Commercial Irrigation recruiters serving Omaha.
Omaha has 27% more landscaping and groundskeeping workers per job than the country as a whole, about 3,870 in the metro. BLS counts 482 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 Omaha.
BLS counts about 7,020 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Omaha metro, the largest group being landscaping and groundskeeping workers (about 3,870). Relative to the size of the local economy, landscaping and groundskeeping workers are far more concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 1.27). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Irrigation hub.
Irrigation Technician / Installer
Omaha: 3,870 employed · $45,970 median, 12th-highest of 112 metros
Certified Irrigation Technician (CIT)
Irrigation System Designer
Omaha: 120 employed · $62,170 median, 77th-highest of 78 metros
Backflow Prevention Specialist
Omaha: 2,430 employed · $63,400 median, 50th-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Service / Repair Technician
Irrigation Foreman / Crew Lead
Omaha: 600 employed · $59,380 median, 41st-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Project Manager
Omaha: 1,800 employed · $102,520 median, 87th-highest of 111 metros
Irrigation Estimator
Omaha: 730 employed · $76,350 median, 72nd-highest of 111 metros
Smart / Controller Systems Technician
Landscape Water Management Auditor
What Commercial Irrigation roles earn in Omaha.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Omaha earn a median $45,970, 17% over the $39,150 national figure, and 12th of 112 metros. Pay runs $35,000 at the tenth percentile to $61,240 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters, at $63,400 against $63,800 nationally.
| Role | Omaha 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) | $45,970 | $35,000–$61,240 | $39,150 | +17% | 3,870 |
| Irrigation System DesignerLandscape Architects (17-1012) | $62,170 | $44,230–$96,530 | $79,870 | −22% | 120 |
| Backflow Prevention SpecialistPlumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (47-2152) | $63,400 | $46,710–$98,540 | $63,800 | −1% | 2,430 |
| Irrigation Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers (37-1012) | $59,380 | $48,950–$79,890 | $58,430 | +2% | 600 |
| Irrigation Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $102,520 | $72,800–$160,350 | $114,990 | −11% | 1,800 |
| Irrigation EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $76,350 | $51,160–$108,740 | $78,740 | −3% | 730 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Omaha 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 Omaha's commercial irrigation market has changed since 2018.
The number of landscaping companies in Omaha rose from 460 in 2018 to 482 in 2023, up 5%, behind the 13% growth nationally. Headcount at those firms went up 35%, to about 3,433 people. Average annual pay there went from $34,082 to $47,103 (+38%), faster than the 31% national increase, a sign employers here have had to bid up.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaping companies: business locations | 460 | 482 | +5% |
| Landscaping companies: employment | 2,540 | 3,433 | +35% |
| Landscaping companies: average annual pay | $34,082 | $47,103 | +38% |
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
Omaha runs 27% more commercial irrigation workers per job than the country as a whole — well above the national concentration. More per job means more people to reach, and more employers reaching 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 Omaha's commercial irrigation market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Omaha ranks 49th for headcount, 10th for median pay and 14th for concentration for landscaping and groundskeeping workers. Pay here is among the highest we see, so offers need to start near the top of the range.
What this means for hiring:For commercial irrigation employers in Omaha, the pool is deep and still growing, so the constraint is competition rather than supply. Move fast on good candidates, because another local firm is probably talking to them too.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Omaha metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Commercial Irrigation licensing in Nebraska.
Nebraska has no irrigation contractor license and no state trade license for this work. Every contractor doing business in the state must register with the Nebraska Department of Labor, but that is an administrative registration and the Department says outright that it does not ensure quality of work. What Nebraska does have is a real state backflow credential: the Grade VI Water Operator license, issued by the Drinking Water Division after a minimum thirty-two hour backflow prevention training course and exam, and city systems rely on it directly, with Lincoln Water System requiring its approved backflow testers to hold a current Grade VI certificate. When hiring for commercial irrigation with backflow service, ask for the Grade VI license number and check the state's public water operator lookup. The Omaha metro crosses a state line, so check the rules in the neighboring state too for crews that work on both sides.
Licensing authority: Nebraska Department of Water, Energy and Environment, Drinking Water Division (Grade VI water operator credential); Nebraska Department of Labor (contractor registration). Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Omaha talent.
The closest metro we cover is Des Moines, about 125 miles away, with roughly 2,230 landscaping and groundskeeping workers (0.6 times Omaha's 3,870). Pay is close across the region: medians run from $38,260 in Wichita to $47,160 in Minneapolis, against $45,970 here. Minneapolis has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Omaha | – | 3,870 | $45,970 |
| Des Moines | 123 mi | 2,230 | $45,180 |
| Kansas City | 165 mi | 6,660 | $41,450 |
| Wichita | 257 mi | 1,760 | $38,260 |
| Minneapolis | 291 mi | 11,820 | $47,160 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Omaha crews.
Not commercial irrigation work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Omaha in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Creighton University Campus Quadrangle$25MOpening fall 2026
251,500 sq ft gathering space with a stage and amphitheater for graduation, alumni, and community events - institutional construction distinct from the data-center and downtown-tower work.
- Google data center (northwest Omaha)Part of a $930M Nebraska investment18-24 month construction; operational since 2024, construction ongoing
A 260-acre data-center site near Blair High Road and State Street. Google has separately spent millions accelerating road projects around the site. Sustained mission-critical mechanical and electrical demand.
- Mutual of Omaha Tower$600MCompleting 2026
A 44-story glass tower for the Fortune 300 insurer, providing a backdrop to the redeveloped Gene Leahy Mall. One of the largest single commercial vertical-construction projects in downtown Omaha's history.
These are the 3 projects we track in Omaha. The Omaha market page covers hiring conditions across every trade here.
What credentials matter for commercial irrigation, and what kills offers in Omaha.
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 Omaha.
What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in Omaha?
BLS puts the Omaha median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers at $45,970 a year, 17% above the $39,150 national median. That ranks 12th of 112 metros with published figures, in the top quarter. Most of the market sits between $35,000 and $61,240, a 1.7x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience.
Is it hard to hire landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Omaha?
Not by national standards. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers make up 27% more of the Omaha workforce than they do nationally, about 3,870 people. The 482 landscaping companies here average about 7.1 employees per location, mostly small shops, so candidates often know every employer in town by name.
Which commercial irrigation roles pay the most in Omaha?
Of the roles we recruit for, Irrigation Project Manager pays the most in Omaha, a $102,520 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Backflow Prevention Specialist at $63,400, 38% below it. Irrigation Technician / Installer is the lowest-paid field role at $45,970. Relative to national pay, Irrigation Technician / Installer is the strongest-paying role here (17% above). Irrigation System Designer trails national pay the most (22% below).
How many landscaping companies operate in Omaha?
BLS counted 482 landscaping companies in Omaha in 2023, employing about 3,433 people between them. Up from 460 in 2018, a 5% increase against 13% growth nationally. That averages 7.1 people per location, so most are small shops. They pay about the national average of $48,279. BLS counts irrigation contractors under landscaping companies.
Which nearby metros compete with Omaha for landscaping and groundskeeping workers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Des Moines (123 miles, about 2,230, $45,180 median), Kansas City (165 miles, about 6,660, $41,450 median) and Wichita (257 miles, about 1,760, $38,260 median). Kansas City has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Omaha out-pays Kansas City and Wichita, an advantage when recruiting from there.
Plenty of people. Few of them looking.
Omaha has one of the deeper pools of landscaping and groundskeeping workers we cover, but the best of them are already working. Let's find the ones ready to move.
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