Post job

How to hire a lawn care worker

Lawn care worker hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring lawn care workers in the United States:

  • In the United States, the median cost per hire a lawn care worker is $1,633.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • Human Resources use 15% of their expenses on recruitment on average.
  • On average, it takes around 12 weeks for a new lawn care worker to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.

How to hire a lawn care worker, step by step

To hire a lawn care worker, consider the skills and experience you are looking for in a candidate, allocate a budget for the position, and post and promote the job opening to reach potential candidates. Follow these steps to hire a lawn care worker:

Here's a step-by-step lawn care worker hiring guide:

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

What does a lawn care worker do?

A lawn care worker specializes in enhancing and maintaining the cleanliness of gardens and landscapes. Most of the responsibilities will require manual work and attention to detail, along with time management. The majority of the tasks will revolve around mowing and cleaning lawns, trimming trees and other plants, maintaining flower beds, and sometimes cleaning garden fixtures. A lawn care worker may also apply pesticides and other chemicals, install ponds or irrigation, recommend fertilizers, and operate different devices or equipment.

Learn more about the specifics of what a lawn care worker does
jobs
Post a lawn care worker job for free, promote it for a fee
  1. Identify your hiring needs

    The lawn care worker 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?

    A lawn care worker's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, lawn care workers 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.

    The following list breaks down different types of lawn care workers and their corresponding salaries.

    Type of Lawn Care WorkerDescriptionHourly rate
    Lawn Care WorkerGrounds maintenance workers ensure that the grounds of houses, businesses, and parks are attractive, orderly, and healthy in order to provide a pleasant outdoor environment. $11-18
    GroundsmanGroundsmen or greenkeepers are professionals who take responsibility for the maintenance of materials and equipment. They make certain to provide enough stock of consumables... Show more$12-20
    Irrigation TechnicianAn 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
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • GRASS
    • Mowing
    • Water Lawns
    • Lawn Care
    • CPR
    • Program Rules
    • Incident Reports
    • Snow Removal
    • Cut Grass
    • Mowers
    • Blowers
    • Flower Beds
    • Rakes
    • Respite Care
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Accomplish mowing lawns and all job relate requests given by managers precisely and accurately.
    • Winter property care equipment include snow blowers, shoveling, and salting.
    • Provide services such as mowing grass, seed lawns, applying fertilizer and pest control, and trimming hedges and trees.
    • Mow neighbor's lawns, trim lawn edge, clean driveway and sidewalk from cut grass, and bag cut grass.
    • Help to trim shrubs and prune dead branches.
    • Used snow shovels to clear sidewalks and small parking lots.
    More lawn care worker duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your lawn care worker job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A lawn care worker salary can vary based on several factors:
    • Location. For example, lawn care workers' average salary in west virginia is 46% less than in alaska.
    • Seniority. Entry-level lawn care workers earn 39% less than senior-level lawn care workers.
    • Certifications. A lawn care worker with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
    • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a lawn care worker's salary.

    Average lawn care worker salary

    $14.26hourly

    $29,667 yearly

    Entry-level lawn care worker salary
    $23,000 yearly salary
    Updated January 28, 2026

    Average lawn care worker salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1North Dakota$41,118$20
    2Minnesota$38,207$18
    3New York$35,634$17
    4Montana$34,498$17
    5California$33,380$16
    6Iowa$33,249$16
    7Illinois$33,015$16
    8Texas$32,812$16
    9Michigan$32,045$15
    10Wisconsin$31,865$15
    11Colorado$31,278$15
    12Nebraska$30,022$14
    13Ohio$29,520$14
    14Maryland$28,971$14
    15Georgia$28,610$14
    16Virginia$27,520$13
    17Tennessee$26,265$13
    18Louisiana$25,507$12
    19Florida$24,974$12

    Average lawn care worker salary by company

    RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rateJob openings
    1Lawn Doctor$31,821$15.30140
    2Bruce Transportation Group$31,814$15.30
    3Swanson Health Products$31,452$15.12
    4The Davey Tree Expert Company$30,415$14.6268
    5The Summit$30,402$14.621
    6LawnStarter$30,401$14.62
    7Vonachen Group$30,352$14.59
    8Force Construction$29,583$14.221
    9NASCAR$28,761$13.832
    10Affordable Care$28,408$13.667
    11University of Michigan$27,246$13.1023
    12Kuhlman$27,121$13.04
  4. Writing a lawn care worker job description

    A lawn care worker 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 a lawn care worker job description:

    Lawn care worker job description example

    Owned and operated by the same local family it was founded by in 1988, Lawn Doctor continues to rapidly expand and lead the green industry as a professional lawn care company. We embrace our small business and family-owned roots to create a positive environment that supports the development and success of our employees.

    Our mission is to cultivate strong relationships that improve the lives of our employees, our customers, and our community by providing high quality, environmentally responsible and innovative services that enhance the health and beauty of lawns and landscapes. We truly believe by taking good care of our employees, they will in turn, take good care of our customers and contribute to the success of our organization.

    Lawn Care Laborer– Full Time (OT Available)

    We are seeking to add individuals from all levels of work experience to our service division. This role’s purpose is to create happy, loyal customers by delivering professional, high-quality services that are promised to the customer. These services include lawn aerations, lawn seedings, fertilizer & more! If you enjoy working outside and are self-motivated to manage your own duties this is the job for you.

    The versatility of this role and the constant growth of the industry makes for a great field to begin or advance your career. While the majority of the services we provide require our employees to be licensed through the state, this position is a great to learn the ropes of the industry and obtain the training necessary to become a MA Licensed Field Service Technician. The opportunity for training, coordination and cost of the exam to obtain an applicators license through the state is covered by us upon hire for this position.

    Qualities that make a great Lawn Doctor team member:

    • Desire to learn new skills and enhance existing ones
    • Works well both independently and as a collaborative team member
    • Consistent and reliable
    • Adaptable and resilient
    • Good time management skills

    Position Requirements:

    • Ability to move 50 lb. bags, push spreaders, etc.
    • Ability to learn and safely operate lawn care equipment such as aerations (stand on & walk behind), motorized turf seeders, etc.
    • A valid driver’s license and a good driving record (3 or more years driving experience preferred)

    Position Responsibilities:

    • Perform high quality lawn services such as aerations, seedings, lime, etc.
    • Maintain a friendly and professional attitude while interacting with customers
    • Responsible regard for customers and company property/equipment
    • Support a positive work environment

    Perks & Benefits:

    • Health Insurance
    • Dental Insurance
    • Vision Insurance
    • Paid Time Off
    • Simple IRA with company match
    • Fitness club membership discount
    • Various internal company incentives

    Compensation:

    Starting pay is based off of skills, work experience and licensing and ranges from $800-$1,000 per week.

    Lawn Doctor is an EEO Employer dedicated to a culturally diverse, positive environment and drug free workplace.

    If you feel you would be a good fit for this position and would like to join our team, we encourage you to submit your application and resume for review. We look forward to hearing from you!

  5. Post your job

    There are a few common ways to find lawn care workers 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 lawn care worker job on Zippia to find and recruit lawn care worker candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    Your first interview with lawn care worker candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

    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 lawn care worker

    Once you've found the lawn care worker 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.

    To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is 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.)
    Sign up to download full list

How much does it cost to hire a lawn care worker?

Before you start to hire lawn care workers, it pays to consider both the one-off costs like recruitment, job promotion, and onboarding, as well as the ongoing costs of an employee's salary and benefits. While most companies that hire lawn care workers pay close attention to the initial cost of hiring, ongoing costs are much more significant in the long run.

You can expect to pay around $29,667 per year for a lawn care worker, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for lawn care workers in the US typically range between $11 and $18 an hour.

Find better lawn care workers in less time
Post a job on Zippia and hire the best from over 7 million monthly job seekers.

Hiring lawn care workers FAQs

Search for lawn care worker jobs

Ready to start hiring?

Browse building and grounds maintenance jobs