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How to hire a yard labour

Yard labour hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring yard labours in the United States:

  • The median cost to hire a yard labour is $1,633.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • HR departments typically allocate 15% of their budget towards recruitment efforts.
  • Small businesses spend $1,105 per yard labour on training each year, while large companies spend $658.
  • It takes approximately 12 weeks for a new employee to reach full productivity levels.
  • There are a total of 14,653 yard labours in the US, and there are currently 23,286 job openings in this field.
  • Phoenix, AZ, has the highest demand for yard labours, with 5 job openings.

How to hire a yard labour, step by step

To hire a yard labour, you should create an ideal candidate profile, determine a budget, and post and promote your job. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire a yard labour:

Here's a step-by-step yard labour hiring guide:

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

What does a yard labour do?

Yard workers are responsible for the landscaping surrounding buildings and business environments. They are primarily tasked with mowing, planting, moving, storing, and general ground maintenance tasks. This job requires stamina, strength, independence, and strong interpersonal skills.

Learn more about the specifics of what a yard labour does
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    The yard labour 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?

    Hiring the perfect yard labour also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

    This list shows salaries for various types of yard labours.

    Type of Yard LabourDescriptionHourly rate
    Yard LabourHand laborers and material movers manually move freight, stock, or other materials. Others feed or remove material to and from machines, clean vehicles, pick up unwanted household goods, and pack materials for moving.$12-19
    MoverMovers help people take or move things from one place to another through their physical strength. They work manually to help customers in their businesses or homes... Show more$12-20
    Package HandlerA package handler's primary duty is to place and load correct packages to delivery vehicles and review inventory upon shipments. Package handlers are responsible for analyzing product labels to make sure that the items are accurately processed... Show more$12-19
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Safety Rules
    • GRASS
    • Cleanliness
    • Hand Tools
    • Safety Regulations
    • Manual Labor
    • OSHA
    • Asphalt
    • CDL
    • Snow Removal
    • Mowing
    • Bobcat
    • Yard Equipment
    • DOT
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Manage mulching, fertilizing, watering and mowing activities.
    • Execute daily operations of cleanliness at work site
    • Execute daily operations of drum dryer.
    More yard labour duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your yard labour job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A yard labour salary can vary based on several factors:
    • Location. For example, yard labours' average salary in new mexico is 40% less than in alaska.
    • Seniority. Entry-level yard labours earn 35% less than senior-level yard labours.
    • Certifications. A yard labour 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 yard labour's salary.

    Average yard labour salary

    $15.67hourly

    $32,596 yearly

    Entry-level yard labour salary
    $26,000 yearly salary
    Updated December 17, 2025

    Average yard labour salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1Alaska$40,674$20
    2Massachusetts$38,379$18
    3New York$38,345$18
    4Washington$37,704$18
    5California$36,426$18
    6Oregon$36,373$17
    7Ohio$36,092$17
    8Colorado$35,713$17
    9Utah$33,032$16
    10Nebraska$31,745$15
    11Missouri$30,925$15
    12Michigan$30,871$15
    13Kansas$30,627$15
    14Arizona$30,559$15
    15Texas$29,389$14
    16Georgia$29,350$14
    17Florida$27,681$13
    18New Mexico$24,506$12

    Average yard labour salary by company

    RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rateJob openings
    1Post Holdings$36,647$17.627
    2Calportland$36,511$17.553
    3Oldcastle Infrastructure$35,947$17.2892
    4FirstEnergy$35,644$17.14
    5Waste Connections$35,581$17.1111
    6H&K Group$34,814$16.742
    7Waste Management$34,809$16.741
    8Hunter Contracting$34,678$16.67
    9Vulcan Materials$34,503$16.5910
    10Energy Inc.$34,447$16.56
    11The Gallegos$34,370$16.52
    12Franklin$34,080$16.382
    13Hughes General Contractors$33,905$16.302
    14Tenaris$33,685$16.19
    15SiteOne Landscape Supply$33,597$16.15
    16Mears Transportation Group$33,541$16.1312
    17American Stone$33,453$16.08
    18NaturaLawn of America$33,353$16.04
    19Builders FirstSource$33,096$15.9127
    20BWAY$32,868$15.80
  4. Writing a yard labour job description

    A job description for a yard labour role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a yard labour job description:

    Yard labour job description example

    48forty Solutions is the largest pallet management services company in North America. We provide end-to-end pallet solutions, from supply to retrieval, on-site services, reverse logistics, and packaging materials. 48forty Solutions is truly Pallet Management Made Simple. Our operations workforce is the heart and soul of our business.

    Description: Upkeep of yard, daily cleaning and organizing of warehouse.

    Pay: $16h/hr (Contingent on completing a drug test)

    Benefits: We offer a full benefits package including medical, dental, vision, 401k, and PTO, as well as weekly pay. We also offer Safety Shoe Reimbursement and Referral Bonuses!

    Requirements:

    • Ability to lift 50-70 pounds
    • Requires quick hands, attention to detail, commitment to quality
    • Observance of all safety rules and regulations
    • Willing to work long hours in a labor-intensive environment
    • Ability to communicate effectively

    48forty Solutions offers competitive pay and benefits to all full-time employees. 48forty Solutions is also pleased to offer a full benefit package that includes health, dental, vision, and life insurance as well as a 401(k)-retirement savings plan after 90 days.

    48forty Solutions requires that none of its employees are excluded from doing business with the Federal government. All newly hired individuals are promptly screened through the E-Verify electronic employment authorization program run by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service.

    • Drug-free workplace. EOE. D/M/F/V
    • MUST be 18 years of age or older

    At 48forty Solutions, we are proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, sex, disability, veteran, or other protected status.

    The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed. All employees may be required to perform duties outside their normal responsibilities, as needed.

  5. Post your job

    There are various strategies that you can use to find the right yard labour 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 yard labour job on Zippia to find and recruit yard labour candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    Your first interview with yard labour 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.

    It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

    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 yard labour

    Once you've found the yard labour 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.

    You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

    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.)
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How much does it cost to hire a yard labour?

Recruiting yard labours involves both the one-time costs of hiring and the ongoing costs of adding a new employee to your team. Your spending during the hiring process will mostly be on things like promoting the job on job boards, reviewing and interviewing candidates, and onboarding the new hire. Ongoing costs will obviously involve the employee's salary, but also may include things like benefits.

You can expect to pay around $32,596 per year for a yard labour, 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 yard labours in the US typically range between $12 and $19 an hour.

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