Is working with your hands and being creative outdoors something that sounds appealing to you? If so, you might have considered a career as a landscaper before. This means you are likely asking yourself the very important question of, just how much a landscaper makes for a living.
In the U.S. a landscape worker makes on average $15.00 an hour. Which works out to about $32,000 a year. As opposed to a landscape business owner who makes an average of $60,000 a year, which breaks down to about $31.00 per hour.
Let’s take a look below at what factors affect these incomes, and why exactly a landscape business owner makes double what a landscaper does. We’ll also be looking at what goes into starting your own business if that is something that interests you, and what other options you have within the industry if starting your own business is not something that appeals to you.
Can I make more in certain states?
You absolutely will. As with all jobs, there are some states where the average is higher and somewhere it is lower. You may find that you may get higher-paid jobs and more opportunities for jobs in a state where there is a great demand for landscapers and landscaping businesses. Here is a link from totallandscapecare.com that has a list of the best cities for landscapers to live, in while taking into account factors such as cost of living and job availability.
It isn’t always reasonable or even possible to relocate to a new state for work, but if you are open to relocating, take into account the above factors when determining where to move to. Keep in mind too, a lot of employers are looking for workers that are open to relocating. You may move up the business ladder faster as an employee who is open to moving, as opposed to another individual who cannot change states as easily.
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The difference between owning a business and working as a landscaper
As we saw above, there is a vast difference in the wages a landscape business owner and a landscape worker makes. Almost double in fact. But keep in mind, the difference in responsibility these two individuals take on. One is in charge of hiring workers, leading a team, sourcing materials, finding clients, determining pricing, etc. While one is only in charge of taking care of the landscaping work itself.
If one of these things sounds more appealing than the other to you, then you may have an answer for yourself on which to pursue! If working on the land sounds enjoyable to you, then look more into jobs that need those skills. If owning a business sounds like something you would like to look more into, then you will need to understand the costs of running your own business.
What factors do I need to consider if I want to start my own business?
For one thing, you’ll need to determine if you have the capital to start your own business. Or if you don’t, whether or not you have the means to take out a loan. You need on average around $15,000 – $20,000 to gather all of the needed elements and successfully get started. You could always get started with less, say $5,000, but this would be getting started with only the bare essentials.
Once you have secured the capital, you need to decide on a location. As we talked about above, some states have more opportunities for landscapers than others. Take a look through that list to determine whether your location makes sense for getting into landscaping.
One more factor to keep in mind if you are starting your own business would be acquiring the proper licenses. Some licenses you can get quickly, but most of them are backed up for weeks if not months. So, plan accordingly if there is a deadline for you as to when you’d like to have your business up and running.
Another huge factor is building up a team. You wouldn’t be a very good landscaping team with just yourself, so you need to be able to recruit and hire a team you can trust to work for you. Not only will you need to hire the team, but you do need to constantly give the team leadership and guidance as their boss. Consider if this is something you are up for when determining if opening a business is right for you.
Opening up your own business isn’t a one-and-done thing. It is something you will be working hard at for years to come. Consider too the lifestyle changes that will inevitably come with running your own business vs working for someone else. You likely won’t be working a 9-5 and going home for the day. It’ll take some serious time and dedication to get your business up and running.
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Factors that affect landscape workers’ pay
So now we’ve looked at what goes into starting your own business. Let’s take a look at working as a landscaper for somebody else’s business. The amount of experience you have under your belt is hands down one of the biggest things that affects your pay. Whether you’re a newbie fresh out of high school or someone who has been working on landscapes for twenty years is of course going to affect where you land on the pay scale. Likewise, any references or connections you have in the industry are also likely to find you more opportunities.
Different positions within the industry
There are schools where you can major in landscaping, which will give you access to jobs such as becoming a landscape designer or a landscaping contractor. Both of these jobs come with higher pay, with landscape designers making on average $51,000 a year and landscaping contractors making about $62,000 a year. Designers, as the name suggests, work more on the design aspect of landscaping. While contractors work more on the planning/management side of things. Does one of these things sound like a strong suit of yours or an area of interest?
Oftentimes these jobs require some sort of schooling or degree and more experience than what is expected of a landscape worker. But if landscaping is your dream job, and owning your own business isn’t quite your cup of tea, here are two well-paying positions that you can work your way up towards.
You should also consider that some jobs require more specialization than others. Someone who is a landscape technician will likely command a higher wage than a worker who only mows lawns. So, keep this in mind too as you work on your skills. The more in demand your skills are the more likely you are to land higher paying jobs.
Bringing it all together to determine your career path
I know that this one article isn’t going to completely make up your mind on what path you want to pursue. But I certainly hope it helped you somewhat in deciding what interests you. While going through this article, try to determine what interests you most. Is it the business aspect of things? Maybe you are a born leader who loves working with a team. Or perhaps your interests are in the design aspect of landscaping after all. Or maybe, you truly just love getting down with your hands and working on the land. I hope this article helps serve as a guide for what your next steps will be. Whatever that may be, best of luck with your endeavors.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Should I start my own business or work for someone else?
As I said above, there are a lot of different factors that go into whether you should open your own business or work for someone else. Work through the list and ask yourself if those are all things you are willing to commit to to see through starting a business. In the long run, it will pay more than working for someone else, but it takes constant and hard work in the short term to get started. The answer also isn’t black and white. As we talked about above, if opening a business isn’t your thing, you still have other options for staying within landscaping and landing higher-paying jobs.
How many years of experience does it take to land higher-paying jobs?
This is a great question, but not one that has an exact answer. Like all industries, many things go into getting higher-paying jobs. The degree you receive and the school you graduate from may give you an edge over your competition. Likewise, the companies you have previous experience with may gain you higher-paying positions in your field. As always, a willingness to relocate can also help you get further up faster than your peers who aren’t as willing to relocate. So, keep all these factors in mind when applying for new jobs.
To learn more on how you can start your own landscaping business, check out my startup documents here.
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Meet Shawn Chun: Entrepreneur and Landscape Business Fan.
I’m a happy individual who happens to be an entrepreneur. I have owned several types of businesses in my life from a coffee shop to an import and export business to an online review business plus a few more and now I create online resources for those interested in starting new ventures. It’s demanding work but I love it. I do it for those passionate about their business and their goals. That’s why when I meet a landscape business owner at a job site, driving down the road or anywhere else I see myself. I know how hard the struggle is to retain clients, find good employees and keep the business growing all while trying to stay competitive.
That’s why I created Landscaping Business Boss: I want to help landscape business owners like you build a thriving business that brings you endless joy and supports your ideal lifestyle.