Commercial landscaping recruiters serving Albuquerque.
Standard corporate and institutional grounds maintenance across the metro, carrying a modest regional premium.
Standard demand, honestly reported.
Metro pay for every role we recruit is in the table below.
We recruit across the full org chart for commercial landscaping contractors in Albuquerque against that documented context.
Standard corporate and institutional maintenance.
No single named megaproject drives this market's landscaping demand - here's what the hub's own data actually says.
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The metro's named capital projects are federal/security-cleared facility builds at Sandia. The hub's own landscaping mini does not connect this pipeline to grounds-work demand, so we report the market as standard corporate and institutional maintenance rather than force that link.
What commercial landscaping roles pay in Albuquerque.
In the Albuquerque metro, BLS puts the median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers at $37,760 a year, 4% below the $39,150 national median. Among the 112 metros BLS publishes for this occupation, Albuquerque ranks 67th on pay. Most of the market sits between $30,050 and $47,290. Of the other field roles, landscape designer / architect pays the most locally, at a $67,850 median. National benchmarks by role are in the 2026 Commercial Landscaping Salary Guide.
| Role | Albuquerque median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Landscape / Grounds Crew MemberLandscaping and Groundskeeping Workers (37-3011) | $37,760 | $30,050–$47,290 | $39,150 | −4% | 2,270 |
| Grounds Crew SupervisorFirst-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers (37-1012) | $58,250 | $43,710–$89,600 | $58,430 | 0% | 260 |
| Tree Trimmer / ArboristTree Trimmers and Pruners (37-3013) | $45,540 | $45,530–$62,730 | $50,960 | −11% | – |
| Licensed Pesticide ApplicatorPesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation (37-3012) | $41,290 | $31,000–$48,170 | $46,340 | −11% | 50 |
| Landscape Designer / ArchitectLandscape Architects (17-1012) | $67,850 | $49,760–$94,400 | $79,870 | −15% | 30 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Albuquerque metro. Range is 10th to 90th percentile. Headcount is shown for field occupations only; management, estimating and supervisory codes are counted across every industry in the metro.
What candidates expect. What credentials matter. What kills offers.
We don't tell prospective clients who their competitors are hiring - that's a discipline our clients value, and we'll honor it on a call. What we will share publicly: how Albuquerque commercial landscaping hiring actually plays out in 2026.
Why we don't tie this page to Sandia's construction pipeline
Sandia's Power Sources Capability building and its $156M contract pipeline are real, well-documented federal projects in Albuquerque. But the hub's own landscaping mini doesn't draw a connection between them and grounds-work demand, so we don't force one - we report the market as it's actually described.
Why "standard" doesn't mean "small"
Albuquerque's landscaping demand carries a modest regional premium across corporate and institutional maintenance - real, sustained work, just without a single named megaproject driving it.
What this means for sourcing
We source against verified commercial and institutional grounds-maintenance experience, not resume claims, given the standard scope named by the hub.
Realistic timelines
Standard commercial landscaping roles: 4-6 weeks intake to signed offer, consistent with the region's broader hiring timeline. First slate of vetted candidates within 48 hours regardless.
The commercial landscaping positions we fill, most often.
Across all Albuquerque commercial landscaping clients, these are the highest-volume roles we've recruited for in the last 24 months.
- Corporate campus landscape crew lead
- Institutional grounds maintenance foreman
- Landscape designer
- Grounds maintenance manager
For the broader picture across every commercial trade in Albuquerque, see the Albuquerque metro overview. To learn more about commercial landscaping generally (across all 100+ markets we serve), see our Commercial Landscaping industry page.
How we recruit commercial landscaping in Albuquerque, plainly.
Same approach we use in every market - but tuned for what works in Albuquerque's commercial landscaping segment specifically:
- Same-day intake call. We get the role, the project context, the budget, your dealbreakers.
- Candidate sourcing within 48 hours. We pull from our existing Albuquerque commercial landscaping candidate network.
- Vetted short list (week one to several weeks). Three to five candidates. We verify real corporate and institutional grounds-maintenance experience rather than a line on a resume.
- Offer and close. Standard roles close in 4-6 weeks. We help with offer math against Albuquerque's documented general context.
Albuquerque runs 9% fewer commercial landscaping workers per job than the country as a whole — below the national concentration. Fewer per job means the people you want are already working, and usually for someone who would rather keep them.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 , Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers. Metro-wide figures for the base occupation; the wage table above is role-specific and commercial.
How Albuquerque's commercial landscaping market compares
In 2023 the Albuquerque metro had 162 landscaping companies (counted by business location), with about 1,887 people on their payrolls. Average pay at those firms was $40,801, 15.5% below the national average of $48,279 for the same kind of employer. Headcount grew 5.2% over the year, faster than the 2.2% national increase, so local employers were adding people quicker than most of the country. That works out to 18 per 100,000 residents against 37 nationally. Fewer local employers means experienced people are easier to identify, but many work for firms based outside the metro.
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Albuquerque ranks 70th for headcount, 61st for median pay and 63rd for concentration for landscaping and groundskeeping workers.
What this means for hiring:For commercial landscaping employers in Albuquerque, the pool is about the national norm for its size and local employers are adding people, so expect competing offers on experienced candidates and keep the process short.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Albuquerque metro. Employers are counted by business location.
How Albuquerque's commercial landscaping market has changed since 2018.
The number of landscaping companies in Albuquerque rose from 141 in 2018 to 162 in 2023, up 15%, close to the 13% national change. Headcount at those firms went up 9%, to about 1,887 people. Average annual pay there went from $30,989 to $40,801 (+32%), in step with the 31% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaping companies: business locations | 141 | 162 | +15% |
| Landscaping companies: employment | 1,733 | 1,887 | +9% |
| Landscaping companies: average annual pay | $30,989 | $40,801 | +32% |
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, private employers, annual averages. A dash means BLS did not publish the figure.
Frequently asked — commercial landscaping hiring in Albuquerque.
Is Albuquerque's landscaping demand tied to Sandia National Laboratories?
No - Sandia's Power Sources Capability building and its $156M construction contract pipeline are federal, security-cleared facility projects. The hub's own landscaping data doesn't connect either to grounds-work demand, so we report the market as standard corporate and institutional maintenance.
What is driving commercial landscaping demand in Albuquerque right now?
Standard corporate and institutional grounds maintenance across the metro, carrying a modest regional premium - the hub does not name a landscaping-specific capital project.
What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in Albuquerque?
BLS puts the Albuquerque median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers at $37,760 a year, 4% below the $39,150 national median. That ranks 67th of 112 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Pay is bunched together here, $30,050 to $47,290 across the 10th to 90th percentile and only a 1.6x gap, so small differences in an offer are noticed.
Is it hard to hire landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Albuquerque?
It is about average. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers are as common in Albuquerque as they are nationally (location quotient 0.91), with about 2,270 in the metro. The 162 landscaping companies here average about 12 employees per location. With 15% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial landscaping roles pay the most in Albuquerque?
Of the roles we recruit for, Landscape Designer / Architect pays the most in Albuquerque, a $67,850 median. Landscape / Grounds Crew Member is the lowest-paid field role at $37,760. Landscape Designer / Architect trails national pay the most (15% below).
How many landscaping companies operate in Albuquerque?
BLS counted 162 landscaping companies in Albuquerque in 2023, employing about 1,887 people between them. Up from 141 in 2018, a 15% increase against 13% growth nationally. That averages 12 people per location. They pay an average of $40,801, 15% below the $48,279 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Albuquerque for landscaping and groundskeeping workers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are El Paso (230 miles, about 1,200, $30,640 median). Albuquerque out-pays El Paso, an advantage when recruiting from there.
Hiring commercial landscaping talent in Albuquerque?
Tell us the role. We'll tell you timeline and where we'd source the candidate - in under 30 minutes.