Commercial Irrigation recruiters serving Charleston.
Charleston has 25% more landscaping and groundskeeping workers per job than the country as a whole, about 3,020 in the metro. BLS counts 286 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 Charleston.
BLS counts about 4,500 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Charleston metro, the largest group being landscaping and groundskeeping workers (about 3,020). Relative to the size of the local economy, landscaping and groundskeeping workers are far more concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 1.25). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Irrigation hub.
Irrigation Technician / Installer
Charleston: 3,020 employed · $37,720 median, 68th-highest of 112 metros
Certified Irrigation Technician (CIT)
Irrigation System Designer
Charleston: 170 employed · $99,330 median, 8th-highest of 78 metros
Backflow Prevention Specialist
Charleston: 960 employed · $57,360 median, 91st-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Service / Repair Technician
Irrigation Foreman / Crew Lead
Charleston: 350 employed · $62,090 median, 23rd-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Project Manager
Charleston: 1,080 employed · $107,610 median, 64th-highest of 111 metros
Irrigation Estimator
Charleston: 540 employed · $73,130 median, 88th-highest of 111 metros
Smart / Controller Systems Technician
Landscape Water Management Auditor
What Commercial Irrigation roles earn in Charleston.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Charleston earn a median $37,720, 4% under the $39,150 national figure, and 68th of 112 metros. Pay runs $31,230 at the tenth percentile to $47,380 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is landscape architects, at $99,330 against $79,870 nationally.
| Role | Charleston 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) | $37,720 | $31,230–$47,380 | $39,150 | −4% | 3,020 |
| Irrigation System DesignerLandscape Architects (17-1012) | $99,330 | $66,420–$130,190 | $79,870 | +24% | 170 |
| Backflow Prevention SpecialistPlumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (47-2152) | $57,360 | $39,100–$74,880 | $63,800 | −10% | 960 |
| Irrigation Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers (37-1012) | $62,090 | $40,750–$80,750 | $58,430 | +6% | 350 |
| Irrigation Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $107,610 | $72,640–$192,330 | $114,990 | −6% | 1,080 |
| Irrigation EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $73,130 | $48,840–$129,520 | $78,740 | −7% | 540 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Charleston 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 Charleston's commercial irrigation market has changed since 2018.
The number of landscaping companies in Charleston rose from 283 in 2018 to 286 in 2023, up 1%, behind the 13% growth nationally. Their combined payroll headcount barely moved, at about 2,819. Average annual pay there went from $34,332 to $51,873 (+51%), faster than the 31% national increase, a sign employers here have had to bid up.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaping companies: business locations | 283 | 286 | +1% |
| Landscaping companies: employment | 2,831 | 2,819 | −0% |
| Landscaping companies: average annual pay | $34,332 | $51,873 | +51% |
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
Charleston runs 25% more commercial irrigation workers per job than the country as a whole — well above the national concentration. More per job means more people to reach, and more employers reaching 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 Charleston's commercial irrigation market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Charleston ranks 56th for headcount, 62nd for median pay and 16th for concentration for landscaping and groundskeeping workers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston | 3,020 | $37,720 | 1.25 | 286 |
| Greenville | 2,420 | $36,610 | 0.91 | 317 |
| Columbia | 1,890 | $36,180 | 0.78 | 245 |
| Myrtle Beach | 1,590 | $34,410 | 1.78 | 281 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial irrigation employers in Charleston, the pool is deep and still growing, so the constraint is competition rather than supply. Move fast on good candidates, because another local firm is probably talking to them too.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Charleston metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Commercial Irrigation licensing in South Carolina.
South Carolina's Department of Environmental Services requires Backflow Prevention Assembly Tester Certification. The same state rules apply in Greenville, Columbia and Myrtle Beach, so candidates licensed there can work in Charleston without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: South Carolina Department of Environmental Services. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Charleston talent.
The closest metro we cover is Myrtle Beach, about 85 miles away, with roughly 1,590 landscaping and groundskeeping workers (0.5 times Charleston's 3,020). Pay is close across the region: medians run from $34,410 in Myrtle Beach to $38,630 in Charlotte, against $37,720 here. Charlotte has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston | – | 3,020 | $37,720 |
| Myrtle Beach | 87 mi | 1,590 | $34,410 |
| Columbia | 106 mi | 1,890 | $36,180 |
| Augusta | 128 mi | 1,770 | $36,840 |
| Charlotte | 177 mi | 8,400 | $38,630 |
| Jacksonville | 197 mi | 6,140 | $37,320 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Charleston crews.
Not commercial irrigation work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Charleston in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- I-526 / Long Point Road interchange$227MDesign underway (Parsons)
Major interchange reconstruction feeding the region's port and industrial corridor - sustained heavy-civil and paving demand.
- Boeing South Carolina final assembly building expansion$1B+Ramping to 10 airplanes/month in 2026
A new 1.2 million sq ft final assembly building in North Charleston - aerospace-grade electrical, mechanical, and fabrication demand at a scale unmatched elsewhere in the metro.
- U.S. Coast Guard Base Charleston modernization$440M+ across three contracts (including a $230M design-build contract for a new engineering complex, personnel housing, and parking structure)Latest contract targets 2030 completion
A multi-year infrastructure expansion: Pier Mike recapitalization, a new medical/dental facility, and now a 90,000 sq ft engineering complex plus a 120,000 sq ft multifunctional building - all built by Brasfield & Gorrie.
Showing 3 of 4 projects tracked in this metro. The Charleston market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for commercial irrigation, and what kills offers in Charleston.
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 Charleston.
What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in Charleston?
BLS puts the Charleston median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers at $37,720 a year, 4% below the $39,150 national median. That ranks 68th of 112 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Pay is bunched together here, $31,230 to $47,380 across the 10th to 90th percentile and only a 1.5x gap, so small differences in an offer are noticed. No other South Carolina metro we cover pays more for this work.
Is it hard to hire landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Charleston?
Not by national standards. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers make up 25% more of the Charleston workforce than they do nationally, about 3,020 people. The 286 landscaping companies here average about 9.9 employees per location.
Which commercial irrigation roles pay the most in Charleston?
Of the roles we recruit for, Irrigation Project Manager pays the most in Charleston, a $107,610 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Irrigation System Designer at $99,330, 8% below it. Irrigation Technician / Installer is the lowest-paid field role at $37,720. Relative to national pay, Irrigation System Designer is the strongest-paying role here (24% above). Backflow Prevention Specialist trails national pay the most (10% below).
How many landscaping companies operate in Charleston?
BLS counted 286 landscaping companies in Charleston in 2023, employing about 2,819 people between them. That is roughly where the count stood in 2018 (283). That averages 9.9 people per location. They pay an average of $51,873, 7% above the $48,279 national average for the same kind of employer. BLS counts irrigation contractors under landscaping companies.
Which nearby metros compete with Charleston for landscaping and groundskeeping workers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Myrtle Beach (87 miles, about 1,590, $34,410 median), Columbia (106 miles, about 1,890, $36,180 median) and Augusta (128 miles, about 1,770, $36,840 median). Charleston out-pays Myrtle Beach, an advantage when recruiting from there.
Plenty of people. Few of them looking.
Charleston has one of the deeper pools of landscaping and groundskeeping workers we cover, but the best of them are already working. Let's find the ones ready to move.
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