Commercial Irrigation recruiters serving Scranton.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers are scarcer in Scranton than in most of the country, 15% fewer per job, so the roughly 1,330 who work here are rarely short of offers. BLS counts 205 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 Scranton.
BLS counts about 1,980 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Scranton metro, the largest group being landscaping and groundskeeping workers (about 1,330). Relative to the size of the local economy, landscaping and groundskeeping workers are less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.85). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Irrigation hub.
Irrigation Technician / Installer
Scranton: 1,330 employed · $37,330 median, 76th-highest of 112 metros
Certified Irrigation Technician (CIT)
Irrigation System Designer
Scranton: BLS does not publish a local figure for this occupation.
Backflow Prevention Specialist
Scranton: 450 employed · $61,160 median, 66th-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Service / Repair Technician
Irrigation Foreman / Crew Lead
Scranton: 200 employed · $46,450 median, 107th-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Project Manager
Scranton: 210 employed · $108,500 median, 59th-highest of 111 metros
Irrigation Estimator
Scranton: 340 employed · $75,720 median, 75th-highest of 111 metros
Smart / Controller Systems Technician
Landscape Water Management Auditor
What Commercial Irrigation roles earn in Scranton.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Scranton earn a median $37,330, 5% under the $39,150 national figure, and 76th of 112 metros. Pay runs $27,890 at the tenth percentile to $49,330 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters, at $61,160 against $63,800 nationally. BLS withholds Scranton pay for one occupation in the table.
| Role | Scranton 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) | $37,330 | $27,890–$49,330 | $39,150 | −5% | 1,330 |
| Irrigation System DesignerLandscape Architects (17-1012) | – | – | $79,870 | – | – |
| Backflow Prevention SpecialistPlumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (47-2152) | $61,160 | $43,690–$98,150 | $63,800 | −4% | 450 |
| Irrigation Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers (37-1012) | $46,450 | $42,680–$66,780 | $58,430 | −21% | 200 |
| Irrigation Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $108,500 | $76,500–$162,850 | $114,990 | −6% | 210 |
| Irrigation EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $75,720 | $51,310–$118,180 | $78,740 | −4% | 340 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Scranton 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 Scranton's commercial irrigation market has changed since 2018.
The number of landscaping companies in Scranton rose from 183 in 2018 to 205 in 2023, up 12%, close to the 13% national change. Headcount and pay for those firms are withheld in Scranton, so the occupation figures above are the better guide to what hiring costs.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaping companies: business locations | 183 | 205 | +12% |
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
Scranton runs 15% 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 Scranton's commercial irrigation market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Scranton ranks 96th for headcount, 70th for median pay and 82nd for concentration for landscaping and groundskeeping workers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia | 17,700 | $42,130 | 1.00 | 2,600 |
| Pittsburgh | 6,650 | $37,690 | 0.97 | 964 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem | 2,310 | $39,350 | 1.00 | 361 |
| Lancaster | 1,650 | $39,140 | 1.07 | 234 |
| Harrisburg | 1,630 | $38,700 | 0.79 | 195 |
| Scranton | 1,330 | $37,330 | 0.85 | 205 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial irrigation employers in Scranton, the local pool is thinner than most, so plan on recruiting some roles in from outside the metro.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Scranton metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Commercial Irrigation licensing in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania does not license or certify most construction contractors at state level, and there is no irrigation, landscape or general contractor license. The Department of Labor and Industry states plainly that the Commonwealth has no licensure or certification requirement for most construction contractors or their employees, and that individual municipalities set their own requirements, most often for home improvement, electrical and plumbing contractors. The only statewide registration that touches this work is Home Improvement Contractor registration with the Attorney General, which applies to residential jobs rather than commercial ones. For backflow, 25 Pa. Code 109.709 requires public water suppliers to operate cross-connection control programs, so the tester credential a crew needs is whatever the water authority serving the job accepts. The same state rules apply in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown-Bethlehem, Harrisburg and Lancaster, so candidates licensed there can work in Scranton without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: No state license; the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry confirms there is no state contractor licensure and leaves trade licensing to municipalities. Confirm current rules with the agency.
We have not closed a commercial irrigation search in Scranton 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 Scranton than imply a record in this trade that we do not have yet.
- HVAC TechnicianA senior technician across commercial and industrial HVAC and refrigeration.
Nearby markets competing for Scranton talent.
The closest metro we cover is Allentown-Bethlehem, about 55 miles away, with roughly 2,310 landscaping and groundskeeping workers (1.7 times Scranton's 1,330). New York pays the most nearby, a $45,530 median, 22% above Scranton. That is the number any Scranton offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. New York has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scranton | – | 1,330 | $37,330 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem | 56 mi | 2,310 | $39,350 |
| New York | 99 mi | 50,410 | $45,530 |
| Lancaster | 100 mi | 1,650 | $39,140 |
| Harrisburg | 101 mi | 1,630 | $38,700 |
| Philadelphia | 104 mi | 17,700 | $42,130 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Scranton crews.
Not commercial irrigation work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Scranton in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- NorthPoint Development data center campus (Hazle Township)UndisclosedPermit denied Nov 2025, developer appealing
A 15-building data center campus proposed on approximately 1,280 acres. Hazle Township supervisors voted 3-0 to deny the plan; the developer is now pursuing litigation/appeal, so this remains a proposal, not an active project.
- Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center expansion$900MStructural steel complete July 2026; tower opens Q1 2028; renovations through 2030
An 11-story, 600,000 sq ft patient tower increasing capacity from 356 to 500 beds and operating rooms from 12 to 18, plus an expanded emergency department.
- AWS data center (Salem Township)Part of a $20B combined AWS Pennsylvania investmentUnder development
One of two Amazon Web Services data centers in the state, with capacity Amazon has not publicly disclosed.
These are the 3 projects we track in Scranton. The Scranton market page covers hiring conditions across every trade here.
What credentials matter for commercial irrigation, and what kills offers in Scranton.
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 Scranton.
What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in Scranton?
BLS puts the Scranton median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers at $37,330 a year, 5% below the $39,150 national median. That ranks 76th of 112 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Most of the market sits between $27,890 and $49,330, a 1.8x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. Within Pennsylvania, Philadelphia pays more, at $42,130.
Is it hard to hire landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Scranton?
Yes. Scranton has 15% fewer landscaping and groundskeeping workers per job than the country as a whole, roughly 1,330 in the metro, so most of the people worth hiring are already employed. With 12% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial irrigation roles pay the most in Scranton?
Of the roles we recruit for, Irrigation Project Manager pays the most in Scranton, a $108,500 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Backflow Prevention Specialist at $61,160, 44% below it. Irrigation Technician / Installer is the lowest-paid field role at $37,330. Irrigation Foreman / Crew Lead trails national pay the most (21% below).
How many landscaping companies operate in Scranton?
BLS counted 205 landscaping companies in Scranton in 2023. Up from 183 in 2018, a 12% 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 Scranton for landscaping and groundskeeping workers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Allentown-Bethlehem (56 miles, about 2,310, $39,350 median), New York (99 miles, about 50,410, $45,530 median) and Lancaster (100 miles, about 1,650, $39,140 median). Allentown-Bethlehem has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Allentown-Bethlehem pays 5% more, which is where Scranton employers tend to lose people.
Thin market. Short list anyway.
With landscaping and groundskeeping workers this scarce in Scranton, an open seat rarely fills from a job posting. Let's line up the people before the next one opens.
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