A landscaper keeps homeowners' yards healthy week after week by mowing, pruning shrubs, weeding and mulching beds, planting, and fixing small sprinkler problems. Unlike a laborer, they know the plants, need less direction, and spot pests, disease or a broken sprinkler head before the customer does.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
This role is responsible for creating and maintaining visually appealing landscapes that enhance property aesthetics and curb appeal. The ideal candidate demonstrates a passion for working outdoors and effectively executing landscaping designs. Contributes to the overall success of the company by ensuring high-quality groundskeeping and garden maintenance.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Develop and execute landscaping plans based on customer and company specifications.
Plant, grow, and maintain a variety of plants including shrubs, trees, flowers, and lawns.
Perform regular grounds maintenance such as irrigation, pruning, mulching, and fertilization.
Collaborate with team members to ensure efficient scheduling and completion of landscaping projects.
Monitor equipment and supplies inventory, and report needs to the supervisor.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Inspect and maintain client properties to ensure landscape quality and health.
Operate landscaping equipment (e.g., mowers, trimmers, and other power tools) safely and efficiently.
Engage with customers to understand their landscaping needs and provide expert advice.
Identify and resolve potential issues such as plant diseases, pests, or irrigation problems.
Document daily activities and update project progress reports.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Projects Completed on Time: 95% milestone achievement.
Customer Satisfaction Rating: >4.8 stars based on post-service surveys.
Equipment Efficiency Rate: Maintain >90% uptime.
Quality Inspection Score: Achieve a minimum score of 90% on routine quality assessments.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
High school diploma or equivalent, with a background in horticulture or related field.
Minimum of 2 years’ proven experience in landscaping or grounds maintenance.
Strong understanding of plant care, irrigation systems, and landscape design principles.
Excellent communication, problem-solving, and time management skills.
6. Preferred Experience
Prior experience working in residential or commercial landscaping services.
Familiarity with sustainable practices and eco-friendly landscaping techniques.
Experience in operating and servicing landscaping equipment.
Demonstrated ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a team environment.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to lift and carry up to 50 lbs on a regular basis.
Required to perform tasks in various weather conditions including hot, cold, and wet environments.
Prolonged periods of walking, standing, and manual labor.
Frequent bending, stretching, and repetitive movement.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Typical work hours are Monday through Friday from 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
Occasional overtime or weekend work may be required during peak seasons.
Must be prepared to work outdoors in varying weather conditions.
Minimal travel between job sites is expected.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Salary range: $15 - $20 per hour based on experience and qualifications.
Performance-based bonus structures available.
Health, Dental, and Vision insurance provided.
401(k) plan with company match and additional fringe benefits available.
10. Company Culture and Overview
At [INSERT COMPANY NAME HERE], we pride ourselves on fostering an inclusive and supportive work environment where employee growth and professional development are top priorities.
We believe in cultivating creativity, teamwork, and a strong commitment to customer satisfaction.
Our mission is to deliver exceptional home service experiences and empower our team members to achieve their career goals.
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 landscaper at a residential company tends the same yards all season. The job runs on plant knowledge, and on state rules for spraying and sprinklers, as much as on mowing.
Pruning at the wrong time costs a season
Knowing plants is what sets a landscaper apart from a helper. Spring-flowering shrubs such as lilac and forsythia bloom on last year's growth, so University of Minnesota Extension says to prune them right after they finish blooming. Shear them in fall and the homeowner loses next spring's flowers. Your landscapers should know the local plants and when each one gets cut. Source: University of Minnesota Extension: Pruning trees and shrubs.
Weed spraying may need a license
In Texas, anyone paid to put any pesticide on lawns, trees, ornamentals or weeds needs a license from the state's agriculture department, even for general-use products. Fertilizer alone doesn't need that license there. BLS adds that pesticide applicators need a license in most states. Know your state's rule before a landscaper reaches for weed killer in a customer's beds. Source: Texas Department of Agriculture: Applying pesticides to lawns, trees and ornamentals.
Sprinkler repairs can be licensed work
Texas says no one may install, maintain, repair or service a landscape irrigation system without a state license unless an exemption applies. Irrigation technicians there work under a licensed irrigator's supervision. Other states handle this differently. Look up your own rules before your landscapers swap heads, move zones or reprogram a controller. Source: Texas Commission on Environmental Quality: Landscape irrigator and irrigation technician licenses.
Mowers, slopes and drop-offs
OSHA's riding mower guidance says not to mow slopes steeper than the maker's limit, or over 15 degrees when the maker lists none. Keep drive wheels at least five feet from unguarded drop-offs, and keep the rollover bar and seat belt in use on mowers built with them. OSHA also says the employer is responsible for training workers before they use any mower. Steep backyards and retaining walls make this a daily call. Source: OSHA: Dangers of riding mower rollovers.
Same yards, same homeowners, every week
A landscaper often sees the same properties all season and learns each yard and owner. That's a chance to catch a dying shrub, a soggy spot from a leak or grubs in the lawn early. They pass it to the crew leader or a sales rep as added work. It also means one careless visit, like a gate left open, is remembered.
How much landscapers make
The closest BLS group for landscapers 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.
Hourly pay, with overtime when spring and fall work piles up. Some companies add a step raise for skills such as pruning, irrigation repair or a pesticide license, and a bonus for staying through the fall cleanup season.
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
Knows the common lawn grasses, shrubs and perennials in your area
Prunes shrubs to their natural shape instead of shearing everything
Runs commercial mowers, trimmers and blowers safely and neatly
Finds and fixes simple sprinkler problems, like a broken head or clogged nozzle
Works without close supervision and leaves each yard the way the customer expects
Teach these on the job
Your mowing heights, patterns and edging standards
Your plant list and planting specs for landscape installs
Controller programming for the irrigation brands you use
Studying for the state pesticide exam, if they'll spray
Leaving job notes and photos in your route app
Landscapers run commercial mowers, string trimmers, edgers, hedge trimmers and blowers, plus hand pruners, loppers, a soil probe and basic irrigation parts. Many companies log visits, notes and photos in an app from programs like LMN or Aspire. In the ad, list the equipment they'll run and the split between mowing and bed and plant care.
Landscaper 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.
Work from the template's targets for the first season, then replace them with your own. Score each landscaper on their main work, since bed care and mowing don't measure the same way.
Projects Completed on Time
Planting, mulch and cleanup jobs finished by the date promised, out of all such jobs assigned. Run the report monthly from your scheduling software and mark rain days.
Customer Satisfaction Rating
Survey scores after each visit, plus reviews that mention the landscaper's properties, read each month. Look in the comments for notes on plant care, cleanup and missed areas.
Equipment Efficiency Rate
Hours the landscaper's assigned machines were ready to run, out of scheduled hours, from your equipment log. Count breakdowns from skipped daily checks, like dull blades or low oil, apart from wear and age.
Quality Inspection Score
Scores from the field supervisor's checklist on visits the landscaper handled, using the same checklist each time. Look at the trend over a month, not one bad day.
At a residential company, a landscaper handles the regular care of homeowners' yards. That means mowing and edging, pruning shrubs, weeding and mulching beds, seasonal planting, leaf cleanup, and small sprinkler repairs. They work on a crew but need less direction than a laborer. They flag problems such as pests, disease or poor drainage for the crew leader.
How much does a landscaper 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.
Is a gardener the same as a landscaper?
At many companies, yes, and the template uses both titles for one job. Some companies use gardener for the person who focuses on beds, shrubs and flowers, and landscaper for someone who also mows and works on landscape installs. Use the title your local applicants search for, and describe the real mix of work in the ad.
Does a landscaper need a license?
Parts of the job can need one, and the rules come from your state. Spraying for weeds or insects needs a license in most states, per BLS, and fertilizer licensing isn't the same everywhere. Texas licenses anyone who installs or repairs irrigation, with some exemptions. In Connecticut, a company that sells tree pruning or feeding must hold an arborist license. Check with your state's licensing agencies before you advertise the job.
Which certifications should a landscaper have?
Two are worth looking for. The National Association of Landscape Professionals offers the Landscape Industry Certified Technician credential. Candidates take an online exam in one specialty: softscape installation, hardscape installation, irrigation, ornamental maintenance or turf maintenance. It's an industry credential, not a license. The other is a state pesticide license, for anyone who will spray.
How do I test a landscaper's plant knowledge in an interview?
Walk a yard together, or show photos of plants common in your area, and ask what each one is and when they'd prune it. Hand them pruners and a shrub and watch. Ask how they'd find a broken sprinkler head in a zone. The template wants two years of landscaping or grounds work. This shows you what those years taught them.
