A commercial landscape laborer loads trucks, carries mulch, plants and stone, and clears debris at the shopping centers, office campuses and townhome communities your crews maintain. They set up and put away equipment, help the crew leader finish each site on time, and leave walks and parking areas clean.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Provides critical support to commercial landscaping crews by assisting in material handling, equipment set-up, and job site clean-up. Contributes to maintaining high productivity and safety standards while ensuring quality work. Plays an essential role in the successful execution of landscaping projects. Demonstrates flexibility and a strong work ethic in a fast-paced outdoor environment.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Assist landscaping crew members with loading, unloading, and transporting materials on-site.
Handle equipment and tools safely and efficiently during job execution.
Ensure job sites are kept orderly and free of debris following project completion.
Support timely completion of projects while adhering to company safety protocols.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Prepare and distribute materials and supplies to team members at the start of each shift.
Assist with the proper setup and breakdown of landscaping equipment and work areas.
Participate actively in on-site clean-up and maintenance tasks throughout the workday.
Communicate effectively with crew members to resolve issues and maintain workflow efficiency.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Material handling efficiency: Maintain a 95%+ on-time delivery rate for job site materials.
Clean-up effectiveness: Achieve a 98% site clearance accuracy post-project.
Safety compliance: Ensure 100% adherence to safety protocols without recorded incidents.
Crew support satisfaction: Receive a minimum 90% positive feedback rating from crew evaluations.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
High school diploma or equivalent is preferred.
Minimum 1 year of related experience or demonstrated work ethic in a manual labor role.
Strong physical stamina and ability to work in outdoor environments.
Effective teamwork, communication, and basic problem-solving skills.
6. Preferred Experience
Previous experience working in commercial landscaping or related outdoor service industries.
Familiarity with landscaping tools, equipment, and materials management.
Knowledge of safe work practices in a construction or outdoor labor setting.
Experience collaborating with diverse teams in fast-paced environments.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to lift up to 50 lbs consistently throughout the workday.
Frequent exposure to outdoor conditions including varying weather extremes.
Capacity to perform repetitive physical tasks and sustained manual labor.
Must be able to stand, walk, and work in uneven terrain for extended periods.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Typical work hours are 7:00 AM – 3:30 PM, Monday through Friday.
May require occasional overtime during peak project periods.
Primarily outdoor work with exposure to changing weather conditions.
On-call availability during specific project emergencies or seasonal needs.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Hourly wage ranging from $15.00 to $20.00 USD per hour.
Eligibility for overtime pay when applicable.
Comprehensive benefits including Health, Dental, and Vision insurance.
Options for a 401(k) retirement plan and additional fringe benefits.
10. Company Culture and Overview
We are a growth-oriented company committed to excellence in both customer service and employee development.
Our culture values teamwork, safety, and continuous improvement, providing a strong foundation for career advancement.
We offer an inclusive and supportive work environment where every team member is empowered to succeed.
Join us to be part of an organization that is dedicated to sustainability and making a difference in commercial landscaping.
11. How to Apply
If you meet the above criteria and want to be part of a growth-oriented company focused on customer satisfaction, please send your resume to [INSERT EMAIL HERE] or apply online at [INSERT WEBSITE LINK HERE].
Need help filling this role? HireBus posts the ad, Iris interviews every applicant by phone before you do, and you decide who to hire. Start hiring now
What changes for a laborer in commercial landscaping
The helper on a commercial crew loads the truck, moves the material and cleans up in places the public uses all day. A few rules and habits follow from that.
Gas cans ride under hazmat rules
Federal hazmat rules let crews carry gasoline for mowers and blowers as a material of trade, within limits. Each can holds no more than 8 gallons, is metal or plastic built to DOT or OSHA rules, stays tightly closed and secured so it can't shift, and is marked with what's inside. All such materials on one truck can't pass 440 pounds, and the driver must be told they're on board. Source: eCFR 49 CFR 173.6: materials of trade exceptions.
Invasive plants can't ride along
Commercial grounds often border woods, ponds and stormwater basins where invasive plants spread. In Wisconsin, listed restricted species can't be transported, transferred or introduced without a permit, and prohibited species can't be possessed either. Teach helpers to leave a flagged plant for the crew leader instead of pulling it and tossing it on the truck, and keep cuttings out of the compost pile. Ask the DNR about a permit before a load of listed plants leaves the site. Source: Wisconsin DNR: invasive species classifications under NR 40.
Clippings go back on the turf, not the curb
Blowing grass, leaves and mulch into a parking lot drain or the street gutter sends it into the storm sewer and leaves a mess the property manager will see. Teach helpers to blow debris back onto turf or into beds, pick up what lands on pavement, and check the curb inlets before the truck pulls out.
Helpers float between installs and upkeep
On a commercial crew, a laborer may spread mulch at an office park on Monday and dig planting holes or lay sod at a new retail build on Thursday. Teach the basics of each kind of day: loading the right materials and tools, keeping sidewalks open for tenants, and staging sod and plants in shade so they don't dry out.
How much commercial landscape laborers make
The closest BLS group for commercial landscape laborers is landscaping and groundskeeping workers. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers who work for landscaping companies earned a median of $19.49 an hour ($40,530 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s above the $39,150 median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers in all industries. About 573,760 of the 952,640 landscaping and groundskeeping workers in that survey work for landscaping companies.
Paid by the hour plus overtime, per the template. The BLS figures cover landscaping and groundskeeping workers at landscaping companies, the group these laborers belong to. The template's lowest rate sits below the BLS tenth percentile for that group and its top rate near the median, so check it against local wages before you post.
Landscaping companies
$40,530$40,530 median Middle half $36,860–$46,840 10th–90th $34,660–$56,290
All industries
$39,150$39,150 median Middle half $36,190–$46,830 10th–90th $31,150–$56,730
$20k$30k$40k$50k$60k$70k
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Landscaping companies
$34,660
$36,860
$40,530
$46,840
$56,290
All industries
$31,150
$36,190
$39,150
$46,830
$56,730
BLS reports residential and commercial landscaping companies together. Post a real range for your market in the ad.
The pay line in the template above is an example from our Role Blueprint. Set yours from these figures and what local companies pay.
Skills to hire for, and what you can teach
Hire for these
Shows up on time, ready when the truck leaves the yard
Follows a crew leader's directions and asks when unsure
Handles loading, carrying, digging and raking tasks
Keeps work areas tidy and safe for people walking by
Works well on a small crew in close quarters
Teach these on the job
Safe use of blowers, string trimmers and hand tools
Loading and securing fuel cans and equipment on the truck and trailer
Mulch, sod and planting basics
Which plants on a property to remove and which to keep
Each property's cleanup standard and where debris goes
Laborers use shovels, rakes, wheelbarrows, pruners, backpack blowers and string trimmers, and help load mowers and skid steers onto trailers. Say in the ad which equipment a new helper will run in the first weeks and list the safety glasses, gloves and hearing protection you provide.
Commercial landscape laborer interview questions
Two of the 6 questions we'd ask, and what a strong answer sounds like. Ask every candidate the same questions, and rate each answer on your own before you compare notes.
Situational · Blowing near the public
You're blowing off a sidewalk in front of a busy store entrance. What do you watch for?
A strong answer: Pauses when people pass, blows away from doors and cars, wears eye and ear protection and keeps debris out of the street.
Behavioral · Teamwork
Tell me about a big job you finished with a team, at work, school, sports or volunteering. What was your part?
A strong answer: Explains their specific role, how they helped others and how the team finished.
The template's targets are samples. Set your own from crew leader notes and a few weeks of site checks, and go over them with each new helper early on.
Material handling efficiency
Count how often the crew had the materials and tools it needed on arrival at each site, from crew leader notes or the daily job log, and note what was left behind.
Clean-up effectiveness
Have the crew leader or field supervisor check walks, lots, curb inlets and beds after each visit, and record any spot that needed a second pass or drew a complaint.
Safety compliance
Track incident and near-miss reports, plus spot checks on eye and hearing protection, fuel handling and equipment guards. Record coaching notes too, not only injuries.
Crew support satisfaction
Ask crew leaders for a short monthly rating of each helper on readiness, effort and teamwork, with one comment. Review it with the helper in person.
Career path
Laborer / helperMoves materials, sets up equipment and cleans up each site.
What does a commercial landscape laborer do in winter?
That depends on whether you run snow. Many commercial companies keep some helpers through winter to shovel walks, spread de-icer at entrances and help in the shop. Others let them go after fall cleanup and rehire in spring. Say which in the ad, along with how on-call snow shifts work, since it changes who will apply.
How much does a commercial landscape laborer make?
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers who work for landscaping companies earned a median of $19.49 an hour ($40,530 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $36,860 and $46,840 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and overtime.
Does a commercial landscape laborer need landscaping experience?
No. The template wants one year of related work or proof of a manual labor work ethic, and plenty of good helpers come from moving companies, warehouses, farms or construction. Ask about a day in their last job: the tasks, the tools and how they got along with the crew. Teach the landscape parts on the job.
Can a new laborer run the mowers on day one?
It's better not to. Start new helpers on hand tools, blowers and trimmers with a lead showing them, then add walk-behind and ride-on mowers after training on the maker's manual and a supervised try on an open site. Keep a short sign-off sheet for each machine, so crew leaders know who is cleared for what.
The template asks for physical stamina, lifting 50 pounds and steady manual labor. What does that look like on the job?
Name the tasks instead. A laborer lifts and carries bags of mulch, plants and tools up to 50 pounds, loads and unloads trailers, rakes, digs and shovels through the shift, and spends it outdoors in every season on slopes and uneven ground. Ship the template lines unchanged, and say in the ad that you'll talk through accommodation with anyone who asks.
