Commercial Irrigation recruiters serving New York.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers in New York earn a $45,530 median, 16% above the national figure, and about 50,410 of them work in the metro. BLS counts 8,422 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 New York.
BLS counts about 77,550 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the New York metro, the largest group being landscaping and groundskeeping workers (about 50,410). Relative to the size of the local economy, landscaping and groundskeeping workers are less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.87). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Irrigation hub.
Irrigation Technician / Installer
New York: 50,410 employed · $45,530 median, 15th-highest of 112 metros
Certified Irrigation Technician (CIT)
Irrigation System Designer
New York: $94,040 median, 12th-highest of 78 metros
Backflow Prevention Specialist
New York: 21,040 employed · $78,610 median, 15th-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Service / Repair Technician
Irrigation Foreman / Crew Lead
New York: 6,100 employed · $74,610 median, 4th-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Project Manager
New York: 12,120 employed · $158,000 median, 4th-highest of 111 metros
Irrigation Estimator
New York: 11,610 employed · $82,380 median, 21st-highest of 111 metros
Smart / Controller Systems Technician
Landscape Water Management Auditor
What Commercial Irrigation roles earn in New York.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers in New York earn a median $45,530, 16% over the $39,150 national figure, and 15th of 112 metros. Pay runs $35,450 at the tenth percentile to $59,570 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is landscape architects, at $94,040 against $79,870 nationally.
| Role | New York 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) | $45,530 | $35,450–$59,570 | $39,150 | +16% | 50,410 |
| Irrigation System DesignerLandscape Architects (17-1012) | $94,040 | $67,050–$134,620 | $79,870 | +18% | – |
| Backflow Prevention SpecialistPlumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (47-2152) | $78,610 | $47,870–$145,480 | $63,800 | +23% | 21,040 |
| Irrigation Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers (37-1012) | $74,610 | $49,920–$101,690 | $58,430 | +28% | 6,100 |
| Irrigation Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $158,000 | $91,740–$250,520 | $114,990 | +37% | 12,120 |
| Irrigation EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $82,380 | $52,000–$150,690 | $78,740 | +5% | 11,610 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, New York 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 New York's commercial irrigation market has changed since 2018.
The number of landscaping companies in New York rose from 7,963 in 2018 to 8,422 in 2023, up 6%, behind the 13% growth nationally. Headcount at those firms went up 11%, to about 43,349 people. Average annual pay there went from $42,081 to $52,823 (+26%), slower than the 31% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaping companies: business locations | 7,963 | 8,422 | +6% |
| Landscaping companies: employment | 39,213 | 43,349 | +11% |
| Landscaping companies: average annual pay | $42,081 | $52,823 | +26% |
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
New York runs 13% 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 New York's commercial irrigation market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, New York ranks 1st for headcount, 13th for median pay and 78th for concentration for landscaping and groundskeeping workers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 50,410 | $45,530 | 0.87 | 8,422 |
| Rochester | 3,060 | $39,680 | 1.01 | 473 |
| Buffalo | 2,870 | $41,770 | 0.88 | 587 |
| Albany | 2,400 | $41,290 | 0.87 | 380 |
| Syracuse | 1,670 | $40,010 | 0.91 | 289 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial irrigation employers in New York, the headline number is misleading. About 50,410 landscaping and groundskeeping workers work here, one of the larger workforces we cover, but relative to the size of the local economy the trade is thinner than average, so every other employer is drawing on the same people. Local employers are still adding headcount, which keeps competition for experienced people high. Expect to recruit people who are already employed, and to make the case for moving.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, New York metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Commercial Irrigation licensing in New York.
New York requires backflow testers to be certified. Since March 2011, initial certifications have been issued by training providers the Department of Health approves. The same state rules apply in Buffalo, Rochester, Albany and Syracuse, so candidates licensed there can work in New York without re-qualifying. The New York metro crosses a state line, so check the rules in the neighboring state too for crews that work on both sides.
Licensing authority: New York State Department of Health. Confirm current rules with the agency.
We have not closed a commercial irrigation search in New York 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 New York than imply a record in this trade that we do not have yet.
- HVAC Service TechnicianTwo months to find a technician who could run commercial, public and industrial service calls alone - the seniority bar is what made it long.
- HVAC Service TechnicianFifteen years across VRV/VRF, rooftop units and controls integration.
- HVAC Service TechnicianA second seat for the same contractor, filled with a strong diagnostician earlier in his independent career.
Nearby markets competing for New York talent.
The closest metro we cover is Bridgeport, about 55 miles away, with roughly 4,920 landscaping and groundskeeping workers (0.1 times New York's 50,410). Pay is close across the region: medians run from $37,330 in Scranton to $46,430 in Bridgeport, against $45,530 here. New York 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | – | 50,410 | $45,530 |
| Bridgeport | 53 mi | 4,920 | $46,430 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem | 78 mi | 2,310 | $39,350 |
| Philadelphia | 81 mi | 17,700 | $42,130 |
| Scranton | 99 mi | 1,330 | $37,330 |
| Hartford | 100 mi | 4,060 | $44,860 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for New York crews.
Not commercial irrigation work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into New York in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- JFK Airport Terminal 6 + Terminal 1 redevelopment$13-14B combinedThrough 2030
Massive MEP scope across both terminals. Airport-grade mechanical, electrical, baggage systems. Multi-year crew demand for senior trades.
- LaGuardia Airport rebuild$4-5.3BCompleted January 2025
Now complete - a historical example of the mechanical and finish trades capacity this metro delivers under a project labor agreement, not an active current driver.
- NYC Local Law 97 climate compliance retrofit wave$15-20B across buildings 25k+ sq ft2024-2030 enforcement
Largest commercial HVAC retrofit driver in US history. Building owners must hit carbon caps - driving heat pump installs, control system upgrades, building electrification. Mechanical PMs with retrofit + commissioning experience in extreme demand.
Showing 3 of 6 projects tracked in this metro. The New York market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for commercial irrigation, and what kills offers in New York.
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 New York.
What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in New York?
BLS puts the New York median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers at $45,530 a year, 16% above the $39,150 national median. That ranks 15th of 112 metros with published figures, in the top quarter. Most of the market sits between $35,450 and $59,570, a 1.7x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. No other New York metro we cover pays more for this work.
Is it hard to hire landscaping and groundskeeping workers in New York?
It is about average. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers are as common in New York as they are nationally (location quotient 0.87), with about 50,410 in the metro. The 8,422 landscaping companies here average about 5.1 employees per location, mostly small shops, so candidates often know every employer in town by name.
Which commercial irrigation roles pay the most in New York?
Of the roles we recruit for, Irrigation Project Manager pays the most in New York, a $158,000 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Irrigation System Designer at $94,040, 40% below it. Irrigation Technician / Installer is the lowest-paid field role at $45,530. Relative to national pay, Irrigation Project Manager is the strongest-paying role here (37% above).
How many landscaping companies operate in New York?
BLS counted 8,422 landscaping companies in New York in 2023, employing about 43,349 people between them. Up from 7,963 in 2018, a 6% increase against 13% growth nationally. That averages 5.1 people per location, so most are small shops. They pay an average of $52,823, 9% above the $48,279 national average for the same kind of employer. BLS counts irrigation contractors under landscaping companies.
Which nearby metros compete with New York for landscaping and groundskeeping workers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Bridgeport (53 miles, about 4,920, $46,430 median), Allentown-Bethlehem (78 miles, about 2,310, $39,350 median) and Philadelphia (81 miles, about 17,700, $42,130 median). New York out-pays Allentown-Bethlehem and Philadelphia, an advantage when recruiting from there.
The seat is open. The pipeline should not be.
8,422 landscaping companies in New York are drawing on the same 50,410 landscaping and groundskeeping workers. Let's get your next hire lined up first.
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