Commercial Irrigation recruiters serving Winston-Salem.
About 1,820 landscaping and groundskeeping workers work in the Winston-Salem metro, at a $37,420 median. BLS counts 334 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 Winston-Salem.
BLS counts about 2,680 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Winston-Salem metro, the largest group being landscaping and groundskeeping workers (about 1,820). Relative to the size of the local economy, landscaping and groundskeeping workers are more concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 1.09). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Irrigation hub.
Irrigation Technician / Installer
Winston-Salem: 1,820 employed · $37,420 median, 75th-highest of 112 metros
Certified Irrigation Technician (CIT)
Irrigation System Designer
Winston-Salem: BLS does not publish a local figure for this occupation.
Backflow Prevention Specialist
Winston-Salem: 860 employed · $49,240 median, 109th-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Service / Repair Technician
Irrigation Foreman / Crew Lead
Winston-Salem: $49,400 median, 97th-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Project Manager
Winston-Salem: 710 employed · $103,750 median, 79th-highest of 111 metros
Irrigation Estimator
Winston-Salem: 540 employed · $71,220 median, 99th-highest of 111 metros
Smart / Controller Systems Technician
Landscape Water Management Auditor
What Commercial Irrigation roles earn in Winston-Salem.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Winston-Salem earn a median $37,420, 4% under the $39,150 national figure, and 75th of 112 metros. Pay runs $31,030 at the tenth percentile to $48,670 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is first-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers, at $49,400 against $58,430 nationally. BLS withholds Winston-Salem pay for one occupation in the table.
| Role | Winston-Salem 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) | $37,420 | $31,030–$48,670 | $39,150 | −4% | 1,820 |
| Irrigation System DesignerLandscape Architects (17-1012) | – | – | $79,870 | – | – |
| Backflow Prevention SpecialistPlumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (47-2152) | $49,240 | $37,830–$72,160 | $63,800 | −23% | 860 |
| Irrigation Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers (37-1012) | $49,400 | $45,960–$60,950 | $58,430 | −15% | – |
| Irrigation Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $103,750 | $65,330–$181,260 | $114,990 | −10% | 710 |
| Irrigation EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $71,220 | $36,300–$106,740 | $78,740 | −10% | 540 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Winston-Salem 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 Winston-Salem's commercial irrigation market has changed since 2018.
The number of landscaping companies in Winston-Salem rose from 258 in 2018 to 334 in 2023, up 29%, ahead of the 13% national rise. Headcount at those firms went up 24%, to about 1,757 people. Average annual pay there went from $30,979 to $42,624 (+38%), faster than the 31% national increase, a sign employers here have had to bid up.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaping companies: business locations | 258 | 334 | +29% |
| Landscaping companies: employment | 1,421 | 1,757 | +24% |
| Landscaping companies: average annual pay | $30,979 | $42,624 | +38% |
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
Winston-Salem runs 9% more commercial irrigation workers per job than the country as a whole — 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 Winston-Salem's commercial irrigation market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Winston-Salem ranks 81st for headcount, 69th for median pay and 35th for concentration for landscaping and groundskeeping workers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte | 8,400 | $38,630 | 1.01 | 1,223 |
| Raleigh | 5,710 | $38,500 | 1.25 | 684 |
| Winston-Salem | 1,820 | $37,420 | 1.09 | 334 |
| Greensboro | 1,730 | $37,830 | 0.77 | 337 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill | 1,710 | $38,610 | 0.81 | 240 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial irrigation employers in Winston-Salem, 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, Winston-Salem metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Commercial Irrigation licensing in North Carolina.
North Carolina requires irrigation contractors to hold a state license from a dedicated board. Applicants need irrigation experience, a background check, a passing exam score and a surety bond. The same state rules apply in Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro and Durham-Chapel Hill, so candidates licensed there can work in Winston-Salem without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: North Carolina Irrigation Contractors' Licensing Board. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Winston-Salem talent.
The closest metro we cover is Greensboro, about 25 miles away, with roughly 1,730 landscaping and groundskeeping workers (1.0 times Winston-Salem's 1,820). Pay is close across the region: medians run from $36,610 in Greenville to $38,630 in Charlotte, against $37,420 here. Charlotte has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winston-Salem | – | 1,820 | $37,420 |
| Greensboro | 25 mi | 1,730 | $37,830 |
| Charlotte | 69 mi | 8,400 | $38,630 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill | 75 mi | 1,710 | $38,610 |
| Raleigh | 93 mi | 5,710 | $38,500 |
| Greenville | 149 mi | 2,420 | $36,610 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Winston-Salem crews.
Not commercial irrigation work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Winston-Salem in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Downtown amphitheater~$25MGroundbreaking July 2026
A permanent, 5,000-capacity venue - grown from an initial ~$10M modular concept - anchoring downtown's entertainment district.
- Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Freischlag Tower~$426M campus expansion (the $619.1M bond issuance also covered refinancing of other system debt, not solely this tower)Opened July 2025
A new care tower on the main Ardmore campus - one of the largest healthcare capital projects in the region's history.
- Innovation Quarter Phase IIUndisclosed (28 acres, 2.5M+ sq ft planned)Multi-year buildout
Eight new buildings between downtown Winston-Salem and U.S. 52, combining retail, scientific/biotech, healthcare, and residential space.
Showing 3 of 4 projects tracked in this metro. The Winston-Salem market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for commercial irrigation, and what kills offers in Winston-Salem.
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 Winston-Salem.
What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in Winston-Salem?
BLS puts the Winston-Salem median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers at $37,420 a year, 4% below the $39,150 national median. That ranks 75th of 112 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Pay is bunched together here, $31,030 to $48,670 across the 10th to 90th percentile and only a 1.6x gap, so small differences in an offer are noticed. Within North Carolina, Charlotte pays more, at $38,630.
Is it hard to hire landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Winston-Salem?
It is about average. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers are as common in Winston-Salem as they are nationally (location quotient 1.09), with about 1,820 in the metro. The 334 landscaping companies here average about 5.3 employees per location, mostly small shops, so candidates often know every employer in town by name. With 29% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial irrigation roles pay the most in Winston-Salem?
Of the roles we recruit for, Irrigation Project Manager pays the most in Winston-Salem, a $103,750 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Irrigation Foreman / Crew Lead at $49,400, 52% below it. Irrigation Technician / Installer is the lowest-paid field role at $37,420. Backflow Prevention Specialist trails national pay the most (23% below).
How many landscaping companies operate in Winston-Salem?
BLS counted 334 landscaping companies in Winston-Salem in 2023, employing about 1,757 people between them. Up from 258 in 2018, a 29% increase against 13% growth nationally. That averages 5.3 people per location, so most are small shops. They pay an average of $42,624, 12% below the $48,279 national average for the same kind of employer. BLS counts irrigation contractors under landscaping companies.
Which nearby metros compete with Winston-Salem for landscaping and groundskeeping workers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Greensboro (25 miles, about 1,730, $37,830 median), Charlotte (69 miles, about 8,400, $38,630 median) and Durham-Chapel Hill (75 miles, about 1,710, $38,610 median). Charlotte has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move.
The seat is open. The pipeline should not be.
334 landscaping companies in Winston-Salem are drawing on the same 1,820 landscaping and groundskeeping workers. Let's get your next hire lined up first.
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