Commercial Irrigation recruiters serving Milwaukee.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Milwaukee earn a $44,440 median, 14% above the national figure, and about 5,020 of them work in the metro. BLS counts 632 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 Milwaukee.
BLS counts about 8,640 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Milwaukee metro, the largest group being landscaping and groundskeeping workers (about 5,020). Relative to the size of the local economy, landscaping and groundskeeping workers are about as concentrated here as nationally (location quotient 1.00). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Irrigation hub.
Irrigation Technician / Installer
Milwaukee: 5,020 employed · $44,440 median, 25th-highest of 112 metros
Certified Irrigation Technician (CIT)
Irrigation System Designer
Milwaukee: 130 employed · $64,330 median, 75th-highest of 78 metros
Backflow Prevention Specialist
Milwaukee: 2,760 employed · $84,700 median, 9th-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Service / Repair Technician
Irrigation Foreman / Crew Lead
Milwaukee: 730 employed · $63,320 median, 16th-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Project Manager
Milwaukee: 1,680 employed · $119,170 median, 40th-highest of 111 metros
Irrigation Estimator
Milwaukee: 1,400 employed · $78,090 median, 55th-highest of 111 metros
Smart / Controller Systems Technician
Landscape Water Management Auditor
What Commercial Irrigation roles earn in Milwaukee.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Milwaukee earn a median $44,440, 14% over the $39,150 national figure, and 25th of 112 metros. Pay runs $30,780 at the tenth percentile to $58,730 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters, at $84,700 against $63,800 nationally.
| Role | Milwaukee 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 | $30,780–$58,730 | $39,150 | +14% | 5,020 |
| Irrigation System DesignerLandscape Architects (17-1012) | $64,330 | $47,930–$104,930 | $79,870 | −19% | 130 |
| Backflow Prevention SpecialistPlumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (47-2152) | $84,700 | $56,520–$124,470 | $63,800 | +33% | 2,760 |
| Irrigation Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers (37-1012) | $63,320 | $30,920–$104,980 | $58,430 | +8% | 730 |
| Irrigation Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $119,170 | $77,170–$169,000 | $114,990 | +4% | 1,680 |
| Irrigation EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $78,090 | $53,950–$118,700 | $78,740 | −1% | 1,400 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Milwaukee 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 Milwaukee's commercial irrigation market has changed since 2018.
The number of landscaping companies in Milwaukee rose from 572 in 2018 to 632 in 2023, up 10%, close to the 13% national change. Headcount at those firms went up 10%, to about 5,201 people. Average annual pay there went from $37,035 to $47,928 (+29%), in step with the 31% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaping companies: business locations | 572 | 632 | +10% |
| Landscaping companies: employment | 4,745 | 5,201 | +10% |
| Landscaping companies: average annual pay | $37,035 | $47,928 | +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
Milwaukee 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 Milwaukee's commercial irrigation market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Milwaukee ranks 41st for headcount, 22nd for median pay and 47th 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 Milwaukee, 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, Milwaukee 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 Madison, so candidates licensed there can work in Milwaukee without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Milwaukee talent.
The closest metro we cover is Madison, about 75 miles away, with roughly 2,330 landscaping and groundskeeping workers (0.5 times Milwaukee's 5,020). Pay is close across the region: medians run from $37,470 in Grand Rapids to $45,280 in Chicago, against $44,440 here. Chicago has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee | – | 5,020 | $44,440 |
| Madison | 76 mi | 2,330 | $44,440 |
| Chicago | 83 mi | 25,160 | $45,280 |
| Grand Rapids | 113 mi | 4,590 | $37,470 |
| Indianapolis | 243 mi | 6,980 | $38,180 |
| Detroit | 252 mi | 12,990 | $38,820 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Milwaukee crews.
Not commercial irrigation work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Milwaukee in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Vantage Data Centers 'Lighthouse' campus (Port Washington, WI - ~30 min north of Milwaukee, not the Racine corridor; Meta's only WI data center is in Beaver Dam, ~60 mi away, also not the Racine corridor)$15BThrough 2028
A hyperscale campus in the broader Milwaukee metro (geographically north, not part of the Racine corridor with Foxconn and Microsoft) compounding regional demand for mission-critical mechanical and electrical talent.
- Foxconn Mount Pleasant expansion$569M (part of $1.2B total committed through 2029)Through 2029
Adds to Foxconn's Wisconn Valley Science and Technology Park, creating 1,374 jobs over four years. Includes a Smart Manufacturing Center and a High-Performance Computing Data Center, with Mortenson selected as construction manager.
- Microsoft Racine County data center$3.3B Phase 1 (operational since April 2026); a $4B second phase and a proposed $13.3B expansion would bring total commitment toward $20B+Phase 1 complete; later phases proposed/announced, not yet built
One of the largest data-center investments in the Midwest, just south of Milwaukee. Massive mechanical and electrical scope for a facility of this scale.
Showing 3 of 4 projects tracked in this metro. The Milwaukee market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for commercial irrigation, and what kills offers in Milwaukee.
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 Milwaukee.
What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in Milwaukee?
BLS puts the Milwaukee 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 $30,780 and $58,730, 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 (Madison: $44,440).
Is it hard to hire landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Milwaukee?
It is about average. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers are as common in Milwaukee as they are nationally (location quotient 1.00), with about 5,020 in the metro. The 632 landscaping companies here average about 8.2 employees per location. With 10% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial irrigation roles pay the most in Milwaukee?
Of the roles we recruit for, Irrigation Project Manager pays the most in Milwaukee, a $119,170 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Backflow Prevention Specialist at $84,700, 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 System Designer trails national pay the most (19% below).
How many landscaping companies operate in Milwaukee?
BLS counted 632 landscaping companies in Milwaukee in 2023, employing about 5,201 people between them. Up from 572 in 2018, a 10% increase against 13% growth nationally. That averages 8.2 people per location. They pay about the national average of $48,279. BLS counts irrigation contractors under landscaping companies.
Which nearby metros compete with Milwaukee for landscaping and groundskeeping workers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Madison (76 miles, about 2,330, $44,440 median), Chicago (83 miles, about 25,160, $45,280 median) and Grand Rapids (113 miles, about 4,590, $37,470 median). Chicago has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Milwaukee out-pays Grand Rapids, an advantage when recruiting from there.
The seat is open. The pipeline should not be.
632 landscaping companies in Milwaukee are drawing on the same 5,020 landscaping and groundskeeping workers. Let's get your next hire lined up first.
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