Commercial Irrigation recruiters serving Madison.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Madison earn a $44,440 median, 14% above the national figure, and about 2,330 of them work in the metro. BLS counts 293 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 Madison.
BLS counts about 4,420 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Madison metro, the largest group being landscaping and groundskeeping workers (about 2,330). Relative to the size of the local economy, landscaping and groundskeeping workers are less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.93). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Irrigation hub.
Irrigation Technician / Installer
Madison: 2,330 employed · $44,440 median, 25th-highest of 112 metros
Certified Irrigation Technician (CIT)
Irrigation System Designer
Madison: 130 employed · $82,870 median, 28th-highest of 78 metros
Backflow Prevention Specialist
Madison: 1,590 employed · $85,160 median, 8th-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Service / Repair Technician
Irrigation Foreman / Crew Lead
Madison: 370 employed · $70,740 median, 7th-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Project Manager
Madison: 860 employed · $119,840 median, 37th-highest of 111 metros
Irrigation Estimator
Madison: 720 employed · $73,420 median, 85th-highest of 111 metros
Smart / Controller Systems Technician
Landscape Water Management Auditor
What Commercial Irrigation roles earn in Madison.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Madison earn a median $44,440, 14% over the $39,150 national figure, and 25th of 112 metros. Pay runs $31,430 at the tenth percentile to $59,920 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters, at $85,160 against $63,800 nationally.
| Role | Madison 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) | $44,440 | $31,430–$59,920 | $39,150 | +14% | 2,330 |
| Irrigation System DesignerLandscape Architects (17-1012) | $82,870 | $58,240–$125,790 | $79,870 | +4% | 130 |
| Backflow Prevention SpecialistPlumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (47-2152) | $85,160 | $48,310–$123,270 | $63,800 | +33% | 1,590 |
| Irrigation Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers (37-1012) | $70,740 | $56,780–$89,530 | $58,430 | +21% | 370 |
| Irrigation Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $119,840 | $77,540–$174,130 | $114,990 | +4% | 860 |
| Irrigation EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $73,420 | $55,710–$109,260 | $78,740 | −7% | 720 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Madison 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 Madison's commercial irrigation market has changed since 2018.
The number of landscaping companies in Madison rose from 273 in 2018 to 293 in 2023, up 7%, behind the 13% growth nationally. Headcount at those firms went up 5%, to about 2,380 people. Average annual pay there went from $35,766 to $45,972 (+29%), in step with the 31% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaping companies: business locations | 273 | 293 | +7% |
| Landscaping companies: employment | 2,268 | 2,380 | +5% |
| Landscaping companies: average annual pay | $35,766 | $45,972 | +29% |
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
Madison runs 7% fewer commercial irrigation workers per job than the country as a whole — 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 Madison's commercial irrigation market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Madison ranks 67th for headcount, 22nd for median pay and 59th for concentration for landscaping and groundskeeping workers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee | 5,020 | $44,440 | 1.00 | 632 |
| Madison | 2,330 | $44,440 | 0.93 | 293 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial irrigation employers in Madison, 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, Madison metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Commercial Irrigation licensing in Wisconsin.
In Wisconsin, only a DSPS-registered Cross Connection Control Assembly Tester may perform the performance tests on cross-connection control assemblies that state code requires. The same state rules apply in Milwaukee, so candidates licensed there can work in Madison without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Madison talent.
The closest metro we cover is Milwaukee, about 75 miles away, with roughly 5,020 landscaping and groundskeeping workers (2.2 times Madison's 2,330). Minneapolis pays the most nearby, a $47,160 median, 6% above Madison. That is the number any Madison 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madison | – | 2,330 | $44,440 |
| Milwaukee | 76 mi | 5,020 | $44,440 |
| Chicago | 123 mi | 25,160 | $45,280 |
| Grand Rapids | 189 mi | 4,590 | $37,470 |
| Minneapolis | 233 mi | 11,820 | $47,160 |
| Des Moines | 238 mi | 2,230 | $45,180 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Madison crews.
Not commercial irrigation work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Madison in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Epic Systems sixth campus ("Other Worlds")$13.2M water/sewer + $20M road work reimbursements (public infrastructure support)First buildings occupied early 2026
A "Black Hole" parking structure with 2,000+ stalls, three new office buildings, a food services building, and a 5.5-acre underground parking ramp on part of Epic's ~1,700-acre Verona campus.
- UW Health University Hospital addition$177MConcluding late 2026
A six-story addition with 22 emergency department rooms, 22 flexible care beds, 48 inpatient rooms, and a dedicated trauma/life support center.
- UW Health East Madison Hospital addition$133MFinishing end of 2026
A one-story addition adding 6 operating rooms, 14 inpatient beds, and 60 post-surgery care spaces.
These are the 3 projects we track in Madison. The Madison market page covers hiring conditions across every trade here.
What credentials matter for commercial irrigation, and what kills offers in Madison.
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 Madison.
What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in Madison?
BLS puts the Madison median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers at $44,440 a year, 14% above the $39,150 national median. That ranks 25th of 112 metros with published figures, in the top quarter. Most of the market sits between $31,430 and $59,920, a 1.9x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. No other Wisconsin metro we cover pays more for this work (Milwaukee: $44,440).
Is it hard to hire landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Madison?
It is about average. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers are as common in Madison as they are nationally (location quotient 0.93), with about 2,330 in the metro. The 293 landscaping companies here average about 8.1 employees per location.
Which commercial irrigation roles pay the most in Madison?
Of the roles we recruit for, Irrigation Project Manager pays the most in Madison, a $119,840 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Backflow Prevention Specialist at $85,160, 29% below it. Irrigation Technician / Installer is the lowest-paid field role at $44,440. Relative to national pay, Backflow Prevention Specialist is the strongest-paying role here (33% above). Irrigation Estimator trails national pay the most (7% below).
How many landscaping companies operate in Madison?
BLS counted 293 landscaping companies in Madison in 2023, employing about 2,380 people between them. Up from 273 in 2018, a 7% increase against 13% growth nationally. That averages 8.1 people per location. They pay an average of $45,972, 5% below the $48,279 national average for the same kind of employer. BLS counts irrigation contractors under landscaping companies.
Which nearby metros compete with Madison for landscaping and groundskeeping workers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Milwaukee (76 miles, about 5,020, $44,440 median), Chicago (123 miles, about 25,160, $45,280 median) and Grand Rapids (189 miles, about 4,590, $37,470 median). Milwaukee has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Madison out-pays Grand Rapids, an advantage when recruiting from there.
The seat is open. The pipeline should not be.
293 landscaping companies in Madison are drawing on the same 2,330 landscaping and groundskeeping workers. Let's get your next hire lined up first.
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