Commercial landscaping recruiters serving Bakersfield.
Standard corporate and institutional grounds maintenance across the metro, carrying California's statewide cost premium.
A standard market, at California's cost of labor.
Metro pay for every role we recruit is in the table below. What the hub does name: standard corporate and institutional grounds maintenance across the metro, carrying California's statewide cost premium.
We recruit across the full org chart for commercial landscaping contractors in Bakersfield against that documented context.
A statewide cost factor, not a single megaproject.
Standard demand, honestly reported.
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The hub names California's statewide cost premium directly as the context for standard corporate and institutional grounds maintenance across the metro.
What commercial landscaping roles pay in Bakersfield.
In the Bakersfield metro, BLS puts the median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers at $43,770 a year, 12% above the $39,150 national median. Among the 112 metros BLS publishes for this occupation, Bakersfield ranks 30th on pay. Most of the market sits between $35,680 and $57,630. Of the other field roles, grounds crew supervisor pays the most locally, at a $62,050 median. BLS does not publish Bakersfield pay for landscape designer / architect, which it withholds where a metro's sample is too small to be reliable. National benchmarks by role are in the 2026 Commercial Landscaping Salary Guide.
| Role | Bakersfield median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Landscape / Grounds Crew MemberLandscaping and Groundskeeping Workers (37-3011) | $43,770 | $35,680–$57,630 | $39,150 | +12% | 1,630 |
| Grounds Crew SupervisorFirst-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers (37-1012) | $62,050 | $44,030–$94,320 | $58,430 | +6% | 220 |
| Tree Trimmer / ArboristTree Trimmers and Pruners (37-3013) | $60,080 | $35,270–$91,210 | $50,960 | +18% | 120 |
| Licensed Pesticide ApplicatorPesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation (37-3012) | $40,750 | $39,000–$56,300 | $46,340 | −12% | 40 |
| Landscape Designer / ArchitectLandscape Architects (17-1012) | – | – | $79,870 | – | – |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Bakersfield 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 Bakersfield commercial landscaping hiring actually plays out in 2026.
Why this is an honestly modest, standard market
The hub describes standard corporate and institutional grounds maintenance across the metro - we report that plainly rather than manufacturing urgency or a single megaproject narrative the market doesn't have.
Why California's statewide cost premium still applies here
Even in a standard-demand market, the hub names California's statewide cost premium as a real factor - Bakersfield isn't insulated from the state's broader labor cost structure.
What this means for sourcing
We source against verified standard corporate/institutional grounds maintenance history, not resume claims.
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 Bakersfield commercial landscaping clients, these are the highest-volume roles we've recruited for in the last 24 months.
- Commercial landscape designer
- Corporate/institutional grounds maintenance crew lead
- Landscape crew foreman
- Grounds maintenance manager
For the broader picture across every commercial trade in Bakersfield, see the Bakersfield 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 Bakersfield, plainly.
Same approach we use in every market - but tuned for what works in Bakersfield'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 Bakersfield commercial landscaping candidate network.
- Vetted short list (week one to several weeks). Three to five candidates. We verify real project history rather than a line on a resume - timeline depends on the project scope involved.
- Offer and close. Standard roles close in 4-6 weeks. We help with offer math against Bakersfield documented general context.
Bakersfield runs 21% 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 Bakersfield's commercial landscaping market compares
In 2023 the Bakersfield metro had 151 landscaping companies (counted by business location), with about 1,314 people on their payrolls. Average pay at those firms was $49,242, in line with the national average of $48,279 for the same kind of employer. Headcount fell 9.1% over the year even as it grew 2.2% nationally, which usually means people leaving the trade or moving to other markets rather than a lack of work. That works out to 16 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, Bakersfield ranks 89th for headcount, 26th for median pay and 88th for concentration for landscaping and groundskeeping workers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 27,860 | $44,650 | 0.73 | 2,053 |
| Riverside | 13,190 | $43,650 | 1.25 | 1,009 |
| San Francisco | 12,270 | $48,040 | 0.84 | 1,164 |
| San Diego | 10,870 | $45,560 | 1.15 | 966 |
| Sacramento | 7,410 | $45,110 | 1.12 | 766 |
| San Jose | 6,000 | $48,330 | 0.86 | 519 |
| Fresno | 3,040 | $40,710 | 1.04 | 211 |
| Bakersfield | 1,630 | $43,770 | 0.79 | 151 |
| Stockton | 1,390 | $44,280 | 0.78 | 168 |
| Modesto | 1,080 | $45,740 | 0.90 | 120 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial landscaping employers in Bakersfield, the local pool is thin and local employers have been cutting headcount. Senior hires often come from outside the metro or from adjacent trades, so start searches earlier than you would elsewhere.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Bakersfield metro. Employers are counted by business location.
How Bakersfield's commercial landscaping market has changed since 2018.
The number of landscaping companies in Bakersfield rose from 141 in 2018 to 151 in 2023, up 7%, behind the 13% growth nationally. Headcount at those firms went up 43%, to about 1,314 people. Average annual pay there went from $32,747 to $49,242 (+50%), faster than the 31% national increase, a sign employers here have had to bid up.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaping companies: business locations | 141 | 151 | +7% |
| Landscaping companies: employment | 921 | 1,314 | +43% |
| Landscaping companies: average annual pay | $32,747 | $49,242 | +50% |
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 Bakersfield.
What is driving commercial landscaping demand in Bakersfield right now?
Standard corporate and institutional grounds maintenance is the base of the market, carrying California's statewide cost premium - not a single named megaproject driver.
Is Bakersfield a high-growth landscaping market compared to other metros?
The metro's own data describes this as a standard market - not a market defined by a single megaproject narrative the way some larger metros are.
What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in Bakersfield?
BLS puts the Bakersfield median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers at $43,770 a year, 12% above the $39,150 national median. That ranks 30th of 112 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Pay is bunched together here, $35,680 to $57,630 across the 10th to 90th percentile and only a 1.6x gap, so small differences in an offer are noticed. Within California, San Jose pays more, at $48,330.
Is it hard to hire landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Bakersfield?
Yes. Bakersfield has 21% fewer landscaping and groundskeeping workers per job than the country as a whole, roughly 1,630 in the metro, so most of the people worth hiring are already employed. The 151 landscaping companies here average about 8.7 employees per location.
Which commercial landscaping roles pay the most in Bakersfield?
Of the roles we recruit for, Grounds Crew Supervisor pays the most in Bakersfield, a $62,050 median. Licensed Pesticide Applicator is the lowest-paid field role at $40,750. Relative to national pay, Tree Trimmer / Arborist is the strongest-paying role here (18% above). Licensed Pesticide Applicator trails national pay the most (12% below).
How many landscaping companies operate in Bakersfield?
BLS counted 151 landscaping companies in Bakersfield in 2023, employing about 1,314 people between them. Up from 141 in 2018, a 7% increase against 13% growth nationally. That averages 8.7 people per location. They pay about the national average of $48,279.
Which nearby metros compete with Bakersfield for landscaping and groundskeeping workers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Los Angeles (101 miles, about 27,860, $44,650 median), Fresno (104 miles, about 3,040, $40,710 median) and Riverside (135 miles, about 13,190, $43,650 median). Los Angeles has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Bakersfield out-pays Fresno, an advantage when recruiting from there.
Hiring commercial landscaping talent in Bakersfield?
Tell us the role. We'll tell you timeline and where we'd source the candidate - in under 30 minutes.