a year, 7% above the $39,150 national median. That ranks 35th of 112 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Most of the market sits between $34,780 and $62,140, a 1.8x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. Within New York, New York pays more, at $45,530.
Is it hard to hire landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Buffalo?
It is about average. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers are as common in Buffalo as they are nationally (location quotient 0.88), with about 2,870 in the metro. The 587 landscaping companies here average about 4.6 employees per location, mostly small shops, so candidates often know every employer in town by name.
Which commercial irrigation roles pay the most in Buffalo?
Of the roles we recruit for, Irrigation Project Manager pays the most in Buffalo, a $127,550 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Irrigation System Designer at $74,990, 41% below it. Irrigation Technician / Installer is the lowest-paid field role at $41,770. Relative to national pay, Backflow Prevention Specialist is the strongest-paying role here (13% above). Irrigation System Designer trails national pay the most (6% below).
How many landscaping companies operate in Buffalo?
BLS counted 587 landscaping companies in Buffalo in 2023, employing about 2,708 people between them. Up from 542 in 2018, an 8% increase against 13% growth nationally. That averages 4.6 people per location, so most are small shops. They pay an average of $44,626, 8% below the $48,279 national average for the same kind of employer. BLS counts irrigation contractors under landscaping companies.
Which nearby metros compete with Buffalo for landscaping and groundskeeping workers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Rochester (66 miles, about 3,060, $39,680 median), Syracuse (139 miles, about 1,670, $40,010 median) and Cleveland (173 miles, about 6,910, $38,230 median). Cleveland has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Buffalo out-pays Rochester and Cleveland, an advantage when recruiting from there.
The seat is open. The pipeline should not be.
587 landscaping companies in Buffalo are drawing on the same 2,870 landscaping and groundskeeping workers. Let's get your next hire lined up first.
Schedule a Discovery Call →