Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers
Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers (SOC 37-3011) earn a median $39,150 a year ($18.82 an hour) in the United States, with 952,640 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is District of Columbia.
What landscaping and groundskeeping workers do
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers maintain the grounds of a property using hand tools and power equipment. Work can include laying sod, mowing, trimming, planting, watering, fertilizing, digging, raking, installing sprinklers, and building walls from mortarless concrete masonry units. Day to day they pick up litter, use shovels, rakes, saws, and hedge trimmers, and run mowers, tractors, snow blowers, and chain saws. They water lawns and plants, prune trees and shrubs, spray or spread fertilizers and pesticides, and look after established lawns by mulching, aerating, weeding, and edging. They also follow planned landscaping designs to decide where to put sod, seed, or plants. Titles such as athletic field custodian and cemetery worker indicate the settings. Farmworkers and laborers on crops, nurseries, and greenhouses are excluded, and workers who mainly apply chemicals fall under pesticide applicators.
Typical entry: O*NET respondents most often report less than a high school diploma as the usual education level (about 39 percent).
Also called: Athletic Field Custodian, Bonsai Tender, Brush Cutter, Caretaker, Cemetery Keeper.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $14.98 | $17.40 | $18.82 | $22.52 | $27.28 | $20.33 | 952,640 |
| Annual | $31,150 | $36,190 | $39,150 | $46,830 | $56,730 | $42,290 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| District of Columbia | Hourly | $18.74 | $22.83 | $23.46 | $26.80 | $31.97 | $24.62 | 800 | 1.14 | 0.19 |
| Annual | $38,980 | $47,490 | $48,790 | $55,750 | $66,500 | $51,200 | ||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | $18.17 | $21.82 | $23.40 | $28.13 | $29.89 | $24.30 | 22,880 | 6.29 | 1.03 |
| Annual | $37,800 | $45,390 | $48,670 | $58,520 | $62,170 | $50,540 | ||||
| Alaska | Hourly | $16.13 | $18.49 | $22.93 | $23.62 | $30.19 | $22.73 | 1,080 | 3.32 | 0.54 |
| Annual | $33,550 | $38,460 | $47,690 | $49,130 | $62,800 | $47,280 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $18.03 | $20.68 | $22.57 | $27.12 | $29.34 | $23.62 | 22,550 | 6.35 | 1.04 |
| Annual | $37,510 | $43,000 | $46,950 | $56,410 | $61,030 | $49,130 | ||||
| Minnesota | Hourly | $14.67 | $17.77 | $22.41 | $24.19 | $29.47 | $22.21 | 17,610 | 5.97 | 0.97 |
| Annual | $30,510 | $36,960 | $46,610 | $50,320 | $61,290 | $46,200 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $17.68 | $18.47 | $21.90 | $24.27 | $29.42 | $22.80 | 106,180 | 5.83 | 0.95 |
| Annual | $36,780 | $38,420 | $45,560 | $50,490 | $61,200 | $47,420 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $14.74 | $17.03 | $17.84 | $20.99 | $22.78 | $18.80 | 86,040 | 8.67 | 1.41 |
| Annual | $30,660 | $35,420 | $37,100 | $43,660 | $47,390 | $39,110 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $13.85 | $15.68 | $17.66 | $19.84 | $23.03 | $18.27 | 63,430 | 4.51 | 0.74 |
| Annual | $28,810 | $32,620 | $36,740 | $41,270 | $47,910 | $37,990 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $16.80 | $18.05 | $21.56 | $23.33 | $28.81 | $21.93 | 47,600 | 4.91 | 0.80 |
| Annual | $34,950 | $37,550 | $44,840 | $48,520 | $59,920 | $45,620 | ||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | $14.32 | $17.26 | $18.99 | $22.40 | $25.64 | $19.95 | 34,850 | 5.75 | 0.94 |
| Annual | $29,780 | $35,900 | $39,500 | $46,590 | $53,320 | $41,490 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | Hourly | $18.24 | $21.87 | $23.57 | $28.47 | $29.99 | $24.64 | 15,120 | 5.59 | 0.91 |
| Annual | $37,940 | $45,480 | $49,030 | $59,210 | $62,370 | $51,250 | ||||
| Barnstable Town, MA | Hourly | $18.35 | $22.62 | $23.56 | $28.75 | $29.83 | $24.51 | 2,210 | 23.44 | 3.83 |
| Annual | $38,160 | $47,050 | $49,010 | $59,800 | $62,040 | $50,970 | ||||
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | Hourly | $17.44 | $19.74 | $23.35 | $24.83 | $28.59 | $22.88 | 1,310 | 17.73 | 2.89 |
| Annual | $36,280 | $41,070 | $48,570 | $51,650 | $59,470 | $47,590 | ||||
| Napa, CA | Hourly | $18.71 | $22.31 | $23.34 | $27.73 | $30.03 | $24.70 | 940 | 12.13 | 1.98 |
| Annual | $38,930 | $46,400 | $48,540 | $57,680 | $62,460 | $51,370 | ||||
| Fairbanks-College, AK | Hourly | $16.06 | $22.93 | $23.33 | $26.72 | $31.47 | $24.50 | 130 | 3.47 | 0.57 |
| Annual | $33,400 | $47,690 | $48,520 | $55,580 | $65,450 | $50,960 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $17.04 | $17.93 | $21.89 | $23.26 | $28.64 | $22.02 | 50,410 | 5.31 | 0.87 |
| Annual | $35,450 | $37,300 | $45,530 | $48,370 | $59,570 | $45,800 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $17.85 | $18.39 | $21.46 | $23.57 | $28.57 | $22.19 | 27,860 | 4.44 | 0.73 |
| Annual | $37,120 | $38,240 | $44,650 | $49,030 | $59,430 | $46,160 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $16.44 | $18.34 | $21.77 | $22.93 | $29.45 | $22.16 | 25,160 | 5.58 | 0.91 |
| Annual | $34,200 | $38,160 | $45,280 | $47,700 | $61,250 | $46,090 | ||||
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | Hourly | $14.86 | $17.38 | $17.99 | $21.71 | $23.18 | $19.28 | 21,170 | 7.51 | 1.23 |
| Annual | $30,920 | $36,150 | $37,430 | $45,170 | $48,220 | $40,110 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $14.58 | $17.37 | $18.12 | $21.30 | $22.91 | $19.09 | 19,750 | 4.88 | 0.80 |
| Annual | $30,330 | $36,130 | $37,680 | $44,310 | $47,640 | $39,700 | ||||
Top industries employing landscaping and groundskeeping workers
Services to Buildings and Dwellings employ 60.7% of landscaping and groundskeeping workers nationally (578,180 jobs) at a median $40,470 a year ($19.46 an hour), followed by Other Amusement and Recreation Industries (9.6%) and Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) (8.9%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Services to Buildings and Dwellings NAICS 561700 | 578,180 | 60.7% | $40,470 | $19.46 |
| Other Amusement and Recreation Industries NAICS 713900 | 91,890 | 9.6% | $36,190 | $17.40 |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999300 | 84,380 | 8.9% | $39,360 | $18.92 |
| Real Estate NAICS 531000 | 28,570 | 3.0% | $39,340 | $18.91 |
| Employment Services NAICS 561300 | 15,850 | 1.7% | $36,740 | $17.67 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (952,640). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $34,430 for landscaping and groundskeeping workers in May 2021 and $39,150 in May 2025, with employment of 892,450 and 952,640.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $34,430 | $16.55 | 892,450 |
| May 2022 | $35,890 | $17.26 | 914,230 |
| May 2023 | $37,360 | $17.96 | 929,930 |
| May 2024 | $38,090 | $18.31 | 943,430 |
| May 2025 | $39,150 | $18.82 | 952,640 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
51 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia profile | $23.46 | $48,790 | $38,980 | $66,500 | 800 | 1.14 | 0.19 |
| 2 | Massachusetts profile | $23.40 | $48,670 | $37,800 | $62,170 | 22,880 | 6.29 | 1.03 |
| 3 | Alaska profile | $22.93 | $47,690 | $33,550 | $62,800 | 1,080 | 3.32 | 0.54 |
| 4 | Washington profile | $22.57 | $46,950 | $37,510 | $61,030 | 22,550 | 6.35 | 1.04 |
| 5 | Minnesota profile | $22.41 | $46,610 | $30,510 | $61,290 | 17,610 | 5.97 | 0.97 |
| 6 | Vermont profile | $22.23 | $46,230 | $36,590 | $61,950 | 2,700 | 8.88 | 1.45 |
| 7 | Maine profile | $22.10 | $45,970 | $34,800 | $57,620 | 6,410 | 10.01 | 1.63 |
| 8 | Hawaii profile | $22.08 | $45,920 | $34,220 | $56,190 | 7,040 | 11.22 | 1.83 |
| 9 | Colorado profile | $22.00 | $45,760 | $36,280 | $60,200 | 21,990 | 7.65 | 1.25 |
| 10 | Connecticut profile | $21.99 | $45,740 | $35,850 | $58,660 | 13,490 | 7.95 | 1.30 |
| 11 | California profile | $21.90 | $45,560 | $36,780 | $61,200 | 106,180 | 5.83 | 0.95 |
| 12 | Montana profile | $21.80 | $45,350 | $32,170 | $59,340 | 4,270 | 8.35 | 1.36 |
| 13 | Oregon profile | $21.65 | $45,040 | $35,870 | $58,940 | 11,870 | 6.04 | 0.99 |
| 14 | New Hampshire profile | $21.58 | $44,890 | $34,540 | $59,400 | 6,050 | 8.85 | 1.44 |
| 15 | New York profile | $21.56 | $44,840 | $34,950 | $59,920 | 47,600 | 4.91 | 0.80 |
| 16 | Rhode Island profile | $21.51 | $44,730 | $36,600 | $57,880 | 4,040 | 8.06 | 1.32 |
| 17 | Illinois profile | $21.05 | $43,790 | $32,010 | $61,190 | 34,780 | 5.70 | 0.93 |
| 18 | Idaho profile | $20.00 | $41,600 | $30,960 | $58,100 | 7,980 | 9.31 | 1.52 |
| 19 | New Jersey profile | $19.88 | $41,360 | $35,450 | $55,050 | 30,470 | 7.11 | 1.16 |
| 20 | Wisconsin profile | $19.82 | $41,230 | $29,820 | $58,350 | 18,970 | 6.45 | 1.05 |
| 21 | North Dakota profile | $19.61 | $40,790 | $31,480 | $57,600 | 2,100 | 4.89 | 0.80 |
| 22 | Utah profile | $19.59 | $40,740 | $32,140 | $57,180 | 12,850 | 7.40 | 1.21 |
| 23 | Pennsylvania profile | $18.99 | $39,500 | $29,780 | $53,320 | 34,850 | 5.75 | 0.94 |
| 24 | Maryland profile | $18.93 | $39,380 | $35,990 | $55,490 | 17,440 | 6.31 | 1.03 |
| 25 | Kansas profile | $18.91 | $39,330 | $29,680 | $49,300 | 9,480 | 6.59 | 1.08 |
| 26 | Nebraska profile | $18.82 | $39,140 | $29,670 | $57,960 | 7,280 | 7.11 | 1.16 |
| 27 | Iowa profile | $18.71 | $38,920 | $28,480 | $58,420 | 8,800 | 5.65 | 0.92 |
| 28 | Arizona profile | $18.71 | $38,910 | $35,520 | $48,500 | 22,450 | 6.93 | 1.13 |
| 29 | Nevada profile | $18.66 | $38,820 | $31,800 | $60,290 | 9,980 | 6.43 | 1.05 |
| 30 | Missouri profile | $18.52 | $38,520 | $30,610 | $50,430 | 18,310 | 6.24 | 1.02 |
| 31 | Virginia profile | $18.46 | $38,410 | $31,200 | $49,980 | 25,180 | 6.13 | 1.00 |
| 32 | Wyoming profile | $18.42 | $38,310 | $29,760 | $47,270 | 1,790 | 6.37 | 1.04 |
| 33 | Ohio profile | $18.38 | $38,220 | $28,670 | $49,070 | 34,420 | 6.20 | 1.01 |
| 34 | Michigan profile | $18.33 | $38,120 | $29,970 | $49,670 | 32,330 | 7.34 | 1.20 |
| 35 | Indiana profile | $18.30 | $38,070 | $28,870 | $49,820 | 19,260 | 6.02 | 0.98 |
| 36 | Georgia profile | $18.25 | $37,970 | $28,710 | $47,610 | 25,510 | 5.22 | 0.85 |
| 37 | North Carolina profile | $18.22 | $37,910 | $30,580 | $47,490 | 32,730 | 6.62 | 1.08 |
| 38 | New Mexico profile | $18.06 | $37,560 | $29,860 | $48,860 | 5,030 | 5.78 | 0.94 |
| 39 | Delaware profile | $17.96 | $37,350 | $32,910 | $46,620 | 4,130 | 8.53 | 1.39 |
| 40 | Florida profile | $17.84 | $37,100 | $30,660 | $47,390 | 86,040 | 8.67 | 1.41 |
| 41 | Tennessee profile | $17.80 | $37,020 | $29,480 | $47,650 | 18,250 | 5.57 | 0.91 |
| 42 | Texas profile | $17.66 | $36,740 | $28,810 | $47,910 | 63,430 | 4.51 | 0.74 |
| 43 | South Carolina profile | $17.65 | $36,710 | $28,590 | $47,010 | 15,600 | 6.77 | 1.10 |
| 44 | Kentucky profile | $17.63 | $36,670 | $27,930 | $49,250 | 8,920 | 4.46 | 0.73 |
| 45 | Arkansas profile | $17.20 | $35,770 | $26,710 | $45,310 | 6,610 | 5.07 | 0.83 |
| 46 | Oklahoma profile | $17.20 | $35,770 | $28,040 | $46,740 | 9,280 | 5.44 | 0.89 |
| 47 | Alabama profile | $17.13 | $35,630 | $26,370 | $47,270 | 12,020 | 5.69 | 0.93 |
| 48 | South Dakota profile | $17.01 | $35,370 | $29,100 | $46,700 | 2,980 | 6.51 | 1.06 |
| 49 | Louisiana profile | $16.76 | $34,870 | $24,700 | $42,670 | 8,510 | 4.40 | 0.72 |
| 50 | West Virginia profile | $15.50 | $32,240 | $25,330 | $42,610 | 3,340 | 4.76 | 0.78 |
| 51 | Mississippi profile | $15.21 | $31,630 | $24,380 | $45,390 | 4,940 | 4.25 | 0.69 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (37-3010), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 37-3011 Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 37-3011, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 37-3011.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.