Commercial landscaping recruiters serving Boston.
Corporate and university campus growth, cold-climate-adapted design, and snow removal contracts drive a year-round revenue mix in this market.
Two world-class universities, and a winter revenue line.
Metro pay for every role we recruit is in the table below. What the hub does name: corporate and university campus growth, cold-climate-adapted design, and snow removal contracts as a substantial winter revenue stream.
We recruit across the full org chart for commercial landscaping contractors in Boston against that documented context.
MIT and Harvard, and a 160-acre neighborhood.
$11B+ combined, spanning academic and neighborhood-scale development.
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University lab, research, and institutional construction requiring long-duration campus grounds work across two of the world's most prominent academic campuses.
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A 160-acre mixed-use neighborhood combining commercial, life-sciences, residential, and infrastructure development, phased through 2040.
What commercial landscaping roles pay in Boston.
In the Boston metro, BLS puts the median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers at $49,030 a year, 25% above the $39,150 national median. Among the 112 metros BLS publishes for this occupation, Boston ranks first on pay. Most of the market sits between $37,940 and $62,370. Of the other field roles, landscape designer / architect pays the most locally, at a $91,520 median. National benchmarks by role are in the 2026 Commercial Landscaping Salary Guide.
| Role | Boston median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Landscape / Grounds Crew MemberLandscaping and Groundskeeping Workers (37-3011) | $49,030 | $37,940–$62,370 | $39,150 | +25% | 15,120 |
| Grounds Crew SupervisorFirst-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers (37-1012) | $68,100 | $47,640–$100,310 | $58,430 | +17% | 1,690 |
| Tree Trimmer / ArboristTree Trimmers and Pruners (37-3013) | $62,780 | $49,020–$81,340 | $50,960 | +23% | 1,060 |
| Licensed Pesticide ApplicatorPesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation (37-3012) | $62,990 | $50,580–$82,350 | $46,340 | +36% | – |
| Landscape Designer / ArchitectLandscape Architects (17-1012) | $91,520 | $70,460–$125,010 | $79,870 | +15% | 350 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Boston 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 Boston commercial landscaping hiring actually plays out in 2026.
Why snow removal is a real, named revenue stream, not a side hustle
The hub calls out snow removal contracts as a substantial winter revenue stream for commercial landscape firms - a distinct operational capability beyond design and installation.
Why cold-climate design is a genuine specialty here
The hub names cold-climate-adapted design specifically - plant selection, drainage, and hardscape choices all differ from warm-climate markets, requiring New England-specific experience.
What this means for sourcing
We source against verified cold-climate design and snow-operations experience, not resume claims, given the specific 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 Boston commercial landscaping clients, these are the highest-volume roles we've recruited for in the last 24 months.
- Commercial landscape designer (cold-climate)
- Snow removal operations manager
- Landscape crew foreman
- Grounds maintenance manager
For the broader picture across every commercial trade in Boston, see the Boston 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 Boston, plainly.
Same approach we use in every market - but tuned for what works in Boston's commercial landscaping segment specifically:
- Same-day intake call. We get the role, the project context, the budget, your dealbreakers. For Boston landscaping work, we also confirm whether the role includes snow removal operations or is limited to warm-season design and installation.
- Candidate sourcing within 48 hours. We pull from our existing Boston commercial landscaping candidate network, filtered for verified cold-climate design and snow-operations experience.
- Vetted short list (week one to several weeks). Three to five candidates. We verify real design portfolios and cold-climate 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 Boston documented general context.
Boston 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 Boston's commercial landscaping market compares
In 2023 the Boston metro had 2,688 landscaping companies (counted by business location), with about 15,686 people on their payrolls. Average pay at those firms was $62,482, 29.4% above the national average of $48,279 for the same kind of employer. Headcount grew 0.1% over the year, a little behind the 2.2% national increase. That works out to 54 per 100,000 residents against 37 nationally, a crowded field where experienced people get approached often.
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Boston ranks 10th for headcount, 1st for median pay and 63rd for concentration for landscaping and groundskeeping workers. Pay here is among the highest we see, so offers need to start near the top of the range.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston | 15,120 | $49,030 | 0.91 | 2,688 |
| Worcester | 2,170 | $47,980 | 1.01 | 503 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial landscaping employers in Boston, 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, Boston metro. Employers are counted by business location.
How Boston's commercial landscaping market has changed since 2018.
The number of landscaping companies in Boston rose from 2,383 in 2018 to 2,688 in 2023, up 13%, close to the 13% national change. Headcount at those firms went up 11%, to about 15,686 people. Average annual pay there went from $48,162 to $62,482 (+30%), in step with the 31% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaping companies: business locations | 2,383 | 2,688 | +13% |
| Landscaping companies: employment | 14,191 | 15,686 | +11% |
| Landscaping companies: average annual pay | $48,162 | $62,482 | +30% |
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 Boston.
Why does snow removal matter for Boston commercial landscaping firms?
The metro's own data names snow removal contracts as a substantial winter revenue stream for commercial landscape firms, distinct from their spring/summer design and installation work.
What is driving commercial landscaping demand in Boston right now?
MIT and Harvard campus development ($3B+ combined) and the Suffolk Downs redevelopment ($8B+ planned) are the named drivers.
What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in Boston?
BLS puts the Boston median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers at $49,030 a year, 25% above the $39,150 national median. That ranks first of 112 metros with published figures, in the top quarter. Pay is bunched together here, $37,940 to $62,370 across the 10th to 90th percentile and only a 1.6x gap, so small differences in an offer are noticed. No other Massachusetts metro we cover pays more for this work (Worcester: $47,980).
Is it hard to hire landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Boston?
It is about average. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers are as common in Boston as they are nationally (location quotient 0.91), with about 15,120 in the metro. The 2,688 landscaping companies here average about 5.8 employees per location, mostly small shops, so candidates often know every employer in town by name. With 13% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial landscaping roles pay the most in Boston?
Of the roles we recruit for, Landscape Designer / Architect pays the most in Boston, a $91,520 median. Landscape / Grounds Crew Member is the lowest-paid field role at $49,030. Relative to national pay, Licensed Pesticide Applicator is the strongest-paying role here (36% above).
How many landscaping companies operate in Boston?
BLS counted 2,688 landscaping companies in Boston in 2023, employing about 15,686 people between them. Up from 2,383 in 2018, a 13% increase against 13% growth nationally. That averages 5.8 people per location, so most are small shops. They pay an average of $62,482, 29% above the $48,279 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Boston for landscaping and groundskeeping workers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Worcester (38 miles, about 2,170, $47,980 median), Providence (41 miles, about 5,530, $45,250 median) and Hartford (93 miles, about 4,060, $44,860 median). Boston out-pays Providence and Hartford, an advantage when recruiting from there.
We have not closed a commercial landscaping search in Boston yet. Here is what we have closed.
These are other trades in the same market. We would rather show you the searches we have actually run in Boston than imply a record in this trade that we do not have yet.
- Commercial HVAC Service TechnicianTwo decades of HVAC and refrigeration, including chief engineer roles.
Hiring commercial landscaping talent in Boston?
Tell us the role. We'll tell you timeline and where we'd source the candidate - in under 30 minutes.