How to hire a landscape manager

How to hire a landscape manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step landscape manager 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 manager job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new landscape manager
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the landscape manager you need to hire. Certain landscape manager roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   A landscape manager's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, landscape managers 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 manager salaries for various positions.

   Type of Landscape Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Landscape Manager		$17-33
   Golf Course Superintendent	Golf course superintendents are skilled professionals who are responsible for providing care and maintenance to the golf courses they are working for. These superintendents must supervise a team of staff members to coordinate work schedules for landscaping and maintaining the golf course grounds... Show more	$10-32
   Grounds Maintenance Supervisor	The grounds maintenance supervisor is in charge of the maintenance and landscape crew. These are people who mow lawns, trim overgrown shrubs, irrigate planting beds, and perform a host of other outdoor maintenance tasks... Show more	$11-19

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Irrigation Systems
   • Mowing
   • GRASS
   • Lawn Care
   • Safety Procedures
   • Snow Removal
   • Grounds Maintenance
   • Landscape Maintenance
   • Landscape Design
   • Cost Estimates
   • Equipment Maintenance
   • Golf Courses
   • Pest Control
   • Blowers

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage upkeep of yards including but not limit to mowing, tree removal, trimming etc.
   • Mow grass in commercial lots, manage time sheets for employees, and drive company car to work sites.
   • Manage nursery and landscape surrounding campus center, leading maintenance and management projects.
   • Schedule services for mowers and small equipment to be take to different vendors for service.
   • Mix and spray fertilizers, herbicides, and insecticides on grass, shrubs, and trees.
   • Hedge trimmers, extend trimmers, blowers, chain saws, stump grinder, auger, sod cutter, etc.

   More landscape manager duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, landscape managers' average salary in alabama is 42% less than in new york.
   • Seniority. Entry-level landscape managers 49% less than senior-level landscape managers.
   • Certifications. A landscape manager 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 a landscape manager's salary.

   Average landscape manager salary

   $50,541yearly

   $24.30 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level landscape manager salary

   $36,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

   Average landscape manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$56,334	$27
   2	California	$56,210	$27
   3	California	$55,136	$27
   4	Nebraska	$50,919	$24
   5	Virginia	$50,625	$24
   6	Colorado	$50,157	$24
   7	Maryland	$48,449	$23
   8	Oregon	$46,263	$22
   9	Hawaii	$45,901	$22
   10	Illinois	$45,169	$22
   11	Illinois	$45,151	$22
   12	Ohio	$44,390	$21
   13	Texas	$42,025	$20
   14	South Carolina	$40,516	$19
   15	Florida	$38,035	$18
   16	Louisiana	$37,952	$18
   17	Alabama	$35,885	$17

   Average landscape manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	IBM	$77,557	$37.29
   2	Nufarm	$75,078	$36.10
   3	LNK International	$51,267	$24.65
   4	Integrated Dealer Systems	$44,540	$21.41
   5	The University of Alabama	$42,822	$20.59
   6	Shangri-La	$41,824	$20.11

4. Writing a landscape manager job description

   A good landscape manager job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a landscape manager job description:

   Landscape manager job description example

   Looking for an opportunity where success comes naturally? Then you may have found your crew. We're looking for an Enhancement Manager to join our team.
   Here's what you'd do:
   
   The Enhancement Manager (EM) schedules and directs personnel and resources towards providing quality, cost-effective enhancement services to clients. EMs also support the Account Manager(s) in estimating, design and client meetings as needed as well as sell enhancement services to clients, with or without base maintenance contracts, on their own. The EM will oversee a commercial landscape portfolio and multiple service teams. The EM will be responsible for training and developing these individuals by providing day-to-day operational scheduling and guidance.
   
   You'd be responsible for:
   Understanding client needs via regular communication with the Account Manager(s) Managing all landscape enhancement services, including the coordination of all materials, people, equipment and subcontractors required to produce quality work Inspecting properties prior to scheduled service in order to properly prepare a specific action plan for service Understanding irrigation systems, identify necessary repairs or adjustments, and communicate recommendations to the appropriate party After services, monitoring all aspects of the landscape and identify insect or disease problems As necessary, performing hands-on work with crews to meet work and scheduling demands Implementing and enforcing BrightViewpolicies and procedures related to proper upkeep and maintenance, storage, use, and training required for branch equipment Working with the Branch Manager to identify staffing needs, hire new crew, and prepare daily crew schedules Ensuring proper paperwork is completed for all employee changes and hires Communicating with, counsel, train, discipline, review, and develop growth plan for employees Hands-on training and supporting of crew members, including proper operation of equipment, pruning techniques, safety, and quality standards Focusing on safety and monitor safety records Maintaining and managing all required administrative systems, including but not limited to time sheets, job databases, and service schedules Ordering materials as needed and monitor costs and deliveries Requesting purchase orders and use in accordance with company guidelines Assisting the Branch Manager in the performance of enhancement sales tasks as required
   You might be a good fit if you have:
   A minimum of a 2 year degree in a business related field or equivalent experience required Minimum of 3 years of prior customer service, management, and leadership experience within an organization, the landscaping industry or local marketplace, including at least 1 year supervisory experience Obtain and maintain a PLANET Certification (Installation of Hard and Softscapes)
   Here's what to know about working here:
   
   At BrightView, we're a tight-knit crew who are as passionate about caring for our clients as we are about each other. Though we're the nation's leading landscape company, we maintain a small company feel and supportive environment that makes our team members feel at home.
   
   If you're looking to join a crew of talented go-getters who tackle big vision projects other companies could only dream of, you might just have found your match. With our range of services, including landscape design, development, maintenance and enhancements, there's no limit to what we can do, and what you can achieve.
   
   In addition to industry-leading development opportunities, you'll also have benefits and perks like:
   Competitive salary Paid time off Medical, dental, and vision insurance
   Think you've found your crew?
   
   BrightView is an Equal Employment Opportunity and E-Verify Employer.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right landscape manager for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting landscape managers 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 manager

   Once you've found the landscape manager candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   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.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new landscape manager. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

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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