Commercial Irrigation recruiters serving Detroit.
About 12,990 landscaping and groundskeeping workers work in the Detroit metro, at a $38,820 median. BLS counts 1,719 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 Detroit.
BLS counts about 20,160 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Detroit metro, the largest group being landscaping and groundskeeping workers (about 12,990). Relative to the size of the local economy, landscaping and groundskeeping workers are more concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 1.11). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Irrigation hub.
Irrigation Technician / Installer
Detroit: 12,990 employed · $38,820 median, 49th-highest of 112 metros
Certified Irrigation Technician (CIT)
Irrigation System Designer
Detroit: 200 employed · $81,520 median, 32nd-highest of 78 metros
Backflow Prevention Specialist
Detroit: 5,520 employed · $86,370 median, 7th-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Service / Repair Technician
Irrigation Foreman / Crew Lead
Detroit: 1,450 employed · $59,570 median, 40th-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Project Manager
Detroit: 3,970 employed · $109,890 median, 56th-highest of 111 metros
Irrigation Estimator
Detroit: 3,400 employed · $80,200 median, 35th-highest of 111 metros
Smart / Controller Systems Technician
Landscape Water Management Auditor
What Commercial Irrigation roles earn in Detroit.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Detroit earn a median $38,820, level with the $39,150 national figure, and 49th of 112 metros. Pay runs $30,730 at the tenth percentile to $52,870 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters, at $86,370 against $63,800 nationally.
| Role | Detroit 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) | $38,820 | $30,730–$52,870 | $39,150 | −1% | 12,990 |
| Irrigation System DesignerLandscape Architects (17-1012) | $81,520 | $59,770–$129,640 | $79,870 | +2% | 200 |
| Backflow Prevention SpecialistPlumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (47-2152) | $86,370 | $48,250–$107,780 | $63,800 | +35% | 5,520 |
| Irrigation Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers (37-1012) | $59,570 | $40,680–$79,020 | $58,430 | +2% | 1,450 |
| Irrigation Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $109,890 | $64,160–$179,390 | $114,990 | −4% | 3,970 |
| Irrigation EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $80,200 | $47,640–$130,140 | $78,740 | +2% | 3,400 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Detroit 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 Detroit's commercial irrigation market has changed since 2018.
The number of landscaping companies in Detroit rose from 1,298 in 2018 to 1,719 in 2023, up 32%, ahead of the 13% national rise. Headcount at those firms went up 6%, to about 10,711 people. Average annual pay there went from $40,102 to $53,222 (+33%), in step with the 31% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaping companies: business locations | 1,298 | 1,719 | +32% |
| Landscaping companies: employment | 10,142 | 10,711 | +6% |
| Landscaping companies: average annual pay | $40,102 | $53,222 | +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
Detroit runs 11% 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 Detroit's commercial irrigation market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Detroit ranks 13th for headcount, 45th for median pay and 31st for concentration for landscaping and groundskeeping workers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit | 12,990 | $38,820 | 1.11 | 1,719 |
| Grand Rapids | 4,590 | $37,470 | 1.25 | 394 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial irrigation employers in Detroit, 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, Detroit metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Commercial Irrigation licensing in Michigan.
Michigan has no dedicated irrigation contractor license. LARA licenses plumbing contractors and master plumbers, and separately licenses residential builders and maintenance and alteration contractors, whose listed trades run from carpentry and concrete through roofing and swimming pools but do not include irrigation. The enforceable credential for commercial irrigation crews is backflow: Part 14 of the Safe Drinking Water Act administrative rules prohibits cross connections and requires every water supply to run a cross-connection prevention program, and EGLE requires testable backflow preventers to be tested by a professional holding ASSE 5110 certification. When hiring, confirm a current ASSE 5110 card and a state plumbing license for anyone making potable water connections. The same state rules apply in Grand Rapids, so candidates licensed there can work in Detroit without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (cross-connection control and backflow tester credential); Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Construction Codes. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Detroit talent.
The closest metro we cover is Cleveland, about 90 miles away, with roughly 6,910 landscaping and groundskeeping workers (0.5 times Detroit's 12,990). Pay is close across the region: medians run from $37,470 in Grand Rapids to $39,100 in Columbus, against $38,820 here. Detroit 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit | – | 12,990 | $38,820 |
| Cleveland | 90 mi | 6,910 | $38,230 |
| Akron | 117 mi | 2,250 | $37,610 |
| Grand Rapids | 140 mi | 4,590 | $37,470 |
| Columbus | 164 mi | 6,820 | $39,100 |
| Dayton | 187 mi | 2,080 | $37,880 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Detroit crews.
Not commercial irrigation work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Detroit in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Hudson's Detroit tower + District Detroit~$2.9B combined ($1.4B Hudson's Detroit + $1.5B District Detroit - two separate developers' projects)Phased through 2027
Downtown revival anchor - tallest building in Michigan plus a multi-block mixed-use district. High-rise MEP, curtain wall, and cold-climate envelope work.
- Ford Michigan Central Station district$950M+Ongoing
Restored rail depot now an innovation/mobility campus. Adaptive-reuse and new-build commercial construction with high-spec finishes and advanced systems.
- GM Factory ZERO EV plant (Detroit-Hamtramck)~$2.2BRolling through 2030
Auto-manufacturing conversion to EV is driving enormous high-voltage electrical, process piping, and industrial MEP demand. Note: Ford's BlueOval Battery Park is in Marshall, MI (Battle Creek metro, ~100 mi away), not Detroit - it is not counted in this figure.
Showing 3 of 6 projects tracked in this metro. The Detroit market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for commercial irrigation, and what kills offers in Detroit.
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 Detroit.
What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in Detroit?
BLS puts the Detroit median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers at $38,820 a year, about the same as the $39,150 national median. That ranks 49th of 112 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Most of the market sits between $30,730 and $52,870, a 1.7x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. No other Michigan metro we cover pays more for this work (Grand Rapids: $37,470).
Is it hard to hire landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Detroit?
It is about average. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers are as common in Detroit as they are nationally (location quotient 1.11), with about 12,990 in the metro. The 1,719 landscaping companies here average about 6.2 employees per location, mostly small shops, so candidates often know every employer in town by name. With 32% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial irrigation roles pay the most in Detroit?
Of the roles we recruit for, Irrigation Project Manager pays the most in Detroit, a $109,890 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Backflow Prevention Specialist at $86,370, 21% below it. Irrigation Technician / Installer is the lowest-paid field role at $38,820. Relative to national pay, Backflow Prevention Specialist is the strongest-paying role here (35% above). Irrigation Project Manager trails national pay the most (4% below).
How many landscaping companies operate in Detroit?
BLS counted 1,719 landscaping companies in Detroit in 2023, employing about 10,711 people between them. Up from 1,298 in 2018, a 32% increase against 13% growth nationally. That averages 6.2 people per location, so most are small shops. They pay an average of $53,222, 10% above the $48,279 national average for the same kind of employer. BLS counts irrigation contractors under landscaping companies.
Which nearby metros compete with Detroit for landscaping and groundskeeping workers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Cleveland (90 miles, about 6,910, $38,230 median), Akron (117 miles, about 2,250, $37,610 median) and Grand Rapids (140 miles, about 4,590, $37,470 median).
The seat is open. The pipeline should not be.
1,719 landscaping companies in Detroit are drawing on the same 12,990 landscaping and groundskeeping workers. Let's get your next hire lined up first.
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