Commercial Irrigation recruiters serving Pensacola.
About 1,220 landscaping and groundskeeping workers work in the Pensacola metro, at a $36,160 median. BLS counts 220 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 Pensacola.
BLS counts about 2,070 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Pensacola metro, the largest group being landscaping and groundskeeping workers (about 1,220). Relative to the size of the local economy, landscaping and groundskeeping workers are more concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 1.05). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Irrigation hub.
Irrigation Technician / Installer
Pensacola: 1,220 employed · $36,160 median, 103rd-highest of 112 metros
Certified Irrigation Technician (CIT)
Irrigation System Designer
Pensacola: BLS does not publish a local figure for this occupation.
Backflow Prevention Specialist
Pensacola: 650 employed · $49,670 median, 108th-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Service / Repair Technician
Irrigation Foreman / Crew Lead
Pensacola: 200 employed · $48,470 median, 98th-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Project Manager
Pensacola: 440 employed · $102,140 median, 90th-highest of 111 metros
Irrigation Estimator
Pensacola: 240 employed · $70,260 median, 102nd-highest of 111 metros
Smart / Controller Systems Technician
Landscape Water Management Auditor
What Commercial Irrigation roles earn in Pensacola.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Pensacola earn a median $36,160, 8% under the $39,150 national figure, and 103rd of 112 metros. Pay runs $29,650 at the tenth percentile to $46,640 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters, at $49,670 against $63,800 nationally. BLS withholds Pensacola pay for one occupation in the table.
| Role | Pensacola 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) | $36,160 | $29,650–$46,640 | $39,150 | −8% | 1,220 |
| Irrigation System DesignerLandscape Architects (17-1012) | – | – | $79,870 | – | – |
| Backflow Prevention SpecialistPlumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (47-2152) | $49,670 | $37,810–$69,390 | $63,800 | −22% | 650 |
| Irrigation Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers (37-1012) | $48,470 | $35,950–$85,050 | $58,430 | −17% | 200 |
| Irrigation Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $102,140 | $59,140–$200,580 | $114,990 | −11% | 440 |
| Irrigation EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $70,260 | $39,240–$126,250 | $78,740 | −11% | 240 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Pensacola 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 Pensacola's commercial irrigation market has changed since 2018.
The number of landscaping companies in Pensacola rose from 202 in 2018 to 220 in 2023, up 9%, behind the 13% growth nationally. Headcount at those firms went up 21%, to about 1,304 people. Average annual pay there went from $28,736 to $43,205 (+50%), faster than the 31% national increase, a sign employers here have had to bid up.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaping companies: business locations | 202 | 220 | +9% |
| Landscaping companies: employment | 1,080 | 1,304 | +21% |
| Landscaping companies: average annual pay | $28,736 | $43,205 | +50% |
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
Pensacola runs 5% more commercial irrigation workers per job than the country as a whole — above the national concentration.
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 Pensacola's commercial irrigation market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Pensacola ranks 97th for headcount, 93rd for median pay and 39th for concentration for landscaping and groundskeeping workers. Pay here is among the lowest we see, which makes relocation offers from higher-paying metros a real retention risk.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami | 21,170 | $37,430 | 1.23 | 2,385 |
| Orlando | 11,430 | $36,310 | 1.32 | 1,303 |
| Tampa | 9,860 | $37,210 | 1.11 | 1,546 |
| Jacksonville | 6,140 | $37,320 | 1.31 | 876 |
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers | 5,080 | $36,790 | 2.72 | 624 |
| North Port-Sarasota | 4,740 | $37,200 | 2.27 | 740 |
| Deltona-Daytona | 2,610 | $36,600 | 1.94 | 462 |
| Lakeland | 2,450 | $35,490 | 1.51 | 345 |
| Port St. Lucie | 2,330 | $36,480 | 2.23 | 363 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne | 1,870 | $36,570 | 1.24 | 368 |
| Pensacola | 1,220 | $36,160 | 1.05 | 220 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial irrigation employers in Pensacola, the pool is about the national norm for its size, and local employers have trimmed headcount. That usually means experienced people are available but cautious, so the stability of the job matters as much as the rate.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Pensacola metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Commercial Irrigation licensing in Florida.
Florida offers a voluntary state-certified irrigation specialty contractor license. It is an alternative to a local irrigation certificate of competency or a full plumbing license, and it does not create a mandatory statewide requirement. The same state rules apply in Miami, Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville, North Port-Sarasota, Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Lakeland, Deltona-Daytona, Palm Bay-Melbourne and Port St. Lucie, so candidates licensed there can work in Pensacola without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Construction Industry Licensing Board. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Pensacola talent.
The closest metro we cover is New Orleans, about 175 miles away, with roughly 1,440 landscaping and groundskeeping workers (1.2 times Pensacola's 1,220). Atlanta pays the most nearby, a $38,500 median, 6% above Pensacola. That is the number any Pensacola offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Atlanta has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pensacola | – | 1,220 | $36,160 |
| New Orleans | 174 mi | 1,440 | $35,410 |
| Birmingham | 216 mi | 2,880 | $36,600 |
| Baton Rouge | 237 mi | 2,240 | $36,260 |
| Atlanta | 283 mi | 15,300 | $38,500 |
| Huntsville | 300 mi | 1,550 | $37,510 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Pensacola crews.
Not commercial irrigation work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Pensacola in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- "Project Maeve" shipbuilding facility (Port of Pensacola)$275M total ($105M construction program)Phase 1 panel line/module fabrication warehouse, then Phase 2 assembly bay
Establishes Birdon America Inc.'s Southeastern operations hub and a Tier 2 advanced ship manufacturing facility, $76M Triumph Gulf Coast grant and expected to create 2,000 jobs.
- Sacred Heart Children's Hospital expansion$85MCompleted 2019
A four-story, 175,000 sq ft addition plus 13,000 sq ft of renovation - a pediatric ED/trauma center, pediatric surgery, a 75-bed NICU, pediatric oncology, and an expanded Regional Perinatal Center. Historical project - kept for the healthcare-grade trades experience it demonstrates, not as an active current demand driver.
- Pensacola International Airport Terminal Expansion & Modernization$6M (first phase FAA grant)First construction phase launching
Described as one of the largest infrastructure investments in the airport's history.
These are the 3 projects we track in Pensacola. The Pensacola market page covers hiring conditions across every trade here.
What credentials matter for commercial irrigation, and what kills offers in Pensacola.
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 Pensacola.
What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in Pensacola?
BLS puts the Pensacola median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers at $36,160 a year, 8% below the $39,150 national median. That ranks 103rd of 112 metros with published figures, in the bottom quarter. Pay is bunched together here, $29,650 to $46,640 across the 10th to 90th percentile and only a 1.6x gap, so small differences in an offer are noticed. Within Florida, Miami pays more, at $37,430.
Is it hard to hire landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Pensacola?
It is about average. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers are as common in Pensacola as they are nationally (location quotient 1.05), with about 1,220 in the metro. The 220 landscaping companies here average about 5.9 employees per location, mostly small shops, so candidates often know every employer in town by name.
Which commercial irrigation roles pay the most in Pensacola?
Of the roles we recruit for, Irrigation Project Manager pays the most in Pensacola, a $102,140 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Backflow Prevention Specialist at $49,670, 51% below it. Irrigation Technician / Installer is the lowest-paid field role at $36,160. Backflow Prevention Specialist trails national pay the most (22% below).
How many landscaping companies operate in Pensacola?
BLS counted 220 landscaping companies in Pensacola in 2023, employing about 1,304 people between them. Up from 202 in 2018, a 9% increase against 13% growth nationally. That averages 5.9 people per location, so most are small shops. They pay an average of $43,205, 11% below the $48,279 national average for the same kind of employer. BLS counts irrigation contractors under landscaping companies.
Which nearby metros compete with Pensacola for landscaping and groundskeeping workers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are New Orleans (174 miles, about 1,440, $35,410 median), Birmingham (216 miles, about 2,880, $36,600 median) and Baton Rouge (237 miles, about 2,240, $36,260 median). Birmingham has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move.
The seat is open. The pipeline should not be.
220 landscaping companies in Pensacola are drawing on the same 1,220 landscaping and groundskeeping workers. Let's get your next hire lined up first.
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