Landscape and Lawn Care Crew Member Salaries By State 2023

Loyalty and experience on the job can be rewarding financially.

And that's a two-way proposition: Both for landscape and lawn care companies that can count on employee reliability but also for crew members who can count on an increased salary.

Landscape and lawn care pay rates are up year-over-year across the nation, according to salary data from Payscale.com. Median salaries, for employees in the 50th percentile, are increased in every state across three categories of experience for landscape and lawn care workers – 0-2 years, 2-4 years, and 4-6 years – with the exception of Alaska in the two groups with less experience.

The key takeaways:

For workers with 0-2 years of experience, median salary increases from 2022 to 2023 surpassed 2% in 38 states, with 11 states checking in at 4% or better.

With 2-4 years of experience, how much landscape and lawn care crew workers make proved more substantial. Forty-seven states reported median salary increases of 2% or better from 2022 to 2023, and 11 states showed raises of better than 5%.

And experience really pays off for seasoned landscape and lawn care workers. Alaska, which reported a decrease for 0-2 years (-0.79%) and flat for 2-4 years, was the No. 50 state for workers with 4-6 years of experience, yet the 50th percentile earned 7.63% more money than in 2022. Forty-six states reported salary increases of 10% or more, with three of them surpassing 14%.

"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 in the category of 4-6 years 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."

The Payscale data, available for all states and for one city in each state and the District of Columbia, does not factor in cost differences by location. Nor are inflation or the Consumer Price Index part of the calculations. The data represents base salaries only and does not include commissions, bonuses, or benefit costs such as health care or 401(k) contribution matches.

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."

Inside The Numbers

The database from Payscale.com, which works with human resources and compensation specialists to modernize compensation and salary benchmarking through technology, was developed based on more than 2,000 commercially available, reputable compensation surveys. Each survey complies with generally accepted principles and practices of WorldatWork and U.S. Department of Justice compensation survey standards. The database covers all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Among the statistical findings from Payscale.com for landscape and lawn care crew members salaries, dated Jan. 1, 2023, with comparisons to the previous year:

2023 BASE SALARIES

STATES

0-2 years of experience

Top five

Massachusetts, $42,500 ($20.43, 2.16% increase in 2023 vs. 2022)

Minnesota, $39,400 ($18.94, 1.81%)

California, $38,600 ($18.56, 2.66%)

Connecticut, $38,200 ($18.37, 1.87%)

New Jersey, $38,200 ($18.37, 4.66%)

New York, $38,200 ($18.37, 3.80%)

Washington, $38,200 ($18.37, 3.80%)

Bottom five

West Virginia, $31,700 ($15.24, 2.59%)

North Carolina, $31,800 ($15.29, 2.25%)

Wyoming, $32,000 ($15.38, 2.24%)

Arkansas, $32,100 ($15.43, 4.90%)

Tennessee, $32,400 ($15.58, 1.57%)

2-4 years of experience

Top five

Minnesota, $42,200 ($20.29, 2.68%)

California, $42,100 ($20.24, 4.21%)

Connecticut, $40,600 ($19.52, 3.05%)

New Jersey, $40,400 ($19.42, 5.48%)

Massachusetts, $40,200 ($19.33, 3.08%)

Washington, $40,200 ($13.33, 4.69%)

Bottom five

North Carolina, $33,000 ($15.87, 2.80%)

West Virginia, $33,600 ($16.15, 3.70%)

Wyoming, $33,600 ($16.15, 2.44%)

Arkansas, $33,900 ($16.30, 5.94%)

Idaho, $34,400 ($16.54, 5.52%)

4-6 years of experience

Top five

California, $58,100 ($27.93, 11.73%)

Connecticut, $55,600 ($26.73, 10.76%)

New Jersey, $55,600 ($26.73, 13.47%)

Washington, $55,600 ($26.73, 12.10%)

Massachusetts, $55,200 ($26.54, 11.07%)

Bottom five

West Virginia, $46,200 ($22.21, 11.33%)

Wyoming, $46,600 ($22.40, 10.43%)

Arkansas, $46,700 ($22.45, 13.90%)

Idaho, $47,700 ($22.93, 13.57%)

Mississippi, $47,700 ($22.93, 14.11%)

CITIES

0-2 years of experience

Top five

Boston (MA), $44,100 ($21.20, 1.85%)

San Francisco (CA), $42,000 ($20.19, 2.44%)

New York (NY), $41,700 ($20.05, 1.21%)

Anchorage (AK), $39,100 ($18.80, 2.09%)

Bridgeport (CT), $38,900 ($18.70, 1.83%)

Bottom five

Jackson (MS), $32,300 ($15.53, -1.52%)

Wichita (KS), $32,800 ($15.77, -1.80%)

Little Rock (AR), $32,900 ($15.82, 0.00%)

Birmingham (AL), $33,100 ($15.91, -0.30%)

Virginia Beach (VA), $33,300 ($16.01, 1.52%)

2-4 years of experience

Top five

San Francisco (CA), $44,500 ($21.39, 3.49%)

New York (NY), $42,300 ($20.34, 1.68%)

Anchorage (AK), $41,300 ($19.86, 2.74%)

Bridgeport (CT), $41,200 ($19.81, 2.74%)

Honolulu (HI), $41,000 ($19.71, 3.02%)

Bottom five

Jackson (MS), $34,200 ($16.44, -0.58%)

Wichita (KS), $34,700 ($16.68, -0.86%)

Little Rock (AR),$34,800 ($16.73, 0.58%)

Birmingham (AL), $35,100 ($16.88, 0.57%)

Virginia Beach (VA), $35,300 ($16.97, 2.32%)

4-6 years of experience

Top five

San Francisco (CA), $61,200 ($29.42, 11.07%)

New York (NY), $58,200 ($27.98, 9.19%)

Anchorage (AK), $56,900 ($27.36, 10.49%)

Bridgeport (CT), $56,700 ($27.26, 10.53%)

Honolulu (HI), $56,400 ($27.12, 10.59%)

Bottom five

Jackson (MS), $47,100 ($22.64, 6.80%)

Wichita (KS), $47,900 ($23.03, 6.92%)

Little Rock (AR), $47,900 ($23.03, 8.13%)

Birmingham (AL), $48,300 ($23.22, 8.30%)

Virginia Beach (VA), $48,500 ($23.32, 9.98%)

2023 PERCENTAGES OF SALARY INCREASES

STATES

0-2 years of experience

Top five

Mississippi, 5.13% (increase compared to 2022)

Montana, 5.11%

Arkansas, 4.90%

Utah, 4.83%

Idaho, 4.81%

Bottom five

Alaska, -0.79%

Vermont, 0.60%

Delaware, 0.87%

Maryland, 1.14%

Hawaii, 1.39%

2-4 years of experience

Top five

Arkansas, 5.94%

Oklahoma, 5.93%

Mississippi, 5.83%

South Dakota, 5.65%

Alabama, 5.62%

Bottom five

Alaska, 0.00%

Delaware, 1.38%

Vermont, 1.43%

Iowa, 2.05%

Maryland, 2.18%

4-6 years of experience

Top five

Oklahoma, 14.12%

Mississippi, 14.11%

Georgia, 14.09%

Michigan, 13.96%

Arizona, 13.91%

Bottom five

Alaska, 7.63%

Vermont, 8.97%

Delaware, 9.27%

Maryland, 9.57%

Iowa, 10.07%

CITIES

0-2 years of experience

Top five

Philadelphia (PA), 6.96%

Kansas City (MO), 5.92%

Charlotte (NC), 4.45%

Baltimore (MD), 4.29%

Columbus (OH), 3.88%

Bottom five

Wichita (KS), -1.80%

Jackson (MS), -1.52%

Washington (DC), -0.78%

Billings (MT), -0.59%

Birmingham (AL), -0.30%

2-4 years of experience

Top five

Philadelphia (PA), 7.44%

Kansas City (MO), 6.76%

Charlotte (NC), 5.08%

Baltimore (MD), 4.89%

Columbus (OH), 4.55%

Bottom five

Wichita (KS), -0.86%

Jackson (MS), -0.58%

Billings (MT), 0.00%

Atlanta (GA), 0.00%

Washington (DC), 0.25%

4-6 years of experience

Top five

Philadelphia (PA), 15.95%

Kansas City (MO), 14.51%

Charlotte (NC), 13.00%

Baltimore (MD), 12.95%

Columbus (OH), 12.42%

Bottom five

Jackson (MS), 6.80%

Wichita (KS), 6.92%

Billings (MT), 7.69%

Atlanta (GA), 7.69%

Washington (DC), 7.75%

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.