Commercial Irrigation recruiters serving Portland.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Portland earn a $46,450 median, 19% above the national figure, and about 6,710 of them work in the metro. BLS counts 1,067 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 Portland.
BLS counts about 12,160 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Portland metro, the largest group being landscaping and groundskeeping workers (about 6,710). Relative to the size of the local economy, landscaping and groundskeeping workers are less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.91). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Irrigation hub.
Irrigation Technician / Installer
Portland: 6,710 employed · $46,450 median, 9th-highest of 112 metros
Certified Irrigation Technician (CIT)
Irrigation System Designer
Portland: 250 employed · $73,600 median, 61st-highest of 78 metros
Backflow Prevention Specialist
Portland: 4,600 employed · $101,010 median, 4th-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Service / Repair Technician
Irrigation Foreman / Crew Lead
Portland: 600 employed · $76,910 median, 2nd-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Project Manager
Portland: 2,690 employed · $146,740 median, 6th-highest of 111 metros
Irrigation Estimator
Portland: 2,260 employed · $83,800 median, 15th-highest of 111 metros
Smart / Controller Systems Technician
Landscape Water Management Auditor
Hiring the same trade in another market? We recruit it in Ogden, UT too.
What Commercial Irrigation roles earn in Portland.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Portland earn a median $46,450, 19% over the $39,150 national figure, and 9th of 112 metros. Pay runs $38,550 at the tenth percentile to $59,960 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters, at $101,010 against $63,800 nationally.
| Role | Portland 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) | $46,450 | $38,550–$59,960 | $39,150 | +19% | 6,710 |
| Irrigation System DesignerLandscape Architects (17-1012) | $73,600 | $49,660–$128,150 | $79,870 | −8% | 250 |
| Backflow Prevention SpecialistPlumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (47-2152) | $101,010 | $57,640–$147,100 | $63,800 | +58% | 4,600 |
| Irrigation Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers (37-1012) | $76,910 | $55,220–$98,270 | $58,430 | +32% | 600 |
| Irrigation Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $146,740 | $88,500–$217,570 | $114,990 | +28% | 2,690 |
| Irrigation EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $83,800 | $53,380–$141,340 | $78,740 | +6% | 2,260 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Portland 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 Portland's commercial irrigation market has changed since 2018.
The number of landscaping companies in Portland rose from 920 in 2018 to 1,067 in 2023, up 16%, close to the 13% national change. Headcount and pay for those firms are withheld in Portland, so the occupation figures above are the better guide to what hiring costs.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaping companies: business locations | 920 | 1,067 | +16% |
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
Portland runs 9% 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 Portland's commercial irrigation market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Portland ranks 30th for headcount, 7th for median pay and 63rd 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 Portland, the pool is about the national norm for its size, so difficulty depends on the role more than the market.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Portland metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Commercial Irrigation licensing in Oregon.
Oregon requires a Landscape Contractors Board license to install, repair or maintain irrigation and sprinkler systems. Oregon Health Authority's Drinking Water Services certifies backflow assembly testers on a two-year cycle. The Portland metro crosses a state line, so check the rules in the neighboring state too for crews that work on both sides.
Licensing authority: Oregon Landscape Contractors Board (irrigation); Oregon Health Authority, Drinking Water Services (backflow). Confirm current rules with the agency.
We have not closed a commercial irrigation search in Portland 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 Portland than imply a record in this trade that we do not have yet.
- Site SuperintendentTwenty years of construction and six as a superintendent, placed onto Portland-Vancouver jobsites in two weeks.
- Lead Fire Alarm TechnicianSeven weeks for an NFPA-licensed lead fire alarm technician - the right length for a life-safety role.
Nearby markets competing for Portland talent.
The closest metro we cover is Seattle, about 145 miles away, with roughly 11,780 landscaping and groundskeeping workers (1.8 times Portland's 6,710). Seattle pays the most nearby, a $48,480 median, 4% above Portland. That is the number any Portland offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Seattle has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
What else is competing for Portland crews.
Not commercial irrigation work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Portland in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Semiconductor manufacturing, Washington CountyMulti-billion, CHIPS-supportedRolling through 2030
The Silicon Forest fab corridor in Hillsboro is the defining industrial employer in this metro. Cleanroom mechanical, process piping, high-purity welding, and controls work - the highest-paying trades work in Oregon and a skill set with very few qualified local candidates.
- OHSU campus expansionPhased capital programVista Pavilion opening; further phases through 2029
Academic medical construction on a constrained hillside site. Med-gas plumbers, ICRA-trained mechanical crews, and superintendents who can run vertical work with near-zero laydown space.
- Interstate Bridge Replacement Program (I-5 Columbia River)$13.6B total program cost (as of Jan 2026 estimate; up from $5.5-7.5B in Dec 2022), including a $1.49B federal investmentDesign and early construction through the 2030s
Replaces the I-5 Columbia River crossing with a seismically resilient multimodal structure carrying light rail and bus rapid transit. The largest bi-state heavy civil program in the Northwest - marine, structural, and systems trades on a decade-long horizon.
Showing 3 of 6 projects tracked in this metro. The Portland market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for commercial irrigation, and what kills offers in Portland.
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 Portland.
What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in Portland?
BLS puts the Portland median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers at $46,450 a year, 19% above the $39,150 national median. That ranks 9th of 112 metros with published figures, in the top quarter. Pay is bunched together here, $38,550 to $59,960 across the 10th to 90th percentile and only a 1.6x gap, so small differences in an offer are noticed.
Is it hard to hire landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Portland?
It is about average. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers are as common in Portland as they are nationally (location quotient 0.91), with about 6,710 in the metro. With 16% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial irrigation roles pay the most in Portland?
Of the roles we recruit for, Irrigation Project Manager pays the most in Portland, a $146,740 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Backflow Prevention Specialist at $101,010, 31% below it. Irrigation Technician / Installer is the lowest-paid field role at $46,450. Relative to national pay, Backflow Prevention Specialist is the strongest-paying role here (58% above). Irrigation System Designer trails national pay the most (8% below).
How many landscaping companies operate in Portland?
BLS counted 1,067 landscaping companies in Portland in 2023. Up from 920 in 2018, a 16% increase against 13% growth nationally. BLS withholds their combined headcount and pay here, which it does when a category is small enough that the figures could identify individual employers. BLS counts irrigation contractors under landscaping companies.
Which nearby metros compete with Portland for landscaping and groundskeeping workers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Seattle (145 miles, about 11,780, $48,480 median) and Spokane (290 miles, about 2,070, $44,630 median). Seattle 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.
1,067 landscaping companies in Portland are drawing on the same 6,710 landscaping and groundskeeping workers. Let's get your next hire lined up first.
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