A landscaping laborer helps a crew with the physical work: loading the trailer, moving mulch, stone and sod, digging, planting, and cleaning up. With training they run push mowers, trimmers and blowers under the crew leader's eye, and learn enough plant care to move up to landscaper.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
The Landscaping Laborer/Helper supports our landscaping team by efficiently assisting with material handling, site preparation, and basic landscaping tasks to ensure high-quality service and customer satisfaction.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Assist landscaping crew with on-site preparation, installation, and maintenance tasks.
Move and organize materials and equipment to designated job areas.
Perform basic landscaping tasks such as planting, mulching, and watering.
Maintain a clean, safe, and organized work environment.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Load and unload landscaping supplies and equipment at job sites.
Operate hand and power tools under supervision to complete tasks efficiently.
Follow crew leader instructions while efficiently coordinating work activities.
Document and communicate progress and challenges with team members and supervisors.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Task Completion Rate: Achieve a minimum of 95% of assigned tasks on schedule.
Material Handling Efficiency: Ensure 90% efficiency in material transport and utilization.
Safety Compliance: Maintain a record of 0% safety incidents per quarter.
Customer Satisfaction Rating: Sustain an average rating of 4.8 stars or above.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
High school diploma or equivalent required.
At least 1 year of experience in outdoor work or landscaping is preferred.
Strong ability to follow directions and work collaboratively within a team.
Reliable, punctual, and committed to maintaining high work standards.
6. Preferred Experience
Prior experience in landscaping, groundskeeping, or outdoor maintenance.
Familiarity with home services or similar industries.
Experience in the safe operation of basic landscaping tools and equipment.
Exposure to fast-paced, physically demanding work environments.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to consistently lift up to 50 pounds.
Extensive standing, walking, bending, and reaching required during shifts.
Comfortable working outdoors and in varying weather conditions.
Capable of performing physically demanding tasks over extended periods.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Typical work hours are Monday through Friday from 7 AM to 5 PM.
Occasional weekend work may be required based on project needs.
Environment includes outdoor job sites with exposure to varying weather conditions.
Minimal travel required between local job sites.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Hourly wage range: $15 - $20 per hour.
Overtime available in accordance with company policy and workload requirements.
Performance and safety-based bonus structure available.
Comprehensive benefits package including Health, Dental, Vision, 401k, and paid time off.
10. Company Culture and Overview
We are a growth-driven company committed to fostering a collaborative and inclusive work environment.
Our culture emphasizes continuous learning, professional development, and team success.
We focus on delivering excellent customer service while supporting employee advancement.
We invest in our team, providing the resources needed to excel in both professional and personal endeavors.
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
A helper in any trade carries, cleans up and learns. A landscaping laborer does it outdoors all day, around fast blades and heavy loads, on a calendar set by the seasons.
Training comes before the chipper
New York investigators reported on a new laborer at a residential tree job who was pulled into a wood chipper on his first day. He hadn't been trained on chipper hazards, and earlier that day he had pushed debris in by hand. Their advice: train workers before anyone feeds a chipper, follow the maker's feeding steps, and wear proper clothing and gear. Source: NY FACE (NIOSH-funded): Worker pulled into a wood chipper on his first day, case 16NY024.
Seasonal hiring, sometimes from abroad
Some landscaping companies fill seasonal laborer jobs through H-2B, the visa program for temporary non-farm work. Before filing, the employer has to win approval from the U.S. Department of Labor, called a temporary labor certification. Congress caps the visas at 66,000 a year, split between the two halves of the federal fiscal year. USCIS said the cap for workers starting October 2026 through March 2027 was reached by September 4, 2026. Source: USCIS: H-2B temporary non-agricultural workers.
Heavy material, moved the smart way
A laborer's day can mean bags of mulch, rolls of sod, wall block and potted shrubs. OSHA's landscaping page tells crews to get help with heavy lifts and lift safely. It also points to equipment, such as a trailer-mounted hoist, that takes lifting and pushing off the crew. Wheelbarrows, dollies and a compact loader do the same on landscape installs. Source: OSHA: Landscaping and horticultural services, hazards and solutions.
Safety gear is part of the uniform
Mowers, trimmers and blowers are loud and throw debris. BLS says workers who use equipment such as lawn mowers and chain saws must wear protective clothing, eyewear and earplugs. Under OSHA's rule, the employer pays for the protective gear the job requires. Clothing worn only for the weather, such as a raincoat, is an exception. Hand out the gear on day one and have the crew leader check it every morning. Source: OSHA: Personal protective equipment, employer payment (29 CFR 1910.132).
Plant knowledge is the way up
A laborer who pays attention learns which plants are which, how deep to set them, and how each customer likes the yard. That knowledge, more than speed, is what moves a laborer up to landscaper. Pair new laborers with a patient landscaper, and quiz them on plant names and tasks every few weeks.
How much landscaping laborers make
The closest BLS group for landscaping 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.
There's no separate BLS pay figure for landscaping helpers. BLS counts them with all landscaping and groundskeeping workers, including experienced landscapers, so a first-season helper usually starts below the median shown. Expect hourly pay with overtime, as the template sets it, and a raise once they can run the machines on their own.
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
Arrives on time, including on early-start days
Follows directions and asks when unsure
Uses shovels, rakes, wheelbarrows and hand tools with care
Wears safety gear without being reminded
Treats customers' yards, cars and pets with respect
Teach these on the job
Safe use of push mowers, trimmers, edgers and blowers
Plant names, and how to plant, mulch and water
Loading and tying down equipment on the trailer
What a finished yard looks like at your company
Basic irrigation checks, like spotting a broken sprinkler head
Laborers start with shovels, rakes, wheelbarrows, pruners and tarps for cleanups, then move up to push mowers, string trimmers, edgers and backpack blowers once trained. The ad should list the safety gear you provide and what time the crew pulls out of the yard each morning.
Landscaping laborer interview questions
They have their own page: 6 questions that test this job, what strong and weak answers sound like, and a work exercise to run with your finalists.
Read these as goals for a helper who has finished training. Measure each laborer against the crew they work on, and raise the bar as their skills grow.
Task Completion Rate
Tasks the crew leader assigns, such as edging a set of beds or loading the trailer, finished in the time planned. The crew leader marks them on a short daily sheet or app.
Material Handling Efficiency
Mulch, stone, plants and sod delivered to the right spot without damage or waste, compared with what the job called for. Track leftover and damaged material by job.
Safety Compliance
Days with all required gear worn, from the crew leader's daily check, plus any incidents. Treat a reported near miss as useful news, not a mark against the laborer, so people keep reporting them.
Customer Satisfaction Rating
Monthly ratings for the properties the laborer's crew served. Note any comments about care around cars, plants, pets or gates.
Career path
Laborer / helperCarries, digs, cleans up and learns the machines.
They do the hands-on support work on a crew: loading and unloading the trailer, moving material, digging holes and trenches, planting, spreading mulch, raking, and cleanup. As they learn, they take on mowing, trimming and edging. A crew leader assigns each task and checks the result.
How much does a landscaping 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.
What is the difference between a landscaping laborer and a landscaper?
A laborer is still learning. They carry, dig and clean up, and use machines once trained. A landscaper works with less direction, knows the plants, prunes, and spots problems such as pests or a broken sprinkler. BLS puts both in the same group for pay data, so the difference shows up in your own pay steps, not in government figures.
Can a teenager work as a landscaping laborer?
Yes, within federal child labor rules. Workers aged 14 and 15 may do grounds cleanup with hand tools, but may not run power-driven mowers, trimmers, weed eaters or edgers, or do work that needs a ladder. When school is out, they may work up to 8 hours a day and 40 a week, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., or 9 p.m. from June 1 through Labor Day. No one under 18 may run a chain saw or wood chipper or work as a helper on one, outside approved apprentice and student-learner programs. State laws may add limits of their own, so check both before you hire.
Does a landscaping laborer need a high school diploma?
The template asks for one, but BLS says entry-level grounds jobs typically have no formal education requirement, and that on-the-job training usually takes a month or less. Decide whether a diploma really matters for this job. Dropping it can widen your pool, and you can still check for reliability and safety habits in the interview.
How do I get good laborers to come back next season?
Say in the interview what winter looks like at your company: snow work, short weeks or time off with a set return date. Offer a raise or a bonus for coming back, keep them with the same crew leader where you can, and call them before spring hiring starts. A trained laborer who returns skips the first weeks of teaching.
