Commercial Irrigation recruiters serving Chicago.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Chicago earn a $45,280 median, 16% above the national figure, and about 25,160 of them work in the metro. BLS counts 3,866 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 Chicago.
BLS counts about 41,290 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Chicago metro, the largest group being landscaping and groundskeeping workers (about 25,160). 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
Chicago: 25,160 employed · $45,280 median, 16th-highest of 112 metros
Certified Irrigation Technician (CIT)
Irrigation System Designer
Chicago: 850 employed · $66,830 median, 70th-highest of 78 metros
Backflow Prevention Specialist
Chicago: 12,750 employed · $103,380 median, 2nd-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Service / Repair Technician
Irrigation Foreman / Crew Lead
Chicago: 2,530 employed · $52,470 median, 83rd-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Project Manager
Chicago: 13,850 employed · $117,280 median, 44th-highest of 111 metros
Irrigation Estimator
Chicago: 4,610 employed · $83,640 median, 16th-highest of 111 metros
Smart / Controller Systems Technician
Landscape Water Management Auditor
What Commercial Irrigation roles earn in Chicago.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Chicago earn a median $45,280, 16% over the $39,150 national figure, and 16th of 112 metros. Pay runs $34,200 at the tenth percentile to $61,250 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters, at $103,380 against $63,800 nationally.
| Role | Chicago 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) | $45,280 | $34,200–$61,250 | $39,150 | +16% | 25,160 |
| Irrigation System DesignerLandscape Architects (17-1012) | $66,830 | $54,770–$105,340 | $79,870 | −16% | 850 |
| Backflow Prevention SpecialistPlumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (47-2152) | $103,380 | $53,960–$127,200 | $63,800 | +62% | 12,750 |
| Irrigation Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers (37-1012) | $52,470 | $42,680–$87,400 | $58,430 | −10% | 2,530 |
| Irrigation Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $117,280 | $55,500–$178,140 | $114,990 | +2% | 13,850 |
| Irrigation EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $83,640 | $50,720–$139,460 | $78,740 | +6% | 4,610 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Chicago 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 Chicago's commercial irrigation market has changed since 2018.
The number of landscaping companies in Chicago rose from 3,622 in 2018 to 3,866 in 2023, up 7%, behind the 13% growth nationally. Headcount and pay for those firms are withheld in Chicago, so the occupation figures above are the better guide to what hiring costs.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaping companies: business locations | 3,622 | 3,866 | +7% |
| Landscaping companies: employment | 24,666 | – | – |
| Landscaping companies: average annual pay | $41,326 | – | – |
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
Chicago 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 Chicago's commercial irrigation market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Chicago ranks 3rd for headcount, 14th for median pay and 63rd for concentration for landscaping and groundskeeping workers.
What this means for hiring:For commercial irrigation employers in Chicago, 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, Chicago metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Commercial Irrigation licensing in Illinois.
Illinois requires lawn irrigation contractors, and employees who install lawn sprinkler systems, to register every year with the Department of Public Health. Cross-connection control device inspectors are approved under an Illinois EPA program, with training and registration run mainly by SIU Edwardsville's Environmental Resources Training Center. The Chicago metro crosses a state line, so check the rules in the neighboring state too for crews that work on both sides.
Licensing authority: Illinois Department of Public Health (irrigation); Illinois EPA (cross-connection control device inspectors). Confirm current rules with the agency.
We have not closed a commercial irrigation search in Chicago 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 Chicago than imply a record in this trade that we do not have yet.
- Commercial Construction Project ManagerA Project Director-level background placed into a PM seat inside a week.
- Service Dispatch CoordinatorA dispatcher who already knows the trade, the software and the workflow.
- Lead HVAC TechnicianNATE, EPA Universal and Heat Pump Council certified, with VRF and VRV experience.
Nearby markets competing for Chicago talent.
The closest metro we cover is Milwaukee, about 85 miles away, with roughly 5,020 landscaping and groundskeeping workers (0.2 times Chicago's 25,160). Chicago pays more than every metro we cover within reach ($45,280 median), which helps when recruiting people in from Grand Rapids at $37,470. Chicago 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago | – | 25,160 | $45,280 |
| Milwaukee | 83 mi | 5,020 | $44,440 |
| Madison | 123 mi | 2,330 | $44,440 |
| Grand Rapids | 127 mi | 4,590 | $37,470 |
| Indianapolis | 164 mi | 6,980 | $38,180 |
| Dayton | 231 mi | 2,080 | $37,880 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Chicago crews.
Not commercial irrigation work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Chicago in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- The 78 development (South Loop)$8B+Phased through 2040
62-acre mixed-use development adjacent to downtown. University of Illinois withdrew its planned Discovery Partners Institute biotech campus from the site in 2024-2025; the broader mixed-use build-out continues under new anchor plans.
- The 1901 Project (United Center district redevelopment)$7B planned ($500M Phase One)Broke ground June 2026; Phase I complete 2028
55-acre mixed-use redevelopment around United Center. Sports venue mechanical retrofit + new construction. Specialty entertainment MEP.
- Foundry Park (North Side, former Lincoln Yards site)$800M Phase 1City Council-approved Feb 2026
Replaces the stalled $6B Lincoln Yards plan, which collapsed in 2025. New owners, scaled-down scope - residential, office, retail. Long-duration commercial construction pipeline once underway.
Showing 3 of 6 projects tracked in this metro. The Chicago market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for commercial irrigation, and what kills offers in Chicago.
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 Chicago.
What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in Chicago?
BLS puts the Chicago median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers at $45,280 a year, 16% above the $39,150 national median. That ranks 16th of 112 metros with published figures, in the top quarter. Most of the market sits between $34,200 and $61,250, a 1.8x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience.
Is it hard to hire landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Chicago?
It is about average. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers are as common in Chicago as they are nationally (location quotient 0.91), with about 25,160 in the metro.
Which commercial irrigation roles pay the most in Chicago?
Of the roles we recruit for, Irrigation Project Manager pays the most in Chicago, a $117,280 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Backflow Prevention Specialist at $103,380, 12% below it. Irrigation Technician / Installer is the lowest-paid field role at $45,280. Relative to national pay, Backflow Prevention Specialist is the strongest-paying role here (62% above). Irrigation System Designer trails national pay the most (16% below).
How many landscaping companies operate in Chicago?
BLS counted 3,866 landscaping companies in Chicago in 2023. Up from 3,622 in 2018, a 7% 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 Chicago for landscaping and groundskeeping workers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Milwaukee (83 miles, about 5,020, $44,440 median), Madison (123 miles, about 2,330, $44,440 median) and Grand Rapids (127 miles, about 4,590, $37,470 median). Chicago out-pays Grand Rapids, an advantage when recruiting from there.
The seat is open. The pipeline should not be.
3,866 landscaping companies in Chicago are drawing on the same 25,160 landscaping and groundskeeping workers. Let's get your next hire lined up first.
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