Commercial Irrigation recruiters serving Louisville.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers are scarcer in Louisville than in most of the country, 25% fewer per job, so the roughly 3,130 who work here are rarely short of offers. BLS counts 530 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 Louisville.
BLS counts about 6,380 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Louisville metro, the largest group being landscaping and groundskeeping workers (about 3,130). Relative to the size of the local economy, landscaping and groundskeeping workers are far less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.75). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Irrigation hub.
Irrigation Technician / Installer
Louisville: 3,130 employed · $37,820 median, 66th-highest of 112 metros
Certified Irrigation Technician (CIT)
Irrigation System Designer
Louisville: 60 employed · $75,870 median, 57th-highest of 78 metros
Backflow Prevention Specialist
Louisville: 2,780 employed · $74,680 median, 25th-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Service / Repair Technician
Irrigation Foreman / Crew Lead
Louisville: 410 employed · $60,490 median, 31st-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Project Manager
Louisville: 970 employed · $101,780 median, 93rd-highest of 111 metros
Irrigation Estimator
Louisville: 810 employed · $77,000 median, 66th-highest of 111 metros
Smart / Controller Systems Technician
Landscape Water Management Auditor
What Commercial Irrigation roles earn in Louisville.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Louisville earn a median $37,820, 3% under the $39,150 national figure, and 66th of 112 metros. Pay runs $28,880 at the tenth percentile to $51,920 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is landscape architects, at $75,870 against $79,870 nationally.
| Role | Louisville 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) | $37,820 | $28,880–$51,920 | $39,150 | −3% | 3,130 |
| Irrigation System DesignerLandscape Architects (17-1012) | $75,870 | $44,800–$112,970 | $79,870 | −5% | 60 |
| Backflow Prevention SpecialistPlumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (47-2152) | $74,680 | $48,250–$94,920 | $63,800 | +17% | 2,780 |
| Irrigation Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers (37-1012) | $60,490 | $45,370–$76,790 | $58,430 | +4% | 410 |
| Irrigation Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $101,780 | $57,030–$199,460 | $114,990 | −11% | 970 |
| Irrigation EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $77,000 | $49,920–$123,380 | $78,740 | −2% | 810 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Louisville 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 Louisville's commercial irrigation market has changed since 2018.
The number of landscaping companies in Louisville rose from 463 in 2018 to 530 in 2023, up 14%, close to the 13% national change. Headcount at those firms went up 11%, to about 2,918 people. Average annual pay there went from $35,049 to $45,400 (+30%), in step with the 31% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaping companies: business locations | 463 | 530 | +14% |
| Landscaping companies: employment | 2,621 | 2,918 | +11% |
| Landscaping companies: average annual pay | $35,049 | $45,400 | +30% |
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
Louisville runs 25% fewer commercial irrigation workers per job than the country as a whole — well below the national concentration. Fewer per job means the people you want are already working, and usually for someone who would rather keep 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 Louisville's commercial irrigation market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Louisville ranks 52nd for headcount, 60th for median pay and 94th for concentration for landscaping and groundskeeping workers. That makes it one of the thinnest commercial irrigation labor markets we recruit in.
What this means for hiring:For commercial irrigation employers in Louisville, the local pool is thin but growing. Expect a mix of local candidates and people recruited in from nearby metros, and budget for relocation on senior roles.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Louisville metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Commercial Irrigation licensing in Kentucky.
Kentucky does not have a standalone irrigation contractor license, but it regulates irrigation installation directly through the state Division of Plumbing. A new plumbing construction permit must be pulled through the state portal or a county plumbing inspector, the installation is inspected by the state, and the Division's irrigation and backflow inspection checklist requires a journeyman plumber license number and signature, so this is plumber-licensed work rather than unlicensed landscape work. Backflow protection is mandatory under the state plumbing code at 815 KAR 20:120, and 401 KAR 8:020 prohibits cross connections on public water systems, though Kentucky does not name a statewide tester certification in those rules. Verify the Division of Plumbing license, the permit history, and whatever tester credential the serving water utility requires. The Louisville metro crosses a state line, so check the rules in the neighboring state too for crews that work on both sides.
Licensing authority: Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction, Division of Plumbing. Confirm current rules with the agency.
We have not closed a commercial irrigation search in Louisville 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 Louisville than imply a record in this trade that we do not have yet.
- Journeyman HVAC Service TechnicianA technician who ran his own HVAC company for six years, bringing owner-level judgment to every service call.
Nearby markets competing for Louisville talent.
The closest metro we cover is Cincinnati, about 90 miles away, with roughly 6,610 landscaping and groundskeeping workers (2.1 times Louisville's 3,130). Pay is close across the region: medians run from $36,040 in Knoxville to $38,600 in Cincinnati, against $37,820 here. Indianapolis has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisville | – | 3,130 | $37,820 |
| Cincinnati | 90 mi | 6,610 | $38,600 |
| Indianapolis | 107 mi | 6,980 | $38,180 |
| Dayton | 134 mi | 2,080 | $37,880 |
| Nashville | 155 mi | 6,270 | $37,910 |
| Knoxville | 188 mi | 3,020 | $36,040 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Louisville crews.
Not commercial irrigation work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Louisville in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- UPS Worldport expansion and modernization$750M–$1.5BMulti-year, ongoing
Expansion of sort and cargo facilities, new and reconfigured cargo buildings, ramp and aircraft parking expansions, and automation upgrades to support higher nightly package throughput at the world's largest package-handling facility.
- SDF Next Program (Louisville airport)$1B by 2030$335M+ invested through 2024; $280M+ more through 2026
A comprehensive capital improvement program at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, running concurrently with and adjacent to UPS's own Worldport buildout.
- UPS 747-8 hangar$220MOpened 2024, ongoing related work
A 275,000 sq ft hangar that can house two Boeing 747-8 cargo jets side by side - large-span structural and specialized aviation-facility construction.
Showing 3 of 4 projects tracked in this metro. The Louisville market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for commercial irrigation, and what kills offers in Louisville.
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 Louisville.
What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in Louisville?
BLS puts the Louisville median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers at $37,820 a year, 3% below the $39,150 national median. That ranks 66th of 112 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Most of the market sits between $28,880 and $51,920, a 1.8x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience.
Is it hard to hire landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Louisville?
Yes. Louisville has 25% fewer landscaping and groundskeeping workers per job than the country as a whole, roughly 3,130 in the metro, so most of the people worth hiring are already employed. The 530 landscaping companies here average about 5.5 employees per location, mostly small shops, so candidates often know every employer in town by name. With 14% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial irrigation roles pay the most in Louisville?
Of the roles we recruit for, Irrigation Project Manager pays the most in Louisville, a $101,780 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Irrigation System Designer at $75,870, 25% below it. Irrigation Technician / Installer is the lowest-paid field role at $37,820. Relative to national pay, Backflow Prevention Specialist is the strongest-paying role here (17% above). Irrigation Project Manager trails national pay the most (11% below).
How many landscaping companies operate in Louisville?
BLS counted 530 landscaping companies in Louisville in 2023, employing about 2,918 people between them. Up from 463 in 2018, a 14% increase against 13% growth nationally. That averages 5.5 people per location, so most are small shops. They pay an average of $45,400, 6% below the $48,279 national average for the same kind of employer. BLS counts irrigation contractors under landscaping companies.
Which nearby metros compete with Louisville for landscaping and groundskeeping workers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Cincinnati (90 miles, about 6,610, $38,600 median), Indianapolis (107 miles, about 6,980, $38,180 median) and Dayton (134 miles, about 2,080, $37,880 median). Cincinnati has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move.
Thin market. Short list anyway.
With landscaping and groundskeeping workers this scarce in Louisville, an open seat rarely fills from a job posting. Let's line up the people before the next one opens.
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