Landscaper Salary in 2026: What Landscapers Actually Earn at Every Career Stage

Search "landscaper salary" and you'll get a single number — usually something around $38,000. That number isn't wrong. But it hides more than it reveals.

A first-year crew member mowing residential lawns in Mississippi takes home $30,000. A certified irrigation specialist in Massachusetts earns $55,000. A solo operator running tight routes in Texas clears $80,000. And a multi-crew business owner in any state can pull $130,000 or more.

The landscaping industry employs 1.3 million workers and generates $188.8 billion in annual revenue. Yet the salary conversation rarely goes beyond a single median figure. We investigated what landscapers actually earn in 2026 — across experience levels, geographies, specializations, and career paths — using Bureau of Labor Statistics data, industry salary surveys, and business-owner income reports.

Table of Contents

• The Median Landscaper Salary: What the BLS Actually Says
• Landscaper Salary by State: Who Pays the Most (and Least)
• Landscaper Pay by Experience Level
• How Specialization Changes the Numbers
• Self-Employed Landscaper Income: What Solo Operators Actually Keep
• Landscaping Business Owner Salary: The Six-Figure Path
• Why Landscaper Pay Is Rising (Industry Outlook)
• FAQ

The Median Landscaper Salary: What the BLS Actually Says

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median hourly wage of $18.50 for landscaping and groundskeeping workers as of May 2024 — the most recent federal data available. That translates to roughly $38,480 per year for full-time, year-round work.

Here's the full percentile breakdown:

Percentile — Hourly Rate — Annual Equivalent

10th (entry-level) — $14.49 — $30,100

25th — $16.95 — $35,260

50th (median) — $18.50 — $38,480

75th — $22.05 — $45,860

90th (top earners) — $27.14 — $56,450

The gap between the 10th and 90th percentile is $26,350 — nearly double. That spread tells the real story: what you earn as a landscaper depends almost entirely on where you work, what you specialize in, and whether you work for someone else or for yourself.

One important caveat: the BLS category "landscaping and groundskeeping workers" groups together everyone from entry-level mowing crews to experienced installation specialists. It doesn't include business owners or landscape architects (median $79,660), who fall under a separate classification.

Landscaper Salary by State: Who Pays the Most (and Least)

Geography creates an $18,000 salary gap between the highest and lowest-paying states. Here are the states that pay landscapers the most:

Top 5 Highest-Paying States:

State — Annual Salary

Massachusetts — $48,760

Washington, D.C.* — $48,060

Washington — $48,010

Alaska — $46,360

Minnesota — $45,800

*D.C. is technically a district, not a state.

Bottom 5 Lowest-Paying States:

State — Annual Salary

West Virginia — $30,540

Mississippi — $30,840

Louisiana — $30,850

South Dakota — $31,420

Arkansas — $32,420

The highest-paying metro areas push even further: San Francisco ($51,900), San Jose ($51,750), and Seattle ($51,250) top the city rankings.

But higher pay doesn't always mean more money in your pocket. A landscaper earning $48,760 in Massachusetts faces a cost of living roughly 35% above the national average. Meanwhile, $38,000 in a low-cost state like Oklahoma stretches considerably further. When evaluating a move, compare net purchasing power — not just the gross number on the paycheck.

For landscapers thinking about where to build a business, states with year-round growing seasons (Florida, Texas, California, Arizona) offer a different advantage: 12 months of billable work instead of the 7–8 month season common in northern states.

Landscaper Pay by Experience Level

Experience is the most reliable predictor of landscaper earnings. Here's how pay scales across a typical career:

Experience Level — Typical Annual Pay

Entry-level (0–1 year) — $28,000–$32,000

Early career (1–3 years) — $32,000–$38,000

Mid-career (3–5 years) — $38,000–$48,000

Senior/Crew lead (5–8 years) — $45,000–$60,000

Foreman/Supervisor (8+ years) — $51,000–$76,000

The biggest jump happens when a landscaper moves from hourly crew work into a supervisory or crew lead role — that transition typically adds $7,000–$15,000 in annual pay. It's also the inflection point where many landscapers decide whether to keep climbing the employment ladder or start their own business.

Most entry-level landscaping positions require no formal education — just physical fitness and a willingness to learn. That low barrier to entry is one of the trade's biggest draws. But it also means entry-level wages are compressed. The path to higher earnings runs through experience, certifications, or ownership.

How Specialization Changes the Numbers

General maintenance landscapers earn the median. Specialists earn substantially more. Here's what the data shows:

Specialization — Typical Annual Salary

General maintenance — $30,000–$40,000

Hardscape installer — $45,000–$65,000

Arborist / tree care specialist — $40,000–$60,000

Irrigation technician — $35,000–$55,000

Landscape designer — $50,000–$70,000

Landscape foreman — $51,000–$76,000

Several certifications can accelerate this progression:

• NALP Certified Landscape Technician (CLT): The industry-standard credential from the National Association of Landscape Professionals, with specialties in softscape, hardscape, turf maintenance, ornamental maintenance, and irrigation.
• Certified Irrigation Contractor (CIC): Issued by the Irrigation Association. Salary.com estimates this credential is associated with a 10–15% pay premium.
• Pesticide applicator license: State-issued, required for chemical lawn treatments. Opens higher-margin service lines.
• ISA Certified Arborist: For tree care specialization — a niche with consistent demand and less price sensitivity.

The certifications cost between $200 and $500 to obtain and require continuing education every two years. For a landscaper earning $38,000, even a 10% bump ($3,800/year) pays back the investment in the first month.

Self-Employed Landscaper Income: What Solo Operators Actually Keep

Going solo changes the math entirely. Instead of earning an hourly wage, you keep what's left after expenses — and for most solo landscapers, that's 12–35% of gross revenue.

Here's what the numbers look like for a typical solo operator:

Monthly Revenue — Expenses (est.) — Monthly Take-Home — Annual Take-Home

$4,000 — $2,000–$2,500 — $1,500–$2,000 — $18,000–$24,000

$6,000 — $2,500–$3,500 — $2,500–$3,500 — $30,000–$42,000

$8,000 — $3,000–$4,000 — $4,000–$5,000 — $48,000–$60,000

$12,000 — $4,500–$6,000 — $6,000–$7,500 — $72,000–$90,000

Key expenses that eat into gross revenue: equipment payments and maintenance, fuel, insurance (lawn care business insurance typically runs $500–$2,000/year), marketing, and self-employment tax (15.3% on net earnings).

The operators who clear $60,000–$80,000+ as solo landscapers share a few traits: they price based on value rather than hourly rates (here's how to set those rates), they build dense route schedules that minimize windshield time, and they add higher-margin services like seasonal cleanups, mulching, or chemical applications instead of competing on mowing price alone.

The honest trade-off: self-employed landscapers have no employer-paid benefits, no paid time off, and income that fluctuates with weather and seasons. In northern states, winter can mean two to four months of reduced or zero income unless you diversify into snow removal or holiday lighting.

Landscaping Business Owner Salary: The Six-Figure Path

The biggest salary jump in landscaping doesn't come from a promotion or a certification — it comes from building a business that earns revenue while you're not personally holding a mower.

Landscaping business owners earn an average of $90,000 to $130,000 per year, according to salary data from ZipRecruiter and Housecall Pro. But the range is enormous:

Business Stage — Typical Revenue — Owner Take-Home

New startup (year 1–2) — $150K–$200K — $50,000–$75,000

Growing (year 3–5) — $200K–$500K — $60,000–$120,000

Established (year 5+) — $500K–$1M — $75,000–$150,000

Scaled (multi-crew) — $1M+ — $120,000–$250,000+

The average landscaping business generates $256,198 in annual revenue, with target net profit margins of 10–20% for well-run operations. Most owners pay themselves through a combination of salary and profit distributions.

What separates a $50K owner from a $150K owner usually isn't skill with a trimmer. It's the ability to sell, hire, and systemize. Business owners who invest in marketing, build recurring maintenance contracts, and use automation to cut admin time consistently out-earn those running their business from a truck seat.

Commercial contracts accelerate this path. Commercial landscaping typically pays $5,000–$10,000 more per year than equivalent residential work, and the contracts tend to be monthly or annual — providing steadier cash flow than one-off residential jobs.

Why Landscaper Pay Is Rising (Industry Outlook)

Landscaping isn't just a stable career — it's a growing one. Several data points suggest wages will continue climbing:

Employment growth: The BLS projects 4% job growth for grounds maintenance workers from 2024 to 2034, with approximately 171,600 openings per year — driven by both new positions and turnover replacements.

Labor shortage pressure: Industry surveys indicate 76% of landscaping firms currently have open positions, and 59% report hiring is harder than it was pre-2020. When labor is scarce, wages rise.

Market expansion: The U.S. landscaping services market reached $188.8 billion in 2026, growing at a 5.7% compound annual rate. Homeowner demand for professional landscaping remains strong — 77% of homeowners surveyed plan to invest in landscaping improvements.

Sustainability demand: Xeriscaping, native plantings, smart irrigation systems, and sustainable landscape design are creating new specialized roles that command premium pay.

For landscapers evaluating the profession's long-term viability, the outlook is favorable. Unlike some trades facing automation threats, most landscaping work requires physical presence and judgment that machines can't fully replicate yet. Robotic mowers and GPS routing are emerging, but they're replacing the most commoditized tasks — freeing skilled landscapers to focus on higher-value design, installation, and specialized maintenance work.

How Landscaper Pay Compares to Other Trades

Landscaping has one of the lowest barriers to entry among the skilled trades, which is reflected in the median salary. Here's how it stacks up:

Trade — Median Annual Salary

Landscaper/Groundskeeper — $38,480

Carpenter — $56,350

HVAC Technician — $59,810

Electrician — $61,590

Plumber — $62,970

Landscape Architect — $79,660

The $20,000–$25,000 gap between landscaping and trades like plumbing or HVAC reflects the licensing requirements and longer apprenticeships those trades demand. But the gap narrows — and often reverses — at the business-owner level. A landscaping business owner earning $120,000 is on par with an employed master plumber.

The takeaway: landscaping pays less as a job, but comparably as a business. The path to higher earnings runs through ownership, not just hourly wage increases.

FAQ

How much do landscapers make per hour?

The national median is $18.50 per hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2024 data). Entry-level workers typically start at $14–$15 per hour, while experienced crew leads and specialists earn $22–$27 per hour. Self-employed landscapers effectively earn more per hour since they set their own rates, but must account for non-billable time and business overhead.

What state pays landscapers the most?

Massachusetts leads at $48,760 per year, followed by Washington, D.C. ($48,060), Washington state ($48,010), and Alaska ($46,360). However, these high-paying states also tend to have higher costs of living. At the metro level, San Francisco ($51,900) and San Jose ($51,750) top the list.

Can you make six figures as a landscaper?

As an employed landscaper, reaching six figures is rare without moving into management or landscape architecture. But as a business owner, six-figure income is achievable — the average landscaping business owner earns $90,000–$130,000, and established multi-crew operations routinely clear $150,000+. The path requires building a client base, hiring crew, and running the operation as a business rather than a solo trade job.

Is landscaping a good career in 2026?

The data says yes. The BLS projects 4% job growth through 2034 with 171,600 annual openings. The $188.8 billion industry is growing at 5.7% annually. Labor shortages are pushing wages up. And the business-ownership path offers income potential that rivals or exceeds most other trades. The main drawbacks are physical demands, seasonal income fluctuations in northern states, and limited benefits for employed workers.

How much does a self-employed landscaper make?

Solo landscaping operators typically take home $30,000–$80,000 per year, depending on geography, service mix, pricing strategy, and how many months of the year they can work. The range reflects the difference between part-time operators running a few mowing routes versus full-service professionals offering design, installation, and maintenance packages.

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