Commercial Irrigation recruiters serving Providence.
Providence has 26% more landscaping and groundskeeping workers per job than the country as a whole, about 5,530 in the metro. BLS counts 1,153 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 Providence.
BLS counts about 9,530 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Providence metro, the largest group being landscaping and groundskeeping workers (about 5,530). Relative to the size of the local economy, landscaping and groundskeeping workers are far more concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 1.26). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Irrigation hub.
Irrigation Technician / Installer
Providence: 5,530 employed · $45,250 median, 17th-highest of 112 metros
Certified Irrigation Technician (CIT)
Irrigation System Designer
Providence: 90 employed · $80,600 median, 37th-highest of 78 metros
Backflow Prevention Specialist
Providence: 3,000 employed · $79,820 median, 13th-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Service / Repair Technician
Irrigation Foreman / Crew Lead
Providence: 910 employed · $59,840 median, 38th-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Project Manager
Providence: 900 employed · $122,830 median, 28th-highest of 111 metros
Irrigation Estimator
Providence: 960 employed · $87,720 median, 10th-highest of 111 metros
Smart / Controller Systems Technician
Landscape Water Management Auditor
What Commercial Irrigation roles earn in Providence.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Providence earn a median $45,250, 16% over the $39,150 national figure, and 17th of 112 metros. Pay runs $36,590 at the tenth percentile to $58,080 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is landscape architects, at $80,600 against $79,870 nationally.
| Role | Providence 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) | $45,250 | $36,590–$58,080 | $39,150 | +16% | 5,530 |
| Irrigation System DesignerLandscape Architects (17-1012) | $80,600 | $53,490–$112,320 | $79,870 | +1% | 90 |
| Backflow Prevention SpecialistPlumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (47-2152) | $79,820 | $49,590–$110,770 | $63,800 | +25% | 3,000 |
| Irrigation Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers (37-1012) | $59,840 | $47,480–$79,840 | $58,430 | +2% | 910 |
| Irrigation Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $122,830 | $76,680–$190,480 | $114,990 | +7% | 900 |
| Irrigation EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $87,720 | $58,330–$130,750 | $78,740 | +11% | 960 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Providence 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 Providence's commercial irrigation market has changed since 2018.
The number of landscaping companies in Providence rose from 975 in 2018 to 1,153 in 2023, up 18%, ahead of the 13% national rise. Headcount at those firms went up 20%, to about 5,636 people. Average annual pay there went from $40,499 to $53,210 (+31%), in step with the 31% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaping companies: business locations | 975 | 1,153 | +18% |
| Landscaping companies: employment | 4,716 | 5,636 | +20% |
| Landscaping companies: average annual pay | $40,499 | $53,210 | +31% |
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
Providence runs 26% 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 Providence's commercial irrigation market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Providence ranks 38th for headcount, 15th for median pay and 15th for concentration for landscaping and groundskeeping workers.
What this means for hiring:For commercial irrigation employers in Providence, 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, Providence metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Commercial Irrigation licensing in Rhode Island.
Rhode Island licenses Master Irrigators and Journeyperson Irrigators under its plumbers and irrigators law. A master irrigator must first have held a journeyperson irrigator license for at least two years. The Providence metro crosses a state line, so check the rules in the neighboring state too for crews that work on both sides.
Licensing authority: Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training, Division of Professional Regulation (State Board of Plumbing Examiners). Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Providence talent.
The closest metro we cover is Worcester, about 35 miles away, with roughly 2,170 landscaping and groundskeeping workers (0.4 times Providence's 5,530). Boston pays the most nearby, a $49,030 median, 8% above Providence. That is the number any Providence offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Boston has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Providence | – | 5,530 | $45,250 |
| Worcester | 36 mi | 2,170 | $47,980 |
| Boston | 41 mi | 15,120 | $49,030 |
| Hartford | 66 mi | 4,060 | $44,860 |
| Bridgeport | 102 mi | 4,920 | $46,430 |
| Albany | 133 mi | 2,400 | $41,290 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Providence crews.
Not commercial irrigation work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Providence in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Rhode Island State Health LaboratoryState-funded, multi-yearRecently completed / ramping to full occupancy
A 9-story downtown Providence facility combining public-health lab infrastructure with a high-containment BSL-3 lab and flexible space for future biotech tenants. Cleanroom-grade mechanical and electrical work at a scale the region rarely builds.
- Ocean State Labs life-science incubator$13M investment over 10 yearsOpened May 2026
Rhode Island's first life-science startup incubator, a 30,000 sq ft Brown University-backed facility at 150 Richmond St. Signals a growing pipeline of smaller lab build-outs feeding off the state's larger cleanroom investment.
- FY2027 Economic Development Bond (life-sciences share)~$45M life-sciences-specific (of a $115M total bond question; the remaining ~$70M is unrelated Quonset Business Park industrial-pad funding)Proposed - one of five bond questions on the November 2026 ballot, not yet approved by voters
If approved, would fund industrial facilities infrastructure to support life-sciences sector growth - roads, utilities, and site readiness for future lab and manufacturing tenants. Not yet active spending.
Showing 3 of 4 projects tracked in this metro. The Providence market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for commercial irrigation, and what kills offers in Providence.
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 Providence.
What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in Providence?
BLS puts the Providence median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers at $45,250 a year, 16% above the $39,150 national median. That ranks 17th of 112 metros with published figures, in the top quarter. Pay is bunched together here, $36,590 to $58,080 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 Providence?
Not by national standards. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers make up 26% more of the Providence workforce than they do nationally, about 5,530 people. The 1,153 landscaping companies here average about 4.9 employees per location, mostly small shops, so candidates often know every employer in town by name. With 18% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial irrigation roles pay the most in Providence?
Of the roles we recruit for, Irrigation Project Manager pays the most in Providence, a $122,830 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Irrigation System Designer at $80,600, 34% below it. Irrigation Technician / Installer is the lowest-paid field role at $45,250. Relative to national pay, Backflow Prevention Specialist is the strongest-paying role here (25% above).
How many landscaping companies operate in Providence?
BLS counted 1,153 landscaping companies in Providence in 2023, employing about 5,636 people between them. Up from 975 in 2018, an 18% increase against 13% growth nationally. That averages 4.9 people per location, so most are small shops. They pay an average of $53,210, 10% above the $48,279 national average for the same kind of employer. BLS counts irrigation contractors under landscaping companies.
Which nearby metros compete with Providence for landscaping and groundskeeping workers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Worcester (36 miles, about 2,170, $47,980 median), Boston (41 miles, about 15,120, $49,030 median) and Hartford (66 miles, about 4,060, $44,860 median). Boston has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Worcester pays 6% more, which is where Providence employers tend to lose people.
Plenty of people. Few of them looking.
Providence 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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