Commercial Irrigation recruiters serving Grand Rapids.
Grand Rapids has 25% more landscaping and groundskeeping workers per job than the country as a whole, about 4,590 in the metro. BLS counts 394 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 Grand Rapids.
BLS counts about 7,540 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Grand Rapids metro, the largest group being landscaping and groundskeeping workers (about 4,590). Relative to the size of the local economy, landscaping and groundskeeping workers are far more concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 1.25). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Irrigation hub.
Irrigation Technician / Installer
Grand Rapids: 4,590 employed · $37,470 median, 73rd-highest of 112 metros
Certified Irrigation Technician (CIT)
Irrigation System Designer
Grand Rapids: 110 employed · $77,670 median, 47th-highest of 78 metros
Backflow Prevention Specialist
Grand Rapids: 2,270 employed · $80,440 median, 12th-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Service / Repair Technician
Irrigation Foreman / Crew Lead
Grand Rapids: 570 employed · $58,240 median, 55th-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Project Manager
Grand Rapids: 1,290 employed · $102,370 median, 88th-highest of 111 metros
Irrigation Estimator
Grand Rapids: 1,100 employed · $76,030 median, 74th-highest of 111 metros
Smart / Controller Systems Technician
Landscape Water Management Auditor
What Commercial Irrigation roles earn in Grand Rapids.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Grand Rapids earn a median $37,470, 4% under the $39,150 national figure, and 73rd of 112 metros. Pay runs $29,960 at the tenth percentile to $49,780 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters, at $80,440 against $63,800 nationally.
| Role | Grand Rapids 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) | $37,470 | $29,960–$49,780 | $39,150 | −4% | 4,590 |
| Irrigation System DesignerLandscape Architects (17-1012) | $77,670 | $49,190–$104,210 | $79,870 | −3% | 110 |
| Backflow Prevention SpecialistPlumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (47-2152) | $80,440 | $46,630–$98,210 | $63,800 | +26% | 2,270 |
| Irrigation Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers (37-1012) | $58,240 | $39,130–$77,280 | $58,430 | 0% | 570 |
| Irrigation Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $102,370 | $61,910–$167,650 | $114,990 | −11% | 1,290 |
| Irrigation EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $76,030 | $49,790–$117,320 | $78,740 | −3% | 1,100 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Grand Rapids 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 Grand Rapids's commercial irrigation market has changed since 2018.
The number of landscaping companies in Grand Rapids rose from 316 in 2018 to 394 in 2023, up 25%, ahead of the 13% national rise.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaping companies: business locations | 316 | 394 | +25% |
| Landscaping companies: employment | – | 3,926 | – |
| Landscaping companies: average annual pay | – | $48,660 | – |
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
Grand Rapids runs 25% more commercial irrigation workers per job than the country as a whole — well 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 Grand Rapids's commercial irrigation market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Grand Rapids ranks 44th for headcount, 67th for median pay and 16th 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 Grand Rapids, 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, Grand Rapids 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 Detroit, so candidates licensed there can work in Grand Rapids 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 Grand Rapids talent.
The closest metro we cover is Milwaukee, about 115 miles away, with roughly 5,020 landscaping and groundskeeping workers (1.1 times Grand Rapids's 4,590). Chicago pays the most nearby, a $45,280 median, 21% above Grand Rapids. That is the number any Grand Rapids offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Chicago has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Rapids | – | 4,590 | $37,470 |
| Milwaukee | 113 mi | 5,020 | $44,440 |
| Chicago | 127 mi | 25,160 | $45,280 |
| Detroit | 140 mi | 12,990 | $38,820 |
| Madison | 189 mi | 2,330 | $44,440 |
| Indianapolis | 222 mi | 6,980 | $38,180 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Grand Rapids crews.
Not commercial irrigation work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Grand Rapids in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- JR Automation headquarters (Zeeland)UndisclosedBroke ground September 2025
A single-campus manufacturing and production headquarters for the lakeshore automation manufacturer, with plans to more than double manufacturing space if market conditions allow - industrial construction outside the Medical Mile corridor.
- Joan Secchia Children's Rehabilitation Hospital$60MOpening fall 2026
A pediatric rehabilitation hospital built across the street from Mary Free Bed, connected by a pedestrian walkway - adds another hospital-grade construction project to the Medical Mile corridor.
- Corewell Health Butterworth Hospital addition$1.34BConstruction starting summer 2027, complete 2030
780,000 sq ft and 180 rooms added to Butterworth Hospital. Hospital-grade mechanical, medical gas plumbing, and ICRA-compliant construction at the anchor of Grand Rapids' "Medical Mile."
Showing 3 of 4 projects tracked in this metro. The Grand Rapids market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for commercial irrigation, and what kills offers in Grand Rapids.
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 Grand Rapids.
What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in Grand Rapids?
BLS puts the Grand Rapids median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers at $37,470 a year, 4% below the $39,150 national median. That ranks 73rd of 112 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Most of the market sits between $29,960 and $49,780, a 1.7x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. Within Michigan, Detroit pays more, at $38,820.
Is it hard to hire landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Grand Rapids?
Not by national standards. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers make up 25% more of the Grand Rapids workforce than they do nationally, about 4,590 people. The 394 landscaping companies here average about 10.0 employees per location. With 25% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial irrigation roles pay the most in Grand Rapids?
Of the roles we recruit for, Irrigation Project Manager pays the most in Grand Rapids, a $102,370 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Backflow Prevention Specialist at $80,440, 21% below it. Irrigation Technician / Installer is the lowest-paid field role at $37,470. Relative to national pay, Backflow Prevention Specialist is the strongest-paying role here (26% above). Irrigation Project Manager trails national pay the most (11% below).
How many landscaping companies operate in Grand Rapids?
BLS counted 394 landscaping companies in Grand Rapids in 2023, employing about 3,926 people between them. Up from 316 in 2018, a 25% increase against 13% growth nationally. That averages 10.0 people per location. They pay about the national average of $48,279. BLS counts irrigation contractors under landscaping companies.
Which nearby metros compete with Grand Rapids for landscaping and groundskeeping workers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Milwaukee (113 miles, about 5,020, $44,440 median), Chicago (127 miles, about 25,160, $45,280 median) and Detroit (140 miles, about 12,990, $38,820 median). Chicago has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Milwaukee pays 19% more, which is where Grand Rapids employers tend to lose people.
Plenty of people. Few of them looking.
Grand Rapids has one of the deeper pools of landscaping and groundskeeping workers we cover, but the best of them are already working. Let's find the ones ready to move.
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