How to hire an assistant landscaper

How to hire an assistant landscaper, step by step

Here's a step-by-step assistant landscaper hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an assistant landscaper job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new assistant landscaper
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your assistant landscaper job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find an assistant landscaper for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them an assistant landscaper to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire an assistant landscaper that fits the bill.

   Here's a comparison of assistant landscaper salaries for various roles:

   Type of Assistant Landscaper	Description	Hourly rate
   Assistant Landscaper	Grounds maintenance workers ensure that the grounds of houses, businesses, and parks are attractive, orderly, and healthy in order to provide a pleasant outdoor environment.	$9-28
   Ground Crew	Ground crews, also known as ground staff, are personnel that work at the airport. These crews are either avionics technicians, customer service and ramp agents, or flight dispatchers... Show more	$12-19
   Irrigation Technician	An irrigation technician is responsible for installing, testing, and maintaining irrigation equipment such as sprinklers, suction valves, and pumps. Typical duties for this position include operating heavy machinery for trenching, installing wiring systems for irrigation timers, and inspecting equipment for a day's work... Show more	$12-21

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Mowing
   • CAD
   • Design Process
   • Cost Estimates
   • MOW
   • Irrigation Systems
   • Flower Beds
   • Rakes
   • Landscape Design
   • Blowers
   • Shovels
   • Retaining Walls
   • Mowers
   • Lawn Care

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage clients and run all landscape operations including groundskeeping, seasonal cleaning, and pressure washing
   • Use hand tools, such as shovels, rakes, pruning saws, saws, or axes.
   • Operate lawn and grind equipment such as power mowers, snow plows and blowers.
   • Operate industrial mowers and string trimmers.
   • Help design, prepare, and maintain garden beds and planters
   • Sod laying, mowing, trimming, planting, watering, fertilizing, digging, and raking.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your assistant landscaper job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. An assistant landscaper can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, assistant landscapers' average salary in mississippi is 52% less than in rhode island.
   • Seniority. Entry-level assistant landscapers 66% less than senior-level assistant landscapers.
   • Certifications. An assistant landscaper with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in an assistant landscaper's salary.

   Average assistant landscaper salary

   $35,069yearly

   $16.86 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level assistant landscaper salary

   $20,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 20, 2025

4. Writing an assistant landscaper job description

   An assistant landscaper job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of an assistant landscaper job description:

   Assistant landscaper job description example

   We currently have an opening for an Assistant Landscape Architect in our City of Industry or Anaheim office. Under the supervision of a project manager/landscape architect, the qualified individual will assist in the design and plan preparation of construction drawings for small size and large size municipality projects. Project types included streetscapes, pocket and community parks, multi-use trails, and vegetation restoration.
   Essential Duties and Responsibilities
   
   Under the supervision of a project manager, which may be a registered civil engineer or registered landscape architect, the following duties will be required:
   
   * Prepare conceptual plan exhibits which would include plan, elevations, and proposed material boards, using AutoCAD with supports from other graphic software such as Photoshop and SketchUp.
   * Prepare plans for landscape construction layout, irrigation system design, planting design and construction details, using AutoCAD.
   * Prepare construction specifications booklet, following Standard Specifications for Public Works Construction format, using Microsoft Word.
   * Prepare construction cost estimates, using Microsoft Excel.
   * Assist project managers in providing project bidding and construction support, e.g.: respond to contractor's RFIs and reviewing contractor's material submittals.
   * Perform plan check/plan review as a contract plan reviewer for public agencies/municipalities.
   
   Qualifications - Education and Skills
   
   * Require a high school diploma or GED with at least 6 months in irrigation design and landscape design training.
   * Prefer a bachelor's degree in landscape architecture or a Certificate of Landscape Architecture from a credited University or College Extension Program.
   * Valid California driver's license Class C.
   * Minimum skill requirement: Proficient in using AutoCAD, Microsoft Office software and familiar with online searching engine including Google Earth.
   * Knowledge of Photoshop and Sketchup is also preferred but not a requirement.
   
   Company Offers
   
   * Comparative salary and full benefits for full time staff, including 401K.
   * On the job training.
   * Training to be familiar with plan check services and in advancing in irrigation design skills.
   * Opportunities for advancement.
   
   EEO Non-Discrimination and ADA Reasonable Accommodation Statement:
   
   Applicants are considered for all positions without regard to race, color, creed, religion, age, national origin, alienage or citizenship status, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or partnership status, disability, military status, veteran status, pregnancy or predisposing genetic characteristics. Willdan does not discriminate on the basis of physical or mental disability where the essential functions of the job can be reasonably accommodated. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. If you need reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify us.
   
   Willdan Group, Inc. participates in E-Verify.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find assistant landscapers for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your assistant landscaper job on Zippia to find and recruit assistant landscaper candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting assistant landscapers requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new assistant landscaper

   Once you have selected a candidate for the assistant landscaper position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new assistant landscaper first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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