Commercial Irrigation recruiters serving San Antonio.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers are scarcer in San Antonio than in most of the country, 45% fewer per job, so the roughly 3,760 who work here are rarely short of offers. BLS counts 467 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 San Antonio.
BLS counts about 7,710 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the San Antonio metro, the largest group being landscaping and groundskeeping workers (about 3,760). Relative to the size of the local economy, landscaping and groundskeeping workers are far less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.55). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Irrigation hub.
Irrigation Technician / Installer
San Antonio: 3,760 employed · $35,630 median, 106th-highest of 112 metros
Certified Irrigation Technician (CIT)
Irrigation System Designer
San Antonio: 70 employed · $78,880 median, 44th-highest of 78 metros
Backflow Prevention Specialist
San Antonio: 3,190 employed · $58,180 median, 86th-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Service / Repair Technician
Irrigation Foreman / Crew Lead
San Antonio: 690 employed · $45,520 median, 110th-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Project Manager
San Antonio: 4,680 employed · $98,450 median, 104th-highest of 111 metros
Irrigation Estimator
San Antonio: 1,690 employed · $74,830 median, 80th-highest of 111 metros
Smart / Controller Systems Technician
Landscape Water Management Auditor
What Commercial Irrigation roles earn in San Antonio.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers in San Antonio earn a median $35,630, 9% under the $39,150 national figure, and 106th of 112 metros. Pay runs $28,650 at the tenth percentile to $48,120 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is landscape architects, at $78,880 against $79,870 nationally.
| Role | San Antonio 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) | $35,630 | $28,650–$48,120 | $39,150 | −9% | 3,760 |
| Irrigation System DesignerLandscape Architects (17-1012) | $78,880 | $23,960–$124,810 | $79,870 | −1% | 70 |
| Backflow Prevention SpecialistPlumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (47-2152) | $58,180 | $37,240–$78,530 | $63,800 | −9% | 3,190 |
| Irrigation Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers (37-1012) | $45,520 | $36,410–$72,160 | $58,430 | −22% | 690 |
| Irrigation Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $98,450 | $61,370–$157,450 | $114,990 | −14% | 4,680 |
| Irrigation EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $74,830 | $45,340–$129,840 | $78,740 | −5% | 1,690 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, San Antonio 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 San Antonio's commercial irrigation market has changed since 2018.
The number of landscaping companies in San Antonio rose from 392 in 2018 to 467 in 2023, up 19%, ahead of the 13% national rise.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaping companies: business locations | 392 | 467 | +19% |
| Landscaping companies: employment | – | 3,574 | – |
| Landscaping companies: average annual pay | – | $45,966 | – |
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
San Antonio runs 45% fewer commercial irrigation workers per job than the country as a whole — well 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 San Antonio's commercial irrigation market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, San Antonio ranks 50th for headcount, 95th for median pay and 98th for concentration for landscaping and groundskeeping workers. That makes it one of the thinnest commercial irrigation labor markets we recruit in.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 19,750 | $37,680 | 0.80 | 1,629 |
| Houston | 14,840 | $36,280 | 0.74 | 1,026 |
| Austin | 7,600 | $38,370 | 0.96 | 610 |
| San Antonio | 3,760 | $35,630 | 0.55 | 467 |
| El Paso | 1,200 | $30,640 | 0.58 | 88 |
| McAllen | 680 | $29,060 | 0.37 | 33 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial irrigation employers in San Antonio, the local pool is thin but growing. Expect a mix of local candidates and people recruited in from nearby metros, and budget for relocation on senior roles.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, San Antonio metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Commercial Irrigation licensing in Texas.
Texas licenses landscape irrigators, irrigation technicians and irrigation inspectors at the state level through TCEQ. TCEQ also issues a separate Backflow Prevention Assembly Tester (BPAT) license. The same state rules apply in Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, McAllen and El Paso, so candidates licensed there can work in San Antonio without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). Confirm current rules with the agency.
We have not closed a commercial irrigation search in San Antonio 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 San Antonio than imply a record in this trade that we do not have yet.
- Estimator / Project ManagerShe grew her own asphalt repair business from $600K to $2.5 million before taking this seat.
- Estimator / Project ManagerAn 80% win rate on bids from $100,000 to $2 million, brought onto the same bid desk.
Nearby markets competing for San Antonio talent.
The closest metro we cover is Austin, about 75 miles away, with roughly 7,600 landscaping and groundskeeping workers (2.0 times San Antonio's 3,760). Austin pays the most nearby, a $38,370 median, 8% above San Antonio. That is the number any San Antonio offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Dallas-Fort Worth has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Antonio | – | 3,760 | $35,630 |
| Austin | 74 mi | 7,600 | $38,370 |
| Houston | 190 mi | 14,840 | $36,280 |
| McAllen | 223 mi | 680 | $29,060 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 253 mi | 19,750 | $37,680 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for San Antonio crews.
Not commercial irrigation work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into San Antonio in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Project Marvel downtown sports & entertainment districtMulti-billion (planned)Phased, breaking ground mid-decade
Downtown arena and entertainment district will drive specialty finishes, custom MEP, and steel erection once vertical construction begins.
- Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas (Tundra) + supplier expansions$500M+ recent reinvestmentOngoing
South Side truck plant and its on-site supplier park keep industrial mechanical, electrical, and controls trades tight across the region.
- CPS Energy grid & generation programMulti-year capital planOngoing
Municipal utility generation, substation, and grid-hardening work pulls high-voltage electricians and heavy industrial trades from the regional pool.
Showing 3 of 6 projects tracked in this metro. The San Antonio market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for commercial irrigation, and what kills offers in San Antonio.
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 San Antonio.
What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in San Antonio?
BLS puts the San Antonio median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers at $35,630 a year, 9% below the $39,150 national median. That ranks 106th of 112 metros with published figures, in the bottom quarter. Most of the market sits between $28,650 and $48,120, a 1.7x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. Within Texas, Austin pays more, at $38,370.
Is it hard to hire landscaping and groundskeeping workers in San Antonio?
Yes. San Antonio has 45% fewer landscaping and groundskeeping workers per job than the country as a whole, roughly 3,760 in the metro, so most of the people worth hiring are already employed. The 467 landscaping companies here average about 7.7 employees per location, mostly small shops, so candidates often know every employer in town by name. With 19% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial irrigation roles pay the most in San Antonio?
Of the roles we recruit for, Irrigation Project Manager pays the most in San Antonio, a $98,450 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Irrigation System Designer at $78,880, 20% below it. Irrigation Technician / Installer is the lowest-paid field role at $35,630. Irrigation Foreman / Crew Lead trails national pay the most (22% below).
How many landscaping companies operate in San Antonio?
BLS counted 467 landscaping companies in San Antonio in 2023, employing about 3,574 people between them. Up from 392 in 2018, a 19% increase against 13% growth nationally. That averages 7.7 people per location, so most are small shops. They pay an average of $45,966, 5% below the $48,279 national average for the same kind of employer. BLS counts irrigation contractors under landscaping companies.
Which nearby metros compete with San Antonio for landscaping and groundskeeping workers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Austin (74 miles, about 7,600, $38,370 median), Houston (190 miles, about 14,840, $36,280 median) and McAllen (223 miles, about 680, $29,060 median). Austin has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Austin pays 8% more, which is where San Antonio employers tend to lose people.
Thin market. Short list anyway.
With landscaping and groundskeeping workers this scarce in San Antonio, an open seat rarely fills from a job posting. Let's line up the people before the next one opens.
Schedule a Discovery Call →