Commercial Irrigation recruiters serving Memphis.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers are scarcer in Memphis than in most of the country, 17% fewer per job, so the roughly 3,100 who work here are rarely short of offers. BLS counts 325 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 Memphis.
BLS counts about 5,440 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Memphis metro, the largest group being landscaping and groundskeeping workers (about 3,100). Relative to the size of the local economy, landscaping and groundskeeping workers are less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.83). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Irrigation hub.
Irrigation Technician / Installer
Memphis: 3,100 employed · $36,500 median, 94th-highest of 112 metros
Certified Irrigation Technician (CIT)
Irrigation System Designer
Memphis: 40 employed · $84,610 median, 21st-highest of 78 metros
Backflow Prevention Specialist
Memphis: 1,920 employed · $58,690 median, 83rd-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Service / Repair Technician
Irrigation Foreman / Crew Lead
Memphis: 380 employed · $54,330 median, 78th-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Project Manager
Memphis: 670 employed · $107,710 median, 63rd-highest of 111 metros
Irrigation Estimator
Memphis: 630 employed · $76,660 median, 70th-highest of 111 metros
Smart / Controller Systems Technician
Landscape Water Management Auditor
What Commercial Irrigation roles earn in Memphis.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Memphis earn a median $36,500, 7% under the $39,150 national figure, and 94th of 112 metros. Pay runs $30,120 at the tenth percentile to $46,820 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is landscape architects, at $84,610 against $79,870 nationally.
| Role | Memphis 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) | $36,500 | $30,120–$46,820 | $39,150 | −7% | 3,100 |
| Irrigation System DesignerLandscape Architects (17-1012) | $84,610 | $53,470–$110,380 | $79,870 | +6% | 40 |
| Backflow Prevention SpecialistPlumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (47-2152) | $58,690 | $37,530–$82,020 | $63,800 | −8% | 1,920 |
| Irrigation Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers (37-1012) | $54,330 | $36,020–$84,580 | $58,430 | −7% | 380 |
| Irrigation Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $107,710 | $65,750–$168,220 | $114,990 | −6% | 670 |
| Irrigation EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $76,660 | $50,160–$122,900 | $78,740 | −3% | 630 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Memphis 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 Memphis's commercial irrigation market has changed since 2018.
The number of landscaping companies in Memphis rose from 278 in 2018 to 325 in 2023, up 17%, ahead of the 13% national rise. Headcount at those firms went up 16%, to about 3,050 people. Average annual pay there went from $34,628 to $46,739 (+35%), faster than the 31% national increase, a sign employers here have had to bid up.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaping companies: business locations | 278 | 325 | +17% |
| Landscaping companies: employment | 2,622 | 3,050 | +16% |
| Landscaping companies: average annual pay | $34,628 | $46,739 | +35% |
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
Memphis runs 17% 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 Memphis's commercial irrigation market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Memphis ranks 53rd for headcount, 85th for median pay and 85th for concentration for landscaping and groundskeeping workers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville | 6,270 | $37,910 | 0.93 | 749 |
| Memphis | 3,100 | $36,500 | 0.83 | 325 |
| Knoxville | 3,020 | $36,040 | 1.16 | 352 |
| Chattanooga | 1,460 | $36,190 | 0.89 | 142 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial irrigation employers in Memphis, 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, Memphis metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Commercial Irrigation licensing in Tennessee.
Tennessee's contractor license classifications include BC-33 Irrigation. The Department of Environment and Conservation runs a state certification program for backflow prevention assembly testers through its Fleming Training Center. The same state rules apply in Nashville, Knoxville and Chattanooga, so candidates licensed there can work in Memphis without re-qualifying. The Memphis metro crosses a state line, so check the rules in the neighboring state too for crews that work on both sides.
Licensing authority: Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors (irrigation); Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (backflow). Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Memphis talent.
The closest metro we cover is Little Rock, about 130 miles away, with roughly 1,670 landscaping and groundskeeping workers (0.5 times Memphis's 3,100). St. Louis pays the most nearby, a $39,040 median, 7% above Memphis. That is the number any Memphis offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. St. Louis has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Memphis | – | 3,100 | $36,500 |
| Little Rock | 130 mi | 1,670 | $36,490 |
| Nashville | 196 mi | 6,270 | $37,910 |
| Huntsville | 198 mi | 1,550 | $37,510 |
| Birmingham | 217 mi | 2,880 | $36,600 |
| St. Louis | 240 mi | 9,600 | $39,040 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Memphis crews.
Not commercial irrigation work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Memphis in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- FedEx "Hercules" sorting facility$400MGroundwork permit filed Aug 2026
A 5-story, 1.6M sq ft automated small-package sorting facility at Memphis International Airport, connected by an elevated bridge to FedEx's recently completed Secondary 25 sorting center. First-phase groundwork includes site demolition, drainage, underground utilities, paving, and foundation work.
- FedEx Memphis World Hub overhaul~$1BMulti-year, phased
FedEx's broader modernization of its Memphis air-cargo hub, the largest in the world. Sustained materials-handling electrical, structural, and industrial mechanical demand across multiple concurrent projects.
- FedEx International Priority Freight Shipment Facility expansion$18.1M3-phase, completing summer 2028
A ~500,000 sq ft commercial addition to an existing freight canopy at the World Hub - smaller in scale than Hercules but adds to the steady drumbeat of FedEx-driven construction demand in this market.
These are the 3 projects we track in Memphis. The Memphis market page covers hiring conditions across every trade here.
What credentials matter for commercial irrigation, and what kills offers in Memphis.
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 Memphis.
What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in Memphis?
BLS puts the Memphis median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers at $36,500 a year, 7% below the $39,150 national median. That ranks 94th of 112 metros with published figures, in the bottom quarter. Pay is bunched together here, $30,120 to $46,820 across the 10th to 90th percentile and only a 1.6x gap, so small differences in an offer are noticed. Within Tennessee, Nashville pays more, at $37,910.
Is it hard to hire landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Memphis?
Yes. Memphis has 17% fewer landscaping and groundskeeping workers per job than the country as a whole, roughly 3,100 in the metro, so most of the people worth hiring are already employed. The 325 landscaping companies here average about 9.4 employees per location. With 17% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial irrigation roles pay the most in Memphis?
Of the roles we recruit for, Irrigation Project Manager pays the most in Memphis, a $107,710 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Irrigation System Designer at $84,610, 21% below it. Irrigation Technician / Installer is the lowest-paid field role at $36,500. Relative to national pay, Irrigation System Designer is the strongest-paying role here (6% above). Backflow Prevention Specialist trails national pay the most (8% below).
How many landscaping companies operate in Memphis?
BLS counted 325 landscaping companies in Memphis in 2023, employing about 3,050 people between them. Up from 278 in 2018, a 17% increase against 13% growth nationally. That averages 9.4 people per location. They pay an average of $46,739, 3% below the $48,279 national average for the same kind of employer. BLS counts irrigation contractors under landscaping companies.
Which nearby metros compete with Memphis for landscaping and groundskeeping workers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Little Rock (130 miles, about 1,670, $36,490 median), Nashville (196 miles, about 6,270, $37,910 median) and Huntsville (198 miles, about 1,550, $37,510 median). Nashville 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 Memphis, an open seat rarely fills from a job posting. Let's line up the people before the next one opens.
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