Commercial Irrigation recruiters serving Charlotte.
About 8,400 landscaping and groundskeeping workers work in the Charlotte metro, at a $38,630 median. BLS counts 1,223 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 Charlotte.
BLS counts about 13,600 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Charlotte metro, the largest group being landscaping and groundskeeping workers (about 8,400). Relative to the size of the local economy, landscaping and groundskeeping workers are about as concentrated here as nationally (location quotient 1.01). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Irrigation hub.
Irrigation Technician / Installer
Charlotte: 8,400 employed · $38,630 median, 51st-highest of 112 metros
Certified Irrigation Technician (CIT)
Irrigation System Designer
Charlotte: 390 employed · $83,900 median, 24th-highest of 78 metros
Backflow Prevention Specialist
Charlotte: 3,840 employed · $58,690 median, 83rd-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Service / Repair Technician
Irrigation Foreman / Crew Lead
Charlotte: 970 employed · $59,980 median, 37th-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Project Manager
Charlotte: 5,450 employed · $107,200 median, 65th-highest of 111 metros
Irrigation Estimator
Charlotte: 2,360 employed · $77,990 median, 57th-highest of 111 metros
Smart / Controller Systems Technician
Landscape Water Management Auditor
What Commercial Irrigation roles earn in Charlotte.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Charlotte earn a median $38,630, level with the $39,150 national figure, and 51st of 112 metros. Pay runs $34,230 at the tenth percentile to $48,300 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is landscape architects, at $83,900 against $79,870 nationally.
| Role | Charlotte 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) | $38,630 | $34,230–$48,300 | $39,150 | −1% | 8,400 |
| Irrigation System DesignerLandscape Architects (17-1012) | $83,900 | $59,290–$133,750 | $79,870 | +5% | 390 |
| Backflow Prevention SpecialistPlumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (47-2152) | $58,690 | $42,320–$76,010 | $63,800 | −8% | 3,840 |
| Irrigation Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers (37-1012) | $59,980 | $46,340–$79,220 | $58,430 | +3% | 970 |
| Irrigation Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $107,200 | $68,960–$175,220 | $114,990 | −7% | 5,450 |
| Irrigation EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $77,990 | $47,520–$127,690 | $78,740 | −1% | 2,360 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Charlotte 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 Charlotte's commercial irrigation market has changed since 2018.
The number of landscaping companies in Charlotte rose from 916 in 2018 to 1,223 in 2023, up 34%, ahead of the 13% national rise. Headcount and pay for those firms are withheld in Charlotte, so the occupation figures above are the better guide to what hiring costs.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaping companies: business locations | 916 | 1,223 | +34% |
| Landscaping companies: employment | 7,848 | – | – |
| Landscaping companies: average annual pay | $36,932 | – | – |
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
Charlotte sits at about the national rate for commercial irrigation — neither unusually deep nor unusually thin.
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 Charlotte's commercial irrigation market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Charlotte ranks 22nd for headcount, 47th for median pay and 43rd for concentration for landscaping and groundskeeping workers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte | 8,400 | $38,630 | 1.01 | 1,223 |
| Raleigh | 5,710 | $38,500 | 1.25 | 684 |
| Winston-Salem | 1,820 | $37,420 | 1.09 | 334 |
| Greensboro | 1,730 | $37,830 | 0.77 | 337 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill | 1,710 | $38,610 | 0.81 | 240 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial irrigation employers in Charlotte, the pool is about the national norm for its size, so difficulty depends on the role more than the market.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Charlotte metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Commercial Irrigation licensing in North Carolina.
North Carolina requires irrigation contractors to hold a state license from a dedicated board. Applicants need irrigation experience, a background check, a passing exam score and a surety bond. The same state rules apply in Raleigh, Greensboro, Winston-Salem and Durham-Chapel Hill, so candidates licensed there can work in Charlotte without re-qualifying. The Charlotte metro crosses a state line, so check the rules in the neighboring state too for crews that work on both sides.
Licensing authority: North Carolina Irrigation Contractors' Licensing Board. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Charlotte talent.
The closest metro we cover is Winston-Salem, about 70 miles away, with roughly 1,820 landscaping and groundskeeping workers (0.2 times Charlotte's 8,400). Charlotte pays more than every metro we cover within reach ($38,630 median), which helps when recruiting people in from Columbia at $36,180. Charlotte 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte | – | 8,400 | $38,630 |
| Winston-Salem | 69 mi | 1,820 | $37,420 |
| Greensboro | 83 mi | 1,730 | $37,830 |
| Columbia | 85 mi | 1,890 | $36,180 |
| Greenville | 91 mi | 2,420 | $36,610 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill | 121 mi | 1,710 | $38,610 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Charlotte crews.
Not commercial irrigation work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Charlotte in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Atrium Health "The Pearl" + Wake Forest School of Medicine$1.5B+ innovation districtPhased through 2027
A full life-sciences and medical-education district south of uptown. Med-gas plumbers, lab-grade mechanical, and clean-space electrical in tight supply.
- Data center corridor (Charlotte metro + nearby counties)Multiple operators, rolling2024-2026 and beyond
The Carolinas are now a fast-growing hyperscale market. Power-systems electricians, mechanical PMs, and controls technicians are the bottleneck.
- Charlotte Douglas International (CLT) capital programMulti-billion, phasedThrough 2027+
Terminal Lobby Expansion plus concourse and airfield work. Heavy mechanical, electrical, and specialty finish demand on a rolling, multi-phase crew schedule.
Showing 3 of 6 projects tracked in this metro. The Charlotte market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for commercial irrigation, and what kills offers in Charlotte.
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 Charlotte.
What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in Charlotte?
BLS puts the Charlotte median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers at $38,630 a year, about the same as the $39,150 national median. That ranks 51st of 112 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Pay is bunched together here, $34,230 to $48,300 across the 10th to 90th percentile and only a 1.4x gap, so small differences in an offer are noticed. No other North Carolina metro we cover pays more for this work.
Is it hard to hire landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Charlotte?
It is about average. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers are as common in Charlotte as they are nationally (location quotient 1.01), with about 8,400 in the metro. With 34% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial irrigation roles pay the most in Charlotte?
Of the roles we recruit for, Irrigation Project Manager pays the most in Charlotte, a $107,200 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Irrigation System Designer at $83,900, 22% below it. Irrigation Technician / Installer is the lowest-paid field role at $38,630. Relative to national pay, Irrigation System Designer is the strongest-paying role here (5% above). Backflow Prevention Specialist trails national pay the most (8% below).
How many landscaping companies operate in Charlotte?
BLS counted 1,223 landscaping companies in Charlotte in 2023. Up from 916 in 2018, a 34% increase against 13% growth nationally. BLS withholds their combined headcount and pay here, which it does when a category is small enough that the figures could identify individual employers. BLS counts irrigation contractors under landscaping companies.
Which nearby metros compete with Charlotte for landscaping and groundskeeping workers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Winston-Salem (69 miles, about 1,820, $37,420 median), Greensboro (83 miles, about 1,730, $37,830 median) and Columbia (85 miles, about 1,890, $36,180 median). Charlotte out-pays Columbia, an advantage when recruiting from there.
The seat is open. The pipeline should not be.
1,223 landscaping companies in Charlotte are drawing on the same 8,400 landscaping and groundskeeping workers. Let's get your next hire lined up first.
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