Most landscapers in the U.S. earn roughly $33,000 to $50,000 per year as crew members, with entry-level laborers starting around $30,000 and experienced crew leaders and foremen reaching $48,000 to $65,000. Landscapers who own a lawn care or landscaping business have by far the highest ceiling — commonly $60,000 to $150,000 or more — because they capture profit on top of their own labor. Landscaping is a fast-entry trade with steady, seasonal-to-year-round demand, and pay rises with skill, responsibility, equipment, and ultimately ownership. Here's the full breakdown and how to move your pay up.
About these figures
The numbers below are approximate U.S. ranges for general guidance and vary widely by region, employer, season, service mix, and whether the work is residential or commercial. For exact, current data, check the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics and local wage surveys for your area.
Landscaper salary by experience level
| Experience level | Typical annual range (approx.) | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level landscaper / laborer | $30,000 – $38,000 | Mowing, planting, cleanup, learning on the job |
| Experienced landscaper / crew leader | $38,000 – $50,000 | Runs equipment, leads a small crew, quality control |
| Landscape foreman / supervisor | $48,000 – $65,000 | Manages crews, schedules, and job sites |
| Lawn care / landscaping business owner | $60,000 – $150,000+ | Runs the business, keeps the profit |
Entry-level landscapers start with mowing, planting, mulching, and cleanup, learning the equipment and the craft on the job. Experienced landscapers and crew leaders who can run machinery, handle installs, and keep quality high earn a clear step up. Foremen and supervisors, who manage multiple crews, schedules, and job sites, command the highest employee wages. Owners who run their own lawn care or landscaping business have the highest ceiling of all because they earn business profit on top of the value of their own labor.
Landscaper hourly pay by experience
Most landscapers are paid hourly, and the annual ranges above correspond to roughly these base hourly figures before overtime. Seasonal overtime during peak spring and summer months, along with snow-removal and storm cleanup work in colder regions, can push effective pay well above the base rate.
| Level | Typical hourly (approx.) |
|---|---|
| Entry-level landscaper | $15 – $18 |
| Experienced / crew leader | $18 – $24 |
| Foreman / supervisor | $24 – $32 |
What affects a landscaper's salary
- Experience and skill: equipment operation, hardscaping, irrigation, and design ability all raise pay.
- Region and climate: warm-weather markets offer year-round work, while colder regions add snow-removal income but a shorter mowing season.
- Service mix: design/build, hardscaping, irrigation, and tree work pay more than basic mow-and-go.
- Residential vs. commercial: commercial maintenance contracts are larger and steadier than one-off residential jobs.
- Certifications and licenses: pesticide applicator, irrigation, and arborist credentials open higher-paying work.
- Season and overtime: peak-season overtime and winter services meaningfully raise annual income.
- Business ownership: running your own company changes the earning equation entirely.
Which landscaping services pay the most?
Basic lawn maintenance — mowing, edging, and cleanup — is the most common and most competitive service, with the thinnest margins. Design/build and hardscaping (patios, retaining walls, outdoor living spaces) command far higher prices and profit. Irrigation installation and repair, lighting, tree and shrub care, and commercial grounds contracts also pay premiums over standard mow-and-go work. For employees, moving toward these higher-skill services raises wages; for owners, shifting the service mix toward design/build and recurring commercial maintenance is one of the biggest levers on profit.
How landscapers can earn more
- Build skills in higher-value work like hardscaping, irrigation, and design/build.
- Earn certifications — pesticide applicator, irrigation, or arborist — that open premium services.
- Move into crew leader, then foreman and supervisor roles.
- Add winter services like snow and ice removal to smooth out seasonal income.
- Win recurring commercial maintenance contracts for steadier, larger revenue.
- Start your own lawn care or landscaping business — the highest-income path for most.
Landscaper pay by region and cost of living
Where you work shapes both how much you earn and how many months a year you can work. High-cost metros and states with strong construction and property demand pay the most in absolute dollars, while lower-cost regions pay less nominally but can deliver a comparable real standard of living. Climate matters as much as cost of living: warm-weather states offer near year-round mowing and installation work, while colder regions have a shorter growing season offset by snow-removal and storm-cleanup income in winter. When you compare offers, weigh the wage against local cost of living, how seasonal the work is, and whether overtime and winter services are available.
| Region type | Typical crew member annual (approx.) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| High-cost metros (e.g. coastal CA, NY, WA) | $40,000 – $55,000 | Higher wages, higher living costs |
| Warm-weather Sun Belt (e.g. FL, TX, AZ) | $32,000 – $45,000 | Near year-round season, high competition |
| Cold-climate regions (e.g. Midwest, Northeast) | $33,000 – $48,000 | Shorter season, snow-removal income in winter |
| Rural / lower-cost areas | $30,000 – $40,000 | Lower nominal pay, lower living costs |
Demand moves pay too. Booming residential development, commercial property growth, and a nationwide shortage of reliable labor all push landscaper wages up in tight markets. Owners in growing markets who can staff up, keep crews productive, and price jobs accurately can raise both wages and profit at the same time.
Employee vs. lawn care business owner: the real income gap
The largest jump in landscaper earnings doesn't come from a job title — it comes from ownership. An employed foreman trades hours for a wage; an owner earns profit on every job their crews complete, on top of their own labor. Reported averages for landscaping business owners commonly land around $90,000 or more, with well-run companies clearing $150,000 and top operators earning far above that. But ownership income is only as good as the operation behind it. Landscaping runs on thin margins, tight scheduling, and a lot of small jobs, so an owner who quotes loosely, misses appointments, or collects slowly can earn less than a disciplined employee. In this trade, profit is an operations problem as much as a green-thumb one.
Frequently asked questions
How much do landscapers make a year?
Most landscapers earn roughly $33,000 to $50,000 a year as crew members, with the BLS median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers around $37,000 in its May 2024 data. Experienced crew leaders, foremen, and supervisors earn more, and landscaping business owners commonly earn $60,000 to $150,000 or more.
How much do landscapers make an hour?
Entry-level landscapers typically earn about $15 to $18 per hour, experienced landscapers and crew leaders around $18 to $24, and foremen and supervisors roughly $24 to $32. Peak-season overtime and winter snow-removal work can push effective hourly pay higher. These figures are approximate and vary by region.
How much does a lawn care business owner make?
It varies widely with business size and how well the company is run. Small operations may net the owner $40,000 to $70,000, mid-sized companies often produce $80,000 to $120,000, and larger, well-managed businesses can push owner income well above $150,000. The biggest factors are service mix, pricing discipline, and knowing your numbers.
Do landscapers make good money?
Landscaping is a fast-entry trade with modest starting pay but a high ceiling. Wages grow with skill, equipment, and responsibility, and there's no four-year-degree debt to pay off. The real money comes from moving into higher-value services and, for many, owning a business where you keep the profit on every job.
What is the highest-paying landscaping job?
Among employees, foremen and supervisors, along with skilled hardscape, irrigation, and design/build specialists, are typically the highest paid. Overall, owning a successful lawn care or landscaping business has the highest earning ceiling of any path in the trade.
Thinking about starting your own landscaping business?
Owning a company is where landscapers unlock the highest income — but it means running estimates, scheduling, dispatch, invoicing, and collections across a lot of small, weather-dependent jobs, not just doing the work. The difference between a struggling operation and a profitable one usually comes down to systems: pricing jobs accurately, keeping crews routed and productive, handling recurring maintenance billing, and getting paid fast. Service Storm is landscaping software that runs quoting, scheduling, dispatch, and payments in one platform, so the operational side doesn't eat your margin. That efficiency is what turns a busy schedule into real profit.
Run a more profitable landscaping business
See how Service Storm handles quoting, scheduling, recurring maintenance, and payments for landscaping companies.
See landscaping softwareThe bottom line
Landscaping offers fast entry, steady demand, and a high ceiling for those who build skill and take on more responsibility. Starting wages are modest, but pay climbs with equipment ability, higher-value services, and leadership — and the highest earners own a business where they keep the profit on every job. Your income ultimately tracks your skill, your service mix, and how efficiently the work gets run.
Run your whole service business in one platform
From lead to ledger — scheduling, dispatch, invoicing, and payments in a single tool built for the trades.
Book a Demo