Commercial Irrigation recruiters serving Phoenix.
Phoenix has 16% more landscaping and groundskeeping workers per job than the country as a whole, about 16,850 in the metro. BLS counts 1,210 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 Phoenix.
BLS counts about 28,420 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Phoenix metro, the largest group being landscaping and groundskeeping workers (about 16,850). Relative to the size of the local economy, landscaping and groundskeeping workers are more concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 1.16). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Irrigation hub.
Irrigation Technician / Installer
Phoenix: 16,850 employed · $39,140 median, 45th-highest of 112 metros
Certified Irrigation Technician (CIT)
Irrigation System Designer
Phoenix: 290 employed · $77,670 median, 47th-highest of 78 metros
Backflow Prevention Specialist
Phoenix: 9,270 employed · $63,750 median, 48th-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Service / Repair Technician
Irrigation Foreman / Crew Lead
Phoenix: 2,010 employed · $56,700 median, 66th-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Project Manager
Phoenix: 8,170 employed · $118,350 median, 43rd-highest of 111 metros
Irrigation Estimator
Phoenix: 4,380 employed · $77,590 median, 60th-highest of 111 metros
Smart / Controller Systems Technician
Landscape Water Management Auditor
What Commercial Irrigation roles earn in Phoenix.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Phoenix earn a median $39,140, level with the $39,150 national figure, and 45th of 112 metros. Pay runs $36,880 at the tenth percentile to $49,420 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is landscape architects, at $77,670 against $79,870 nationally.
| Role | Phoenix 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) | $39,140 | $36,880–$49,420 | $39,150 | 0% | 16,850 |
| Irrigation System DesignerLandscape Architects (17-1012) | $77,670 | $65,260–$126,600 | $79,870 | −3% | 290 |
| Backflow Prevention SpecialistPlumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (47-2152) | $63,750 | $46,530–$100,710 | $63,800 | 0% | 9,270 |
| Irrigation Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers (37-1012) | $56,700 | $46,890–$77,890 | $58,430 | −3% | 2,010 |
| Irrigation Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $118,350 | $79,490–$169,900 | $114,990 | +3% | 8,170 |
| Irrigation EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $77,590 | $37,440–$128,970 | $78,740 | −1% | 4,380 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Phoenix 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 Phoenix's commercial irrigation market has changed since 2018.
The number of landscaping companies in Phoenix rose from 1,069 in 2018 to 1,210 in 2023, up 13%, close to the 13% national change. Their combined payroll headcount barely moved, at about 14,259. Average annual pay there went from $34,570 to $48,053 (+39%), faster than the 31% national increase, a sign employers here have had to bid up.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaping companies: business locations | 1,069 | 1,210 | +13% |
| Landscaping companies: employment | 13,990 | 14,259 | +2% |
| Landscaping companies: average annual pay | $34,570 | $48,053 | +39% |
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
Phoenix runs 16% more commercial irrigation workers per job than the country as a whole — 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 Phoenix's commercial irrigation market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Phoenix ranks 8th for headcount, 41st for median pay and 25th for concentration for landscaping and groundskeeping workers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix | 16,850 | $39,140 | 1.16 | 1,210 |
| Tucson | 2,710 | $36,840 | 1.14 | 281 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial irrigation employers in Phoenix, 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, Phoenix metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Commercial Irrigation licensing in Arizona.
Arizona licenses irrigation work under its Hardscaping and Irrigation Systems contractor classifications: R-21 residential, C-21 commercial and CR-21 dual. The scope includes connecting to potable water lines and installing backflow prevention devices. The same state rules apply in Tucson, so candidates licensed there can work in Phoenix without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: Arizona Registrar of Contractors. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Phoenix talent.
The closest metro we cover is Tucson, about 110 miles away, with roughly 2,710 landscaping and groundskeeping workers (0.2 times Phoenix's 16,850). San Diego pays the most nearby, a $45,560 median, 16% above Phoenix. That is the number any Phoenix offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Phoenix is the largest market for this work in the region, so nearby metros tend to recruit from here rather than the other way round.
What else is competing for Phoenix crews.
Not commercial irrigation work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Phoenix in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- ASU Health Futures Center$80M+ (ASU building only)Opened January 2021 - a completed, historical example of the research-lab construction capacity this metro delivers, not an active current driver
Research lab HVAC, fume hood air, specialty exhaust systems. Lab-grade mechanical work. Mayo Clinic's separate, larger Phoenix campus expansion is a distinct, still-active project, not part of this figure.
- TSMC Arizona - Fabs 21, 22, advanced packaging (Phoenix North)$65B+ over multi-phase buildPhase 1 operating; Phase 2-4 through 2030
Largest single private investment in Arizona history. Semiconductor-grade mechanical, cleanroom HVAC, process gas, ultra-pure water. Specialty trades commanding 20-30% premiums.
- Intel Ocotillo Fab 52/62 expansion (Chandler)$20B+Construction through 2028
Cleanroom mechanical, semiconductor process trades. Direct competition with TSMC for the same specialty labor pool.
Showing 3 of 6 projects tracked in this metro. The Phoenix market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for commercial irrigation, and what kills offers in Phoenix.
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 Phoenix.
What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in Phoenix?
BLS puts the Phoenix median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers at $39,140 a year, about the same as the $39,150 national median. That ranks 45th of 112 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Pay is bunched together here, $36,880 to $49,420 across the 10th to 90th percentile and only a 1.3x gap, so small differences in an offer are noticed. No other Arizona metro we cover pays more for this work (Tucson: $36,840).
Is it hard to hire landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Phoenix?
Not by national standards. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers make up 16% more of the Phoenix workforce than they do nationally, about 16,850 people. The 1,210 landscaping companies here average about 12 employees per location. With 13% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial irrigation roles pay the most in Phoenix?
Of the roles we recruit for, Irrigation Project Manager pays the most in Phoenix, a $118,350 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Irrigation System Designer at $77,670, 34% below it. Irrigation Technician / Installer is the lowest-paid field role at $39,140.
How many landscaping companies operate in Phoenix?
BLS counted 1,210 landscaping companies in Phoenix in 2023, employing about 14,259 people between them. Up from 1,069 in 2018, a 13% increase against 13% growth nationally. That averages 12 people per location. They pay about the national average of $48,279. BLS counts irrigation contractors under landscaping companies.
Which nearby metros compete with Phoenix for landscaping and groundskeeping workers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Tucson (108 miles, about 2,710, $36,840 median), Las Vegas (256 miles, about 7,220, $37,920 median) and San Diego (299 miles, about 10,870, $45,560 median). San Diego pays 16% more, which is where Phoenix employers tend to lose people.
Plenty of people. Few of them looking.
Phoenix 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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