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How to hire an irrigation technician

Irrigation technician hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring irrigation technicians in the United States:

  • There are currently 21,138 irrigation technicians in the US, as well as 27,291 job openings.
  • Irrigation technicians are in the highest demand in Denver, CO, with 10 current job openings.
  • The median cost to hire an irrigation technician is $1,633.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • Human Resources use 15% of their expenses on recruitment on average.
  • On average, it takes around 12 weeks for a new irrigation technician to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.

How to hire an irrigation technician, step by step

To hire an irrigation technician, you need to identify the specific skills and experience you want in a candidate, allocate a budget for the position, and advertise the job opening to attract potential candidates. To hire an irrigation technician, you should follow these steps:

Here's a step-by-step irrigation technician hiring guide:

  • Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
  • Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
  • Step 3: Make a budget
  • Step 4: Write an irrigation technician job description
  • Step 5: Post your job
  • Step 6: Interview candidates
  • Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new irrigation technician
  • Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an irrigation technician do?

An irrigation technician is responsible for installing, testing, and maintaining irrigation equipment such as sprinklers, suction valves, and pumps. Typical duties for this position include operating heavy machinery for trenching, installing wiring systems for irrigation timers, and inspecting equipment for a day's work. In addition, an irrigation technician may be required to travel to the client's location to install, test, or perform preventative maintenance of irrigation equipment. You are also expected to dig trenches and install lines and pipes and troubleshoot and replace faulty parts.

Learn more about the specifics of what an irrigation technician does
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    Before you post your irrigation technician job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find an irrigation technician for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

    Determine employee vs contractor status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    An irrigation technician's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, irrigation technicians from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

    This list presents irrigation technician salaries for various positions.

    Type of Irrigation TechnicianDescriptionHourly rate
    Irrigation TechnicianGrounds maintenance workers ensure that the grounds of houses, businesses, and parks are attractive, orderly, and healthy in order to provide a pleasant outdoor environment. $12-21
    KeeperA storekeeper is responsible for managing all a store's operations and overseeing the care and maintenance of stocks, including inventory management. Your duties will include receiving, unloading, and shelving supplies, inspecting deliveries for discrepancies and damage, and managing all documentation... Show more$11-23
    Landscape Crew LeaderA landscape crew leader works hand-in-hand with a Foreman during the landscape project installation. This professional represents the organization's best interest and maintains top-notch professionalism and integrity... Show more$13-24
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Golf Courses
    • Trenchers
    • Sprinkler Heads
    • Customer Service
    • Taking Care
    • Work Ethic
    • Hand Tools
    • PVC
    • Grounds Maintenance
    • Sprinkler Systems
    • GRASS
    • Mowing
    • Sprinklers
    • Plumbing
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Manage hardscape installation team and project
    • Work with irrigation equipment such as sprinklers, water lines, pumps, suction devices, valves and other plumbing equipment.
    • Used hand and power tools to dig trenches and lay PVC and other pipes for landscape and sprinkler systems.
    • Install, troubleshoot and repair valves.
    • Dig shallow wells and install electrical pump.
    • Rake leaves and prune shrubs as needed.
    More irrigation technician duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your irrigation technician job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. An irrigation technician can vary based on:

    • Location. For example, irrigation technicians' average salary in west virginia is 41% less than in massachusetts.
    • Seniority. Entry-level irrigation technicians 40% less than senior-level irrigation technicians.
    • Certifications. An irrigation technician with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
    • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in an irrigation technician's salary.

    Average irrigation technician salary

    $35,472yearly

    $17.05 hourly rate

    Entry-level irrigation technician salary
    $27,000 yearly salary
    Updated December 13, 2025

    Average irrigation technician salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1California$42,758$21
    2Washington$42,182$20
    3Montana$41,466$20
    4Connecticut$40,868$20
    5Colorado$40,119$19
    6Minnesota$39,782$19
    7Utah$39,564$19
    8Oregon$38,577$19
    9New Mexico$38,348$18
    10Arizona$38,019$18
    11Idaho$37,937$18
    12North Carolina$36,151$17
    13Indiana$35,638$17
    14Kansas$34,600$17
    15Oklahoma$33,264$16
    16Tennessee$32,835$16
    17Texas$31,774$15
    18Florida$31,585$15

    Average irrigation technician salary by company

    RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rateJob openings
    1San Diego College of Continuing Education$42,622$20.49
    2Dallas College$40,723$19.581
    3Yaamava' Resort & Casino$38,710$18.61
    4KUT$38,364$18.44
    5J.F. Shea Co$38,129$18.332
    6City and County of Denver Government$37,760$18.15
    7Ryan Lawn & Tree$36,638$17.61
    8ECI Communications$36,614$17.60
    9LSI$36,607$17.60
    10City of Odessa$36,557$17.58
    11North County$36,548$17.57
    12Prairie View$36,363$17.48
    13CHS$36,275$17.441
    14Ruppert Landscape$36,169$17.39
    15AdventHealth$35,999$17.315
    16DRF Trusted Property Solutions$35,768$17.20
    17Memphis Zoo$35,742$17.181
    18Medxcel$35,642$17.14
    19BrightView$35,628$17.13125
    20Mosaic Consulting Group$35,541$17.09
  4. Writing an irrigation technician job description

    A good irrigation technician job description should include a few things:

    • Summary of the role
    • List of responsibilities
    • Required skills and experience

    Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of an irrigation technician job description:

    Irrigation technician job description example

    Position Type/Expected Hours of Work: This is a full-time 40 hr per week position which regularly requires flexible hours and frequent weekend work.

    Required Education and Experience

    • High School Diploma or equivalent
    • Three years of relevant experience, or any equivalent combination of education and experience that demonstrates the ability to do the job.
    • Knowledge of irrigation systems and equipment.

    Preferred Education and Experience: Previous work experience servicing vehicles or machinery.

    Work Environment: While performing the duties of this job, the employee frequently works in outside weather conditions. The employee is occasionally exposed to wet and/or humid conditions, fumes or airborne particles, chemicals and vibration. The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet while in the office, or moderately loud when using machinery and on Zoo grounds.

    Physical Demands : The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

    While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, talk and hear. The employee is constantly required to use hands and fingers to feel, handle or operate objects, tools, or controls; and reach with hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl and walk. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, color vision, and the ability to adjust focus.

    Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

    Other Duties: Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.



    Job Posted by ApplicantPro
  5. Post your job

    There are a few common ways to find irrigation technicians for your business:

    • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
    • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
    • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
    • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your irrigation technician job on Zippia to find and recruit irrigation technician candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    To successfully recruit irrigation technicians, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

    It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

    The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

  7. Send a job offer and onboard your new irrigation technician

    Once you've found the irrigation technician candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

    It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

    To prepare for the new irrigation technician first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

  8. Go through the hiring process checklist

    • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
    • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
    • Define job responsibilities and requirements
    • Establish budget and timeline
    • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
    • Write job description
    • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
    • Promote the job internally
    • Process applications through applicant tracking system
    • Review resumes and cover letters
    • Shortlist candidates for screening
    • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
    • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
    • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
    • Conduct background checks on top candidates
    • Check references of top candidates
    • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
    • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
    • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
    • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
    • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
    • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)
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How much does it cost to hire an irrigation technician?

Before you start to hire irrigation technicians, it pays to consider both the one-off costs like recruitment, job promotion, and onboarding, as well as the ongoing costs of an employee's salary and benefits. While most companies that hire irrigation technicians pay close attention to the initial cost of hiring, ongoing costs are much more significant in the long run.

Irrigation technicians earn a median yearly salary is $35,472 a year in the US. However, if you're looking to find irrigation technicians for hire on a contract or per-project basis, hourly rates typically range between $12 and $21.

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