How to hire a landscape gardener

How to hire a landscape gardener, step by step

Here's a step-by-step landscape gardener hiring guide:

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

Post a landscape gardener job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   The landscape gardener hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   A landscape gardener's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, landscape gardeners from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list presents landscape gardener salaries for various positions.

   Type of Landscape Gardener	Description	Hourly rate
   Landscape Gardener	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.	$6-39
   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
   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

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • GRASS
   • Mowing
   • Blowers
   • Grounds Maintenance
   • Maintenance Tasks
   • Hand Tools
   • Mowers
   • Rakes
   • MOW
   • Landscape Maintenance
   • Snow Removal
   • Plant Identification
   • Irrigation Systems
   • Grounds Equipment

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage clients and run all landscape operations including groundskeeping, seasonal cleaning, and pressure washing
   • Used hand or power tools such as hand tools, blowers, edgers, weedwhackers.
   • Operate gas power landscaping machines such as high tech mowers, weed whips, & blowers.
   • Operate grounds equipment such as carts, tractors, loaders, mowers, edgers and aerators.
   • Clean grounds using rakes, brooms, and hose.
   • Optimize perennials.- Prune and trim trees, shrubs, and hedges.

   More landscape gardener duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your landscape gardener job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A landscape gardener salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a landscape gardener in Louisiana may be lower than in Rhode Island, and an entry-level landscape gardener usually earns less than a senior-level landscape gardener. Additionally, a landscape gardener with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average landscape gardener salary

   $35,050yearly

   $16.85 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level landscape gardener salary

   $14,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 23, 2026

   Average landscape gardener salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$59,699	$29
   2	Maryland	$52,265	$25
   3	Nevada	$50,513	$24
   4	District of Columbia	$45,910	$22
   5	New York	$44,721	$22
   6	Wisconsin	$44,521	$21
   7	Pennsylvania	$43,538	$21
   8	Colorado	$42,611	$20
   9	Virginia	$39,111	$19
   10	Utah	$35,545	$17
   11	Arizona	$34,856	$17
   12	Missouri	$31,738	$15
   13	Texas	$30,634	$15

   Average landscape gardener salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Northrop Grumman	$70,885	$34.08
   2	Wyndham Hotels & Resorts	$47,813	$22.99
   3	The George Washington University	$47,735	$22.95
   4	The Walt Disney Company	$43,160	$20.75	10
   5	Danco Construction	$37,775	$18.16
   6	Worcester Polytechnic Institute	$36,465	$17.53
   7	Willow Valley Communities	$32,155	$15.46
   8	QUALITY ONE WOODWORK	$32,125	$15.44
   9	Brickman Group Holdings Inc	$31,837	$15.31
   10	American Golf	$31,685	$15.23
   11	Landscapes Unlimited	$31,589	$15.19	2
   12	Synaptek Corporation	$31,588	$15.19
   13	Mainscape	$31,558	$15.17	2
   14	Crossroads Diversified Services	$31,500	$15.14	2
   15	Chumash Casino Resort	$31,373	$15.08
   16	Santa Cruz Seaside Company Inc	$31,110	$14.96
   17	Agua Caliente Casino Palm Springs	$30,704	$14.76	3
   18	Xanterra	$30,512	$14.67	1
   19	Cattail Creek Country Club	$30,030	$14.44
   20	Jekyll Island	$29,220	$14.05	2

4. Writing a landscape gardener job description

   A landscape gardener 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. To help get you started, here's an example of a landscape gardener job description:

   Landscape gardener job description example

   Wedgwood Garden Center in Norfolk, VA is looking for three Landscape Crew members to join our 11 person strong team. Our company has been providing landscaping and grounds maintenance services to our valued customers throughout the area for over 60 years. We take pride in the services and the final product that we deliver to our customers, whether residential, commercial or government properties we expect our employees to take pride in the product they deliver in our name.

   Our Shop is located at 7610 Sewells Point Rd (** Garage is on Avenue J ) and on-site interviews are held 7:30am Mon-Fri. Bring valid work documents (birth certificate, SS card and Valid Government ID/Drivers License), dress for work: (unstained, no rips or tears, no baggy pants, suitable closed toe shoes, and you could start that day. Se Habla Español

   Our ideal candidate is punctual, has a good attitude, communicates with supervisors, able to follow direction, perform the duties of the job in a safe and satisfactory manner and has a good attitude.

   Pay ranging from $11-15.00/hr. Weekly Pay

   Crew leader and crew member positions available.

   PTO (40 hours) after one year. One unpaid day off earned per month after 90 days.

   Company vehicle available to certain candidates.

   Must have:

   - experience in the industry

   - valid drivers license ( Crew Leaders only )

   - ability to lift/carry 50lbs

   - Clean, groomed appearance and good attitude

   - availability to work Mon-Fri 7:30am-5pm (off by 4pm most days)

   - reliable transportation to and from work

   
   

   Job Type: Full-time

   Pay: $11.00 - $15.00 per hour

   Education:

   • High school or equivalent (Preferred)

   Experience:

   • Recent Landscape Maintenance : 1 year (Preferred but Not Required)

   EOE

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right landscape gardener for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with landscape gardeners they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit landscape gardeners who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting landscape gardeners 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.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates 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 landscape gardener

   Once you've selected the best landscape gardener candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing 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 landscape gardener 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.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a landscape gardener?