Commercial Irrigation recruiters serving Nashville.
About 6,270 landscaping and groundskeeping workers work in the Nashville metro, at a $37,910 median. BLS counts 749 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 Nashville.
BLS counts about 9,780 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Nashville metro, the largest group being landscaping and groundskeeping workers (about 6,270). 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
Nashville: 6,270 employed · $37,910 median, 63rd-highest of 112 metros
Certified Irrigation Technician (CIT)
Irrigation System Designer
Nashville: 130 employed · $99,470 median, 7th-highest of 78 metros
Backflow Prevention Specialist
Nashville: 2,760 employed · $60,100 median, 72nd-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Service / Repair Technician
Irrigation Foreman / Crew Lead
Nashville: 620 employed · $55,680 median, 71st-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Project Manager
Nashville: 2,460 employed · $122,190 median, 29th-highest of 111 metros
Irrigation Estimator
Nashville: 1,570 employed · $81,300 median, 28th-highest of 111 metros
Smart / Controller Systems Technician
Landscape Water Management Auditor
What Commercial Irrigation roles earn in Nashville.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Nashville earn a median $37,910, 3% under the $39,150 national figure, and 63rd of 112 metros. Pay runs $30,840 at the tenth percentile to $48,020 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is landscape architects, at $99,470 against $79,870 nationally.
| Role | Nashville 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) | $37,910 | $30,840–$48,020 | $39,150 | −3% | 6,270 |
| Irrigation System DesignerLandscape Architects (17-1012) | $99,470 | $56,160–$150,900 | $79,870 | +25% | 130 |
| Backflow Prevention SpecialistPlumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (47-2152) | $60,100 | $42,650–$83,670 | $63,800 | −6% | 2,760 |
| Irrigation Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers (37-1012) | $55,680 | $39,350–$82,150 | $58,430 | −5% | 620 |
| Irrigation Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $122,190 | $73,550–$195,040 | $114,990 | +6% | 2,460 |
| Irrigation EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $81,300 | $47,400–$127,770 | $78,740 | +3% | 1,570 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Nashville 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 Nashville's commercial irrigation market has changed since 2018.
The number of landscaping companies in Nashville rose from 602 in 2018 to 749 in 2023, up 24%, ahead of the 13% national rise. Headcount at those firms went up 22%, to about 5,893 people. Average annual pay there went from $36,252 to $51,438 (+42%), faster than the 31% national increase, a sign employers here have had to bid up.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaping companies: business locations | 602 | 749 | +24% |
| Landscaping companies: employment | 4,840 | 5,893 | +22% |
| Landscaping companies: average annual pay | $36,252 | $51,438 | +42% |
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
Nashville 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 Nashville's commercial irrigation market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Nashville ranks 34th for headcount, 57th for median pay and 59th 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 Nashville, 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, Nashville 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 Memphis, Knoxville and Chattanooga, so candidates licensed there can work in Nashville without re-qualifying.
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 Nashville talent.
The closest metro we cover is Huntsville, about 100 miles away, with roughly 1,550 landscaping and groundskeeping workers (0.2 times Nashville's 6,270). Nashville pays more than every metro we cover within reach ($37,910 median), which helps when recruiting people in from Knoxville at $36,040. Nashville is the largest market for this work in the region, so nearby metros tend to recruit from here rather than the other way round.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville | – | 6,270 | $37,910 |
| Huntsville | 100 mi | 1,550 | $37,510 |
| Chattanooga | 113 mi | 1,460 | $36,190 |
| Louisville | 155 mi | 3,130 | $37,820 |
| Knoxville | 161 mi | 3,020 | $36,040 |
| Birmingham | 183 mi | 2,880 | $36,600 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Nashville crews.
Not commercial irrigation work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Nashville in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- New Nissan Stadium$2.1BCompleting early 2027
An enclosed venue anchoring 550 acres of East Bank redevelopment. Now deep in MEP, systems, and finish phases - the highest-headcount portion of a stadium build. Large-venue superintendents and specialty systems crews are fully committed here.
- East Bank redevelopment550-acre master planPhased through the 2030s
Residential, hospitality, and infrastructure surrounding the stadium, including East Bank Flats housing and new street and utility networks. Provides the mid-market vertical and sitework demand that will absorb crews as the stadium completes.
- Oracle campus, River NorthMulti-billion programPermitting in place, construction starting
Planned at up to 13 buildings plus a pedestrian bridge connecting to Germantown. Corporate campus construction at this scale means years of class-A MEP, curtain wall, and interior finish demand once vertical work begins.
Showing 3 of 6 projects tracked in this metro. The Nashville market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for commercial irrigation, and what kills offers in Nashville.
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 Nashville.
What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in Nashville?
BLS puts the Nashville median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers at $37,910 a year, 3% below the $39,150 national median. That ranks 63rd of 112 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Pay is bunched together here, $30,840 to $48,020 across the 10th to 90th percentile and only a 1.6x gap, so small differences in an offer are noticed. No other Tennessee metro we cover pays more for this work.
Is it hard to hire landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Nashville?
It is about average. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers are as common in Nashville as they are nationally (location quotient 0.93), with about 6,270 in the metro. The 749 landscaping companies here average about 7.9 employees per location, mostly small shops, so candidates often know every employer in town by name. With 24% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial irrigation roles pay the most in Nashville?
Of the roles we recruit for, Irrigation Project Manager pays the most in Nashville, a $122,190 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Irrigation System Designer at $99,470, 19% below it. Irrigation Technician / Installer is the lowest-paid field role at $37,910. Relative to national pay, Irrigation System Designer is the strongest-paying role here (25% above). Backflow Prevention Specialist trails national pay the most (6% below).
How many landscaping companies operate in Nashville?
BLS counted 749 landscaping companies in Nashville in 2023, employing about 5,893 people between them. Up from 602 in 2018, a 24% increase against 13% growth nationally. That averages 7.9 people per location, so most are small shops. They pay an average of $51,438, 7% above the $48,279 national average for the same kind of employer. BLS counts irrigation contractors under landscaping companies.
Which nearby metros compete with Nashville for landscaping and groundskeeping workers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Huntsville (100 miles, about 1,550, $37,510 median), Chattanooga (113 miles, about 1,460, $36,190 median) and Louisville (155 miles, about 3,130, $37,820 median).
The seat is open. The pipeline should not be.
749 landscaping companies in Nashville are drawing on the same 6,270 landscaping and groundskeeping workers. Let's get your next hire lined up first.
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