Landscape and Lawn Care Crew Member Salaries For 2023

Trying to remain a step ahead of inflation in 2022 proved to be a challenge for everyone, but salary increases managed to make economic realities a bit less painful for lawn and landscape workers across the United States.

Average salaries rose 5.76%, and pay for workers in the 50th percentile rose 4.24%, according to salary data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

Those increases came in a difficult year in which inflation rose 6.5%.

The key salary figures for 2022, the most recent year for which statistics are available, for lawn and landscape crew members, or landscaping and groundskeeping employees as defined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics:

• Average hourly salary: $17.92

• Average annual salary: $37,270 

• Median hourly salary: $17.26

• Median annual salary: $35,890 

• Number of employees nationally: 914,230

Salaries were highest for lawn and landscape crew members in the District of Columbia, where pay rates reached $23.39 per hour or $48,650 annually. Washington, Massachusetts, Alaska, and Rhode Island followed the District for top salaries. 

West Virginia, where crew members averaged $13.19 per hour or $27,430 per year, ranked last among states. West Virginia was preceded on the list by Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Alabama.

In metropolitan areas, lawn and landscape crew members earned the largest salaries in the California market of San Jose, Sunnyvale and Santa Clara. Those employees averaged making $24.14 per hour or $50,220 each year.

Lawn and landscape crew members are those considered to landscape or maintain grounds of property using hand or power tools or equipment. Workers' tasks can include any combination of sod laying, mowing, trimming, planting, watering, fertilizing, digging, raking, sprinkler installation, and installation of mortarless segmental concrete masonry wall units, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Crew members, similar to employees in numerous roles, can normally expect to find salaries commensurate with their experience.

"Obviously there's some loyalty that's been demonstrated and obviously some reward," says Wayne Volz, owner of Profits Unlimited and Wayne’s Lawn Service, a 43-year-old business in Louisville, KY. "Because of the competent staff that companies had that had been with them."

But higher pay rates for employees with more experience might be indicative of more than just tenure. Skills and certifications for landscape and lawn care workers could prove just as meaningful as years on the job, or more.

"If they have a pesticide license where they can go out and treat lawns and treat perimeters, that brings a bigger value to them," Volz says. "Just because they may be with us three or four years and somebody's been here 10 years, that doesn't mean that the person with less time on the job but more experience and more sellable features to us as a company isn't capable of hitting a higher pay grade."

But fostering an employee’s loyalty isn’t just about determining what is a good salary for landscape and lawn care crew members.

"I've never had anybody stay and be loyal to our company because we offered them 50 cents more an hour, a dollar an hour," Volz says. "If somebody's here strictly for the money, then they're going to leave strictly for the money."

Gestures such as providing doughnuts or taking an employee to lunch can deliver an impact. Supporting professional development and providing pay to cover holidays can deliver an even larger impact.

“As people, we’re creatures of habit and structured routine because that helps our brain function and helps us know what our expectations are so that we can meet them or exceed them," says Katie Volz, the company’s office and social media manager and the owner's daughter.

"Establishing whatever your policies are going to be with vacation time and paid time off and things like that at the beginning helps them know what to expect,” she adds.

"It's great that I'm getting off Memorial Day, July Fourth, but if that means I sacrifice seven or eight hours of pay, then a lot of people would probably choose to work that time," she adds. "By paying for some of those major holidays, you're allowing them to have time off, help take care of themselves, their families, and refill their own cup so that they can come back to your company and invest."

Key Findings For Landscaping and Groundskeeping Employees Salaries

Other findings from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics regarding salaries for landscaping and groundskeeping employees:

Top states by employment

California: 105,040

Florida: 86,920

Texas: 64,930

New York: 45,980

Illinois: 36,1870

Top average salaries

District of Columbia: $23.39 per hour, $48,650 annually

Washington: $21.76, $45,260

Massachusetts: $21.44, $44,600

Alaska: $21.04, $43,770

Rhode Island: $20.69, $43,040

Bottom average salaries

West Virginia: $13.19, $27,430

Mississippi: $13.92, $28,950

Louisiana: $14.52, $30,200

Arkansas: $14.78, $30,470

Alabama: $15.11, $31,450

Top metropolitan areas by employment

New York-Newark-Jersey City (NY-NJ-PA): 47,710

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin (IL-IN-WI): 28,030

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim (CA): 27,080

Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach (FL): 21,680

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington (TX): 19,840

Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington (PA-NJ-DE-MD): 17,230

Boston-Cambridge-Nashua (MA-NH): 16,590

Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale (AZ): 16,280

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria (DC-VA-MD-WV): 15,580

Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land (TX): 15,490

Top metropolitan areas by average salaries

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (CA): $24.14 hourly, $50,220 annually

San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward (CA): $23.72, $49,350

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue (WA): $23.52, $48,920

Boston-Cambridge-Nashua (MA-NH): $21.78, $45,310

Boulder (CO): $21.69, $45,110

Napa (CA): $21.68, $45,080

Fairbanks (AK): $21.43, $44,560

Santa Rosa (CA): $21.42, $44,560

Barnstable Town (MA): $21.30, $44,300

Stockton-Lodi (CA): $21.10, $43.900

How FieldRoutes Can Pay Off For You

Base salary and numerous other factors are all important when it comes to compensating landscape and lawn crew members.

FieldRoutes^® software also assists businesses in making life easier for your crew. Optimized routing reduces a crew member's windshield time and improves productivity. Tech Tipping provides another compensation source to help retain the employees you have and put extra money in their pockets without costing your bottom line.

FieldRoutes also can assist landscape and lawn care businesses in navigating seasonality. Early billing during the busy season helps businesses maintain financial stability during the off-season. Incentivizing customers to pre-pay through special discounts or offers helps the business capture revenue sooner and expand the services provided to its customers.

With FieldRoutes software, a business can build offers, with or without upsells, and control the discounts included with each offer. Pre-payment enhancements are another way we help businesses simplify, grow, and scale to their full potential.

Schedule a demo to see how FieldRoutes can help your landscape and lawn care business empower growth so you achieve your ultimate success.