Commercial Irrigation recruiters serving Rochester.
About 3,060 landscaping and groundskeeping workers work in the Rochester metro, at a $39,680 median. BLS counts 473 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 Rochester.
BLS counts about 5,060 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Rochester metro, the largest group being landscaping and groundskeeping workers (about 3,060). Relative to the size of the local economy, landscaping and groundskeeping workers are about as concentrated here as nationally (location quotient 1.01). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Irrigation hub.
Irrigation Technician / Installer
Rochester: 3,060 employed · $39,680 median, 41st-highest of 112 metros
Certified Irrigation Technician (CIT)
Irrigation System Designer
Rochester: 60 employed · $77,610 median, 49th-highest of 78 metros
Backflow Prevention Specialist
Rochester: 1,460 employed · $73,580 median, 27th-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Service / Repair Technician
Irrigation Foreman / Crew Lead
Rochester: 480 employed · $56,740 median, 65th-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Project Manager
Rochester: 490 employed · $134,940 median, 8th-highest of 111 metros
Irrigation Estimator
Rochester: 770 employed · $78,890 median, 47th-highest of 111 metros
Smart / Controller Systems Technician
Landscape Water Management Auditor
What Commercial Irrigation roles earn in Rochester.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Rochester earn a median $39,680, level with the $39,150 national figure, and 41st of 112 metros. Pay runs $34,720 at the tenth percentile to $53,040 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is landscape architects, at $77,610 against $79,870 nationally.
| Role | Rochester 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) | $39,680 | $34,720–$53,040 | $39,150 | +1% | 3,060 |
| Irrigation System DesignerLandscape Architects (17-1012) | $77,610 | $56,430–$123,820 | $79,870 | −3% | 60 |
| Backflow Prevention SpecialistPlumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (47-2152) | $73,580 | $43,570–$100,140 | $63,800 | +15% | 1,460 |
| Irrigation Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers (37-1012) | $56,740 | $51,990–$83,570 | $58,430 | −3% | 480 |
| Irrigation Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $134,940 | $88,050–$216,390 | $114,990 | +17% | 490 |
| Irrigation EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $78,890 | $50,750–$126,240 | $78,740 | 0% | 770 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Rochester 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 Rochester's commercial irrigation market has changed since 2018.
The number of landscaping companies in Rochester rose from 455 in 2018 to 473 in 2023, up 4%, behind the 13% growth nationally. Headcount at those firms went up 11%, to about 2,974 people. Average annual pay there went from $41,180 to $51,699 (+26%), slower than the 31% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaping companies: business locations | 455 | 473 | +4% |
| Landscaping companies: employment | 2,677 | 2,974 | +11% |
| Landscaping companies: average annual pay | $41,180 | $51,699 | +26% |
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
Rochester sits at about the national rate for commercial irrigation — neither unusually deep nor unusually thin.
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 Rochester's commercial irrigation market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Rochester ranks 54th for headcount, 37th for median pay and 43rd for concentration for landscaping and groundskeeping workers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 50,410 | $45,530 | 0.87 | 8,422 |
| Rochester | 3,060 | $39,680 | 1.01 | 473 |
| Buffalo | 2,870 | $41,770 | 0.88 | 587 |
| Albany | 2,400 | $41,290 | 0.87 | 380 |
| Syracuse | 1,670 | $40,010 | 0.91 | 289 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial irrigation employers in Rochester, the pool is about the national norm for its size and local employers are adding people, so expect competing offers on experienced candidates and keep the process short.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Rochester metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Commercial Irrigation licensing in New York.
New York requires backflow testers to be certified. Since March 2011, initial certifications have been issued by training providers the Department of Health approves. The same state rules apply in New York, Buffalo, Albany and Syracuse, so candidates licensed there can work in Rochester without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: New York State Department of Health. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Rochester talent.
The closest metro we cover is Buffalo, about 65 miles away, with roughly 2,870 landscaping and groundskeeping workers (0.9 times Rochester's 3,060). Buffalo pays the most nearby, a $41,770 median, 5% above Rochester. That is the number any Rochester offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Rochester is the largest market for this work in the region, so nearby metros tend to recruit from here rather than the other way round.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rochester | – | 3,060 | $39,680 |
| Buffalo | 66 mi | 2,870 | $41,770 |
| Syracuse | 74 mi | 1,670 | $40,010 |
| Scranton | 157 mi | 1,330 | $37,330 |
| Albany | 198 mi | 2,400 | $41,290 |
| Harrisburg | 203 mi | 1,630 | $38,700 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Rochester crews.
Not commercial irrigation work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Rochester in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- QED Technologies expansion$18.7MRibbon-cut August 5, 2026
Added up to 20,000 sq ft to the University Avenue facility for a new R&D center and expanded precision optics fabrication capacity.
- University of Rochester Institute of Optics research complex$200MGroundbreaking 2026
A major research facility anchoring the region's optics/photonics talent pipeline - lab-grade mechanical and electrical construction distinct from manufacturing-floor work.
- Sydor Optics manufacturing expansion$32M+New 100,000 sq ft facility, up to 36 new jobs
A new photonics manufacturing facility to accommodate continued growth - one of the largest single optics-manufacturing capital projects in the region's history.
Showing 3 of 4 projects tracked in this metro. The Rochester market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for commercial irrigation, and what kills offers in Rochester.
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 Rochester.
What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in Rochester?
BLS puts the Rochester median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers at $39,680 a year, about the same as the $39,150 national median. That ranks 41st of 112 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Pay is bunched together here, $34,720 to $53,040 across the 10th to 90th percentile and only a 1.5x gap, so small differences in an offer are noticed. Within New York, New York pays more, at $45,530.
Is it hard to hire landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Rochester?
It is about average. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers are as common in Rochester as they are nationally (location quotient 1.01), with about 3,060 in the metro. The 473 landscaping companies here average about 6.3 employees per location, mostly small shops, so candidates often know every employer in town by name.
Which commercial irrigation roles pay the most in Rochester?
Of the roles we recruit for, Irrigation Project Manager pays the most in Rochester, a $134,940 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Irrigation System Designer at $77,610, 42% below it. Irrigation Technician / Installer is the lowest-paid field role at $39,680. Relative to national pay, Irrigation Project Manager is the strongest-paying role here (17% above).
How many landscaping companies operate in Rochester?
BLS counted 473 landscaping companies in Rochester in 2023, employing about 2,974 people between them. Up from 455 in 2018, a 4% increase against 13% growth nationally. That averages 6.3 people per location, so most are small shops. They pay an average of $51,699, 7% above the $48,279 national average for the same kind of employer. BLS counts irrigation contractors under landscaping companies.
Which nearby metros compete with Rochester for landscaping and groundskeeping workers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Buffalo (66 miles, about 2,870, $41,770 median), Syracuse (74 miles, about 1,670, $40,010 median) and Scranton (157 miles, about 1,330, $37,330 median). Buffalo pays 5% more, which is where Rochester employers tend to lose people.
The seat is open. The pipeline should not be.
473 landscaping companies in Rochester are drawing on the same 3,060 landscaping and groundskeeping workers. Let's get your next hire lined up first.
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