Commercial Irrigation recruiters serving Jacksonville.
Jacksonville has 31% more landscaping and groundskeeping workers per job than the country as a whole, about 6,140 in the metro. BLS counts 876 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 Jacksonville.
BLS counts about 9,300 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Jacksonville metro, the largest group being landscaping and groundskeeping workers (about 6,140). Relative to the size of the local economy, landscaping and groundskeeping workers are far more concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 1.31). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Irrigation hub.
Irrigation Technician / Installer
Jacksonville: 6,140 employed · $37,320 median, 77th-highest of 112 metros
Certified Irrigation Technician (CIT)
Irrigation System Designer
Jacksonville: 70 employed · $80,610 median, 36th-highest of 78 metros
Backflow Prevention Specialist
Jacksonville: 2,380 employed · $58,920 median, 81st-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Service / Repair Technician
Irrigation Foreman / Crew Lead
Jacksonville: 710 employed · $57,440 median, 58th-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Project Manager
Jacksonville: 2,720 employed · $107,200 median, 65th-highest of 111 metros
Irrigation Estimator
Jacksonville: 1,160 employed · $69,090 median, 104th-highest of 111 metros
Smart / Controller Systems Technician
Landscape Water Management Auditor
What Commercial Irrigation roles earn in Jacksonville.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Jacksonville earn a median $37,320, 5% under the $39,150 national figure, and 77th of 112 metros. Pay runs $31,000 at the tenth percentile to $46,290 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is landscape architects, at $80,610 against $79,870 nationally.
| Role | Jacksonville 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) | $37,320 | $31,000–$46,290 | $39,150 | −5% | 6,140 |
| Irrigation System DesignerLandscape Architects (17-1012) | $80,610 | $56,460–$121,830 | $79,870 | +1% | 70 |
| Backflow Prevention SpecialistPlumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (47-2152) | $58,920 | $40,020–$75,310 | $63,800 | −8% | 2,380 |
| Irrigation Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers (37-1012) | $57,440 | $39,140–$88,560 | $58,430 | −2% | 710 |
| Irrigation Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $107,200 | $62,010–$199,910 | $114,990 | −7% | 2,720 |
| Irrigation EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $69,090 | $44,430–$122,480 | $78,740 | −12% | 1,160 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Jacksonville 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 Jacksonville's commercial irrigation market has changed since 2018.
The number of landscaping companies in Jacksonville rose from 753 in 2018 to 876 in 2023, up 16%, ahead of the 13% national rise. Headcount at those firms went up 24%, to about 6,185 people. Average annual pay there went from $31,907 to $43,702 (+37%), faster than the 31% national increase, a sign employers here have had to bid up.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaping companies: business locations | 753 | 876 | +16% |
| Landscaping companies: employment | 4,990 | 6,185 | +24% |
| Landscaping companies: average annual pay | $31,907 | $43,702 | +37% |
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
Jacksonville runs 31% 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 Jacksonville's commercial irrigation market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Jacksonville ranks 35th for headcount, 71st for median pay and 13th for concentration for landscaping and groundskeeping workers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami | 21,170 | $37,430 | 1.23 | 2,385 |
| Orlando | 11,430 | $36,310 | 1.32 | 1,303 |
| Tampa | 9,860 | $37,210 | 1.11 | 1,546 |
| Jacksonville | 6,140 | $37,320 | 1.31 | 876 |
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers | 5,080 | $36,790 | 2.72 | 624 |
| North Port-Sarasota | 4,740 | $37,200 | 2.27 | 740 |
| Deltona-Daytona | 2,610 | $36,600 | 1.94 | 462 |
| Lakeland | 2,450 | $35,490 | 1.51 | 345 |
| Port St. Lucie | 2,330 | $36,480 | 2.23 | 363 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne | 1,870 | $36,570 | 1.24 | 368 |
| Pensacola | 1,220 | $36,160 | 1.05 | 220 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial irrigation employers in Jacksonville, 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, Jacksonville metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Commercial Irrigation licensing in Florida.
Florida offers a voluntary state-certified irrigation specialty contractor license. It is an alternative to a local irrigation certificate of competency or a full plumbing license, and it does not create a mandatory statewide requirement. The same state rules apply in Miami, Tampa, Orlando, North Port-Sarasota, Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Lakeland, Deltona-Daytona, Palm Bay-Melbourne, Port St. Lucie and Pensacola, so candidates licensed there can work in Jacksonville without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Construction Industry Licensing Board. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Jacksonville talent.
The closest metro we cover is Deltona-Daytona, about 100 miles away, with roughly 2,610 landscaping and groundskeeping workers (0.4 times Jacksonville's 6,140). Jacksonville pays more than every metro we cover within reach ($37,320 median), which helps when recruiting people in from Lakeland at $35,490. Orlando has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jacksonville | – | 6,140 | $37,320 |
| Deltona-Daytona | 102 mi | 2,610 | $36,600 |
| Orlando | 125 mi | 11,430 | $36,310 |
| Lakeland | 159 mi | 2,450 | $35,490 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne | 171 mi | 1,870 | $36,570 |
| Tampa | 172 mi | 9,860 | $37,210 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Jacksonville crews.
Not commercial irrigation work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Jacksonville in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- JAXPORT 47-foot harbor deepening$420MCompleted May 2022
A completed, historical example of the heavy civil and marine construction capacity this port delivers, not an active current driver.
- JEA power-line raise / air-draft clearance project~$117MOn track for completion end of 2026
Raises the operational air-draft clearance to 205 feet, allowing larger vessels to call at the already-deepened harbor. Heavy civil and power-infrastructure demand.
- JAXPORT Berth 21$60M50% complete, on track for early 2027
New vehicle-import berth capacity. Marine construction, heavy civil, and materials-handling electrical work tied directly to the port's freight-handling expansion.
Showing 3 of 5 projects tracked in this metro. The Jacksonville market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for commercial irrigation, and what kills offers in Jacksonville.
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 Jacksonville.
What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in Jacksonville?
BLS puts the Jacksonville median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers at $37,320 a year, 5% below the $39,150 national median. That ranks 77th of 112 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Pay is bunched together here, $31,000 to $46,290 across the 10th to 90th percentile and only a 1.5x gap, so small differences in an offer are noticed. No other Florida metro we cover pays more for this work.
Is it hard to hire landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Jacksonville?
Not by national standards. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers make up 31% more of the Jacksonville workforce than they do nationally, about 6,140 people. The 876 landscaping companies here average about 7.1 employees per location, mostly small shops, so candidates often know every employer in town by name. With 16% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial irrigation roles pay the most in Jacksonville?
Of the roles we recruit for, Irrigation Project Manager pays the most in Jacksonville, a $107,200 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Irrigation System Designer at $80,610, 25% below it. Irrigation Technician / Installer is the lowest-paid field role at $37,320. Irrigation Estimator trails national pay the most (12% below).
How many landscaping companies operate in Jacksonville?
BLS counted 876 landscaping companies in Jacksonville in 2023, employing about 6,185 people between them. Up from 753 in 2018, a 16% increase against 13% growth nationally. That averages 7.1 people per location, so most are small shops. They pay an average of $43,702, 9% below the $48,279 national average for the same kind of employer. BLS counts irrigation contractors under landscaping companies.
Which nearby metros compete with Jacksonville for landscaping and groundskeeping workers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Deltona-Daytona (102 miles, about 2,610, $36,600 median), Orlando (125 miles, about 11,430, $36,310 median) and Lakeland (159 miles, about 2,450, $35,490 median). Orlando has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move.
Plenty of people. Few of them looking.
Jacksonville 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.
Schedule a Discovery Call →