Commercial Irrigation recruiters serving Kansas City.
About 6,660 landscaping and groundskeeping workers work in the Kansas City metro, at a $41,450 median. BLS counts 804 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 Kansas City.
BLS counts about 11,250 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Kansas City metro, the largest group being landscaping and groundskeeping workers (about 6,660). Relative to the size of the local economy, landscaping and groundskeeping workers are about as concentrated here as nationally (location quotient 0.99). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Irrigation hub.
Irrigation Technician / Installer
Kansas City: 6,660 employed · $41,450 median, 36th-highest of 112 metros
Certified Irrigation Technician (CIT)
Irrigation System Designer
Kansas City: 130 employed · $79,640 median, 40th-highest of 78 metros
Backflow Prevention Specialist
Kansas City: 3,740 employed · $76,150 median, 22nd-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Service / Repair Technician
Irrigation Foreman / Crew Lead
Kansas City: 720 employed · $60,420 median, 34th-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Project Manager
Kansas City: 2,180 employed · $121,790 median, 31st-highest of 111 metros
Irrigation Estimator
Kansas City: 2,290 employed · $78,940 median, 46th-highest of 111 metros
Smart / Controller Systems Technician
Landscape Water Management Auditor
What Commercial Irrigation roles earn in Kansas City.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Kansas City earn a median $41,450, 6% over the $39,150 national figure, and 36th of 112 metros. Pay runs $34,050 at the tenth percentile to $50,460 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is landscape architects, at $79,640 against $79,870 nationally.
| Role | Kansas City 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) | $41,450 | $34,050–$50,460 | $39,150 | +6% | 6,660 |
| Irrigation System DesignerLandscape Architects (17-1012) | $79,640 | $51,990–$114,670 | $79,870 | 0% | 130 |
| Backflow Prevention SpecialistPlumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (47-2152) | $76,150 | $46,800–$122,820 | $63,800 | +19% | 3,740 |
| Irrigation Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers (37-1012) | $60,420 | $39,780–$79,250 | $58,430 | +3% | 720 |
| Irrigation Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $121,790 | $80,090–$173,800 | $114,990 | +6% | 2,180 |
| Irrigation EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $78,940 | $47,660–$130,360 | $78,740 | 0% | 2,290 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Kansas City 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 Kansas City's commercial irrigation market has changed since 2018.
The number of landscaping companies in Kansas City rose from 748 in 2018 to 804 in 2023, up 7%, behind the 13% growth nationally. Headcount at those firms went up 20%, to about 6,852 people. Average annual pay there went from $36,550 to $49,572 (+36%), faster than the 31% national increase, a sign employers here have had to bid up.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaping companies: business locations | 748 | 804 | +7% |
| Landscaping companies: employment | 5,717 | 6,852 | +20% |
| Landscaping companies: average annual pay | $36,550 | $49,572 | +36% |
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
Kansas City sits at about the national rate for commercial irrigation — neither unusually deep nor unusually thin.
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 Kansas City's commercial irrigation market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Kansas City ranks 31st for headcount, 32nd for median pay and 51st for concentration for landscaping and groundskeeping workers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis | 9,600 | $39,040 | 1.17 | 1,090 |
| Kansas City | 6,660 | $41,450 | 0.99 | 804 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial irrigation employers in Kansas City, 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, Kansas City metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Commercial Irrigation licensing in Missouri.
Missouri requires backflow prevention assemblies to be tested by certified testers. The certification itself comes from ABPA or ASSE after a written and hands-on exam, not from the state. The same state rules apply in St. Louis, so candidates licensed there can work in Kansas City without re-qualifying. The Kansas City metro crosses a state line, so check the rules in the neighboring state too for crews that work on both sides.
Licensing authority: Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Confirm current rules with the agency.
We have not closed a commercial irrigation search in Kansas City 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 Kansas City than imply a record in this trade that we do not have yet.
- Commercial HVAC Service TechnicianA technician who has run his own HVAC business - customer instincts on top of the wrench work.
Nearby markets competing for Kansas City talent.
The closest metro we cover is Omaha, about 165 miles away, with roughly 3,870 landscaping and groundskeeping workers (0.6 times Kansas City's 6,660). Omaha pays the most nearby, a $45,970 median, 11% above Kansas City. That is the number any Kansas City offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas City | – | 6,660 | $41,450 |
| Omaha | 165 mi | 3,870 | $45,970 |
| Wichita | 178 mi | 1,760 | $38,260 |
| Des Moines | 180 mi | 2,230 | $45,180 |
| Tulsa | 218 mi | 2,360 | $36,780 |
| St. Louis | 238 mi | 9,600 | $39,040 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Kansas City crews.
Not commercial irrigation work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Kansas City in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- De Soto data center campus$3.1BUnder construction
A hyperscale campus adjacent to the Panasonic plant off 103rd Street and Edgerton Road near K-10. Power-systems electricians, mission-critical mechanical, and controls technicians - the same profiles the battery plant needs, competing head to head.
- Domed stadium program, KansasMulti-billion, agreement announced December 2025Design and preconstruction
A large-venue program on the Kansas side. Still early, but it will draw large-venue superintendents and specialty systems crews into a market that does not carry deep bench strength in that profile.
- KC Streetcar and regional transit expansionFederal + local fundedPhased through 2028
Extension work through the urban core. Systems electrical, trackwork, and utility relocation in a live downtown - sequencing-heavy work that rewards experienced field leadership.
Showing 3 of 6 projects tracked in this metro. The Kansas City market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for commercial irrigation, and what kills offers in Kansas City.
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 Kansas City.
What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in Kansas City?
BLS puts the Kansas City median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers at $41,450 a year, 6% above the $39,150 national median. That ranks 36th of 112 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Pay is bunched together here, $34,050 to $50,460 across the 10th to 90th percentile and only a 1.5x gap, so small differences in an offer are noticed. No other Missouri metro we cover pays more for this work (St. Louis: $39,040).
Is it hard to hire landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Kansas City?
It is about average. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers are as common in Kansas City as they are nationally (location quotient 0.99), with about 6,660 in the metro. The 804 landscaping companies here average about 8.5 employees per location.
Which commercial irrigation roles pay the most in Kansas City?
Of the roles we recruit for, Irrigation Project Manager pays the most in Kansas City, a $121,790 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Irrigation System Designer at $79,640, 35% below it. Irrigation Technician / Installer is the lowest-paid field role at $41,450. Relative to national pay, Backflow Prevention Specialist is the strongest-paying role here (19% above).
How many landscaping companies operate in Kansas City?
BLS counted 804 landscaping companies in Kansas City in 2023, employing about 6,852 people between them. Up from 748 in 2018, a 7% increase against 13% growth nationally. That averages 8.5 people per location. They pay about the national average of $48,279. BLS counts irrigation contractors under landscaping companies.
Which nearby metros compete with Kansas City for landscaping and groundskeeping workers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Omaha (165 miles, about 3,870, $45,970 median), Wichita (178 miles, about 1,760, $38,260 median) and Des Moines (180 miles, about 2,230, $45,180 median). Omaha pays 11% more, which is where Kansas City employers tend to lose people.
The seat is open. The pipeline should not be.
804 landscaping companies in Kansas City are drawing on the same 6,660 landscaping and groundskeeping workers. Let's get your next hire lined up first.
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