Commercial Irrigation recruiters serving Chattanooga.
About 1,460 landscaping and groundskeeping workers work in the Chattanooga metro, at a $36,190 median. BLS counts 142 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 Chattanooga.
BLS counts about 2,470 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Chattanooga metro, the largest group being landscaping and groundskeeping workers (about 1,460). Relative to the size of the local economy, landscaping and groundskeeping workers are less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.89). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Irrigation hub.
Irrigation Technician / Installer
Chattanooga: 1,460 employed · $36,190 median, 101st-highest of 112 metros
Certified Irrigation Technician (CIT)
Irrigation System Designer
Chattanooga: BLS does not publish a local figure for this occupation.
Backflow Prevention Specialist
Chattanooga: 860 employed · $58,720 median, 82nd-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Service / Repair Technician
Irrigation Foreman / Crew Lead
Chattanooga: 150 employed · $50,980 median, 89th-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Project Manager
Chattanooga: 380 employed · $101,640 median, 95th-highest of 111 metros
Irrigation Estimator
Chattanooga: 440 employed · $70,450 median, 101st-highest of 111 metros
Smart / Controller Systems Technician
Landscape Water Management Auditor
What Commercial Irrigation roles earn in Chattanooga.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Chattanooga earn a median $36,190, 8% under the $39,150 national figure, and 101st of 112 metros. Pay runs $29,280 at the tenth percentile to $46,750 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters, at $58,720 against $63,800 nationally. BLS withholds Chattanooga pay for one occupation in the table.
| Role | Chattanooga 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) | $36,190 | $29,280–$46,750 | $39,150 | −8% | 1,460 |
| Irrigation System DesignerLandscape Architects (17-1012) | – | – | $79,870 | – | – |
| Backflow Prevention SpecialistPlumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (47-2152) | $58,720 | $37,670–$78,880 | $63,800 | −8% | 860 |
| Irrigation Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers (37-1012) | $50,980 | $37,290–$79,200 | $58,430 | −13% | 150 |
| Irrigation Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $101,640 | $62,390–$179,570 | $114,990 | −12% | 380 |
| Irrigation EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $70,450 | $42,440–$106,190 | $78,740 | −11% | 440 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Chattanooga 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 Chattanooga's commercial irrigation market has changed since 2018.
The number of landscaping companies in Chattanooga rose from 120 in 2018 to 142 in 2023, up 18%, ahead of the 13% national rise. Headcount at those firms went up 8%, to about 1,370 people. Average annual pay there went from $33,747 to $46,872 (+39%), faster than the 31% national increase, a sign employers here have had to bid up.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaping companies: business locations | 120 | 142 | +18% |
| Landscaping companies: employment | 1,270 | 1,370 | +8% |
| Landscaping companies: average annual pay | $33,747 | $46,872 | +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
Chattanooga runs 11% 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 Chattanooga's commercial irrigation market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Chattanooga ranks 93rd for headcount, 91st for median pay and 74th for concentration for landscaping and groundskeeping workers. Pay here is among the lowest we see, which makes relocation offers from higher-paying metros a real retention risk.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville | 6,270 | $37,910 | 0.93 | 749 |
| Memphis | 3,100 | $36,500 | 0.83 | 325 |
| Knoxville | 3,020 | $36,040 | 1.16 | 352 |
| Chattanooga | 1,460 | $36,190 | 0.89 | 142 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial irrigation employers in Chattanooga, 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, Chattanooga metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Commercial Irrigation licensing in Tennessee.
Tennessee's contractor license classifications include BC-33 Irrigation. The Department of Environment and Conservation runs a state certification program for backflow prevention assembly testers through its Fleming Training Center. The same state rules apply in Nashville, Memphis and Knoxville, so candidates licensed there can work in Chattanooga without re-qualifying. The Chattanooga metro crosses a state line, so check the rules in the neighboring state too for crews that work on both sides.
Licensing authority: Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors (irrigation); Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (backflow). Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Chattanooga talent.
The closest metro we cover is Huntsville, about 75 miles away, with roughly 1,550 landscaping and groundskeeping workers (1.1 times Chattanooga's 1,460). Atlanta pays the most nearby, a $38,500 median, 6% above Chattanooga. That is the number any Chattanooga offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Atlanta has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chattanooga | – | 1,460 | $36,190 |
| Huntsville | 76 mi | 1,550 | $37,510 |
| Knoxville | 101 mi | 3,020 | $36,040 |
| Atlanta | 104 mi | 15,300 | $38,500 |
| Nashville | 113 mi | 6,270 | $37,910 |
| Birmingham | 135 mi | 2,880 | $36,600 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Chattanooga crews.
Not commercial irrigation work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Chattanooga in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Volkswagen Chattanooga plant$4.3B invested since 2011Ongoing production transition
Volkswagen's sole US assembly facility, 4,000+ employees, reached a 1-million-vehicle milestone in 2026 and is pivoting from ID.4 electric vehicle assembly to the second-generation Atlas as its primary production mandate.
- Erlanger East Hospital expansion$122MConstruction begins summer 2026, opening fall 2028
A new three-story, 52,000 sq ft building on Gunbarrel Road adding 22 patient beds, a cardiac catheterization lab, an electrophysiology lab, and an interventional radiology lab, plus 100 new jobs.
- Parkridge Medical Center expansion$98MCompleting 2026
A new patient tower with intensive care and medical-surgical rooms.
Showing 3 of 4 projects tracked in this metro. The Chattanooga market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for commercial irrigation, and what kills offers in Chattanooga.
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 Chattanooga.
What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in Chattanooga?
BLS puts the Chattanooga median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers at $36,190 a year, 8% below the $39,150 national median. That ranks 101st of 112 metros with published figures, in the bottom quarter. Pay is bunched together here, $29,280 to $46,750 across the 10th to 90th percentile and only a 1.6x gap, so small differences in an offer are noticed. Within Tennessee, Nashville pays more, at $37,910.
Is it hard to hire landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Chattanooga?
It is about average. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers are as common in Chattanooga as they are nationally (location quotient 0.89), with about 1,460 in the metro. The 142 landscaping companies here average about 9.6 employees per location. With 18% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial irrigation roles pay the most in Chattanooga?
Of the roles we recruit for, Irrigation Project Manager pays the most in Chattanooga, a $101,640 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Backflow Prevention Specialist at $58,720, 42% below it. Irrigation Technician / Installer is the lowest-paid field role at $36,190. Irrigation Foreman / Crew Lead trails national pay the most (13% below).
How many landscaping companies operate in Chattanooga?
BLS counted 142 landscaping companies in Chattanooga in 2023, employing about 1,370 people between them. Up from 120 in 2018, an 18% increase against 13% growth nationally. That averages 9.6 people per location. They pay about the national average of $48,279. BLS counts irrigation contractors under landscaping companies.
Which nearby metros compete with Chattanooga for landscaping and groundskeeping workers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Huntsville (76 miles, about 1,550, $37,510 median), Knoxville (101 miles, about 3,020, $36,040 median) and Atlanta (104 miles, about 15,300, $38,500 median). Knoxville has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Atlanta pays 6% more, which is where Chattanooga employers tend to lose people.
The seat is open. The pipeline should not be.
142 landscaping companies in Chattanooga are drawing on the same 1,460 landscaping and groundskeeping workers. Let's get your next hire lined up first.
Schedule a Discovery Call →