Commercial Irrigation recruiters serving Wichita.
About 1,760 landscaping and groundskeeping workers work in the Wichita metro, at a $38,260 median. 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 Wichita.
BLS counts about 3,030 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Wichita metro, the largest group being landscaping and groundskeeping workers (about 1,760). Relative to the size of the local economy, landscaping and groundskeeping workers are less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.93). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Irrigation hub.
Irrigation Technician / Installer
Wichita: 1,760 employed · $38,260 median, 58th-highest of 112 metros
Certified Irrigation Technician (CIT)
Irrigation System Designer
Wichita: 30 employed · $66,120 median, 71st-highest of 78 metros
Backflow Prevention Specialist
Wichita: 1,060 employed · $60,940 median, 67th-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Service / Repair Technician
Irrigation Foreman / Crew Lead
Wichita: 180 employed · $57,060 median, 61st-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Project Manager
Wichita: 730 employed · $108,180 median, 60th-highest of 111 metros
Irrigation Estimator
Wichita: 570 employed · $75,090 median, 78th-highest of 111 metros
Smart / Controller Systems Technician
Landscape Water Management Auditor
What Commercial Irrigation roles earn in Wichita.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Wichita earn a median $38,260, level with the $39,150 national figure, and 58th of 112 metros. Pay runs $29,890 at the tenth percentile to $47,640 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is landscape architects, at $66,120 against $79,870 nationally.
| Role | Wichita 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) | $38,260 | $29,890–$47,640 | $39,150 | −2% | 1,760 |
| Irrigation System DesignerLandscape Architects (17-1012) | $66,120 | $33,810–$157,900 | $79,870 | −17% | 30 |
| Backflow Prevention SpecialistPlumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (47-2152) | $60,940 | $38,290–$93,630 | $63,800 | −4% | 1,060 |
| Irrigation Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers (37-1012) | $57,060 | $46,290–$73,690 | $58,430 | −2% | 180 |
| Irrigation Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $108,180 | $72,190–$159,140 | $114,990 | −6% | 730 |
| Irrigation EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $75,090 | $47,390–$113,670 | $78,740 | −5% | 570 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Wichita 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 Wichita's commercial irrigation market has changed since 2018.
The number of landscaping companies in Wichita rose from 198 in 2018 to 205 in 2023, up 4%, behind the 13% growth nationally.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaping companies: business locations | 198 | 205 | +4% |
| Landscaping companies: employment | – | 1,544 | – |
| Landscaping companies: average annual pay | – | $43,436 | – |
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
Wichita runs 7% 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 Wichita's commercial irrigation market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Wichita ranks 83rd for headcount, 53rd for median pay and 59th for concentration for landscaping and groundskeeping workers.
What this means for hiring:For commercial irrigation employers in Wichita, 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, Wichita metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Commercial Irrigation licensing in Kansas.
Kansas has no statewide contractor licensing of any kind, and that includes irrigation, landscape, general contracting and plumbing. The state's own business licensing guidance says cities and counties set licensing requirements for construction and contracting businesses, and that separate licenses may exist for electrical, plumbing and HVAC depending on the jurisdiction and on whether the work is commercial or residential. Backflow is handled the same way at city level. Wichita, for example, requires every irrigation system connected to the city water system to have a working backflow device, and requires testers to have completed backflow certification and to hold a current annual tester registration card with the city. Verify licensing and tester registration in each city or county where the crew will actually work.
Licensing authority: No state license; regulated locally by Kansas cities and counties, with backflow and cross-connection control enforced by municipal water utilities. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Wichita talent.
The closest metro we cover is Tulsa, about 130 miles away, with roughly 2,360 landscaping and groundskeeping workers (1.3 times Wichita's 1,760). Omaha pays the most nearby, a $45,970 median, 20% above Wichita. That is the number any Wichita offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Kansas City has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wichita | – | 1,760 | $38,260 |
| Tulsa | 130 mi | 2,360 | $36,780 |
| Oklahoma City | 154 mi | 3,940 | $36,760 |
| Kansas City | 178 mi | 6,660 | $41,450 |
| Omaha | 257 mi | 3,870 | $45,970 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Wichita crews.
Not commercial irrigation work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Wichita in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Wichita Biomedical Campus$302MOpening spring 2027
An 8-story, 350,000 sq ft partnership between Wichita State University, the University of Kansas, and WSU Tech, bringing 3,000 students and 200 faculty/staff downtown.
- Textron Aviation Defense modernization$38M+Contingent on Beechcraft M-346N contract award
Modernizing 50,000+ sq ft of manufacturing space on the east Wichita campus, creating an estimated 100 direct manufacturing jobs.
- Boeing Wichita site investment$1B (following an $8.3B Spirit AeroSystems reacquisition)Over the next three years
Boeing finalized reacquiring Spirit AeroSystems in December 2025, bringing roughly 15,000 employees back under Boeing and committing $1B to modernize the Wichita site.
Showing 3 of 4 projects tracked in this metro. The Wichita market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for commercial irrigation, and what kills offers in Wichita.
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 Wichita.
What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in Wichita?
BLS puts the Wichita median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers at $38,260 a year, about the same as the $39,150 national median. That ranks 58th of 112 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Pay is bunched together here, $29,890 to $47,640 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 Wichita?
It is about average. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers are as common in Wichita as they are nationally (location quotient 0.93), with about 1,760 in the metro. The 205 landscaping companies here average about 7.5 employees per location, mostly small shops, so candidates often know every employer in town by name.
Which commercial irrigation roles pay the most in Wichita?
Of the roles we recruit for, Irrigation Project Manager pays the most in Wichita, a $108,180 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Irrigation System Designer at $66,120, 39% below it. Irrigation Technician / Installer is the lowest-paid field role at $38,260. Irrigation System Designer trails national pay the most (17% below).
How many landscaping companies operate in Wichita?
BLS counted 205 landscaping companies in Wichita in 2023, employing about 1,544 people between them. Up from 198 in 2018, a 4% increase against 13% growth nationally. That averages 7.5 people per location, so most are small shops. They pay an average of $43,436, 10% below the $48,279 national average for the same kind of employer. BLS counts irrigation contractors under landscaping companies.
Which nearby metros compete with Wichita for landscaping and groundskeeping workers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Tulsa (130 miles, about 2,360, $36,780 median), Oklahoma City (154 miles, about 3,940, $36,760 median) and Kansas City (178 miles, about 6,660, $41,450 median). Oklahoma City has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Kansas City pays 8% more, which is where Wichita employers tend to lose people.
The seat is open. The pipeline should not be.
205 landscaping companies in Wichita are drawing on the same 1,760 landscaping and groundskeeping workers. Let's get your next hire lined up first.
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