Commercial Irrigation recruiters serving Cleveland.
About 6,910 landscaping and groundskeeping workers work in the Cleveland metro, at a $38,230 median. BLS counts 1,028 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 Cleveland.
BLS counts about 10,880 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Cleveland metro, the largest group being landscaping and groundskeeping workers (about 6,910). Relative to the size of the local economy, landscaping and groundskeeping workers are more concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 1.09). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Irrigation hub.
Irrigation Technician / Installer
Cleveland: 6,910 employed · $38,230 median, 59th-highest of 112 metros
Certified Irrigation Technician (CIT)
Irrigation System Designer
Cleveland: 70 employed · $69,990 median, 66th-highest of 78 metros
Backflow Prevention Specialist
Cleveland: 3,040 employed · $63,020 median, 54th-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Service / Repair Technician
Irrigation Foreman / Crew Lead
Cleveland: 860 employed · $58,130 median, 56th-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Project Manager
Cleveland: 2,630 employed · $101,440 median, 97th-highest of 111 metros
Irrigation Estimator
Cleveland: 1,390 employed · $78,120 median, 54th-highest of 111 metros
Smart / Controller Systems Technician
Landscape Water Management Auditor
What Commercial Irrigation roles earn in Cleveland.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Cleveland earn a median $38,230, level with the $39,150 national figure, and 59th of 112 metros. Pay runs $29,740 at the tenth percentile to $50,710 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is landscape architects, at $69,990 against $79,870 nationally.
| Role | Cleveland 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) | $38,230 | $29,740–$50,710 | $39,150 | −2% | 6,910 |
| Irrigation System DesignerLandscape Architects (17-1012) | $69,990 | $52,060–$145,170 | $79,870 | −12% | 70 |
| Backflow Prevention SpecialistPlumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (47-2152) | $63,020 | $46,330–$101,220 | $63,800 | −1% | 3,040 |
| Irrigation Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers (37-1012) | $58,130 | $40,750–$80,030 | $58,430 | −1% | 860 |
| Irrigation Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $101,440 | $58,560–$162,750 | $114,990 | −12% | 2,630 |
| Irrigation EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $78,120 | $50,350–$128,440 | $78,740 | −1% | 1,390 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Cleveland 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 Cleveland's commercial irrigation market has changed since 2018.
The number of landscaping companies in Cleveland rose from 996 in 2018 to 1,028 in 2023, up 3%, behind the 13% growth nationally. Headcount at those firms went up 8%, to about 6,282 people. Average annual pay there went from $33,688 to $44,835 (+33%), in step with the 31% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaping companies: business locations | 996 | 1,028 | +3% |
| Landscaping companies: employment | 5,809 | 6,282 | +8% |
| Landscaping companies: average annual pay | $33,688 | $44,835 | +33% |
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
Cleveland runs 9% more commercial irrigation workers per job than the country as a whole — 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 Cleveland's commercial irrigation market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Cleveland ranks 28th for headcount, 54th for median pay and 35th for concentration for landscaping and groundskeeping workers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland | 6,910 | $38,230 | 1.09 | 1,028 |
| Columbus | 6,820 | $39,100 | 1.01 | 636 |
| Cincinnati | 6,610 | $38,600 | 0.98 | 814 |
| Akron | 2,250 | $37,610 | 1.15 | 323 |
| Dayton | 2,080 | $37,880 | 0.91 | 269 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial irrigation employers in Cleveland, the pool is about the national norm for its size and local employers are adding people, so expect competing offers on experienced candidates and keep the process short.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Cleveland metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Commercial Irrigation licensing in Ohio.
Ohio certifies backflow technicians in three classes. Class B covers backflow devices on lawn irrigation systems, and certification requires training, experience and a state exam. The same state rules apply in Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton and Akron, so candidates licensed there can work in Cleveland without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Industrial Compliance. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Cleveland talent.
The closest metro we cover is Akron, about 30 miles away, with roughly 2,250 landscaping and groundskeeping workers (0.3 times Cleveland's 6,910). Buffalo pays the most nearby, a $41,770 median, 9% above Cleveland. That is the number any Cleveland offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Detroit has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland | – | 6,910 | $38,230 |
| Akron | 30 mi | 2,250 | $37,610 |
| Detroit | 90 mi | 12,990 | $38,820 |
| Pittsburgh | 115 mi | 6,650 | $37,690 |
| Columbus | 126 mi | 6,820 | $39,100 |
| Buffalo | 173 mi | 2,870 | $41,770 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Cleveland crews.
Not commercial irrigation work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Cleveland in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Cleveland Clinic Avon campus expansion$322MBroke ground July 2026, completing 2029
Multi-phase expansion of Avon Hospital and the Richard E. Jacobs Health Center, adding ~250,000 sq ft of clinical space in Lorain County. Sustained, multi-year mechanical and plumbing demand outside the core city.
- Cleveland Clinic Neurological Institute$1.1BOpening January 18, 2027
1M sq ft, 210 inpatient rooms, 36 neuro ICU beds, 16 operating rooms. One of the largest single healthcare capital projects in Ohio, requiring hospital-grade mechanical, medical gas plumbing, and ICRA-compliant construction at scale.
- Cleveland Clinic Unified Operations Center$142M26-month build, completing late 2028
650,000 sq ft facility in Walton Hills for 526 relocated/new jobs. Large-footprint commercial construction and MEP fit-out, distinct from the hospital-grade work driving the other Clinic projects.
These are the 3 projects we track in Cleveland. The Cleveland market page covers hiring conditions across every trade here.
What credentials matter for commercial irrigation, and what kills offers in Cleveland.
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 Cleveland.
What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in Cleveland?
BLS puts the Cleveland median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers at $38,230 a year, about the same as the $39,150 national median. That ranks 59th of 112 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Most of the market sits between $29,740 and $50,710, a 1.7x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. No other Ohio metro we cover pays more for this work.
Is it hard to hire landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Cleveland?
It is about average. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers are as common in Cleveland as they are nationally (location quotient 1.09), with about 6,910 in the metro. The 1,028 landscaping companies here average about 6.1 employees per location, mostly small shops, so candidates often know every employer in town by name.
Which commercial irrigation roles pay the most in Cleveland?
Of the roles we recruit for, Irrigation Project Manager pays the most in Cleveland, a $101,440 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Irrigation System Designer at $69,990, 31% below it. Irrigation Technician / Installer is the lowest-paid field role at $38,230. Irrigation System Designer trails national pay the most (12% below).
How many landscaping companies operate in Cleveland?
BLS counted 1,028 landscaping companies in Cleveland in 2023, employing about 6,282 people between them. Up from 996 in 2018, a 3% increase against 13% growth nationally. That averages 6.1 people per location, so most are small shops. They pay an average of $44,835, 7% below the $48,279 national average for the same kind of employer. BLS counts irrigation contractors under landscaping companies.
Which nearby metros compete with Cleveland for landscaping and groundskeeping workers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Akron (30 miles, about 2,250, $37,610 median), Detroit (90 miles, about 12,990, $38,820 median) and Pittsburgh (115 miles, about 6,650, $37,690 median). Detroit has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move.
The seat is open. The pipeline should not be.
1,028 landscaping companies in Cleveland are drawing on the same 6,910 landscaping and groundskeeping workers. Let's get your next hire lined up first.
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