Commercial landscaping recruiters serving Chicago.
Corporate campus growth and cold-climate-adapted design drive year-round demand - and snow removal contracts are a substantial winter revenue stream for commercial landscape firms.
Corporate campus growth, and a winter revenue line.
Metro pay for every role we recruit is in the table below. What the hub does name: corporate campus development and cold-climate-adapted design, with snow removal contracts named as a substantial winter revenue stream for commercial landscape firms.
We recruit across the full org chart for commercial landscaping contractors in Chicago against that documented context.
Two massive mixed-use neighborhoods, decades in the making.
$14B+ combined, both phased across more than a decade.
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A massive new neighborhood combining commercial, residential, and infrastructure development, phased through 2035 - a long-duration source of corporate campus grounds work.
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A 62-acre mixed-use development adjacent to downtown, phased through 2040.
What commercial landscaping roles pay in Chicago.
In the Chicago metro, BLS puts the median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers at $45,280 a year, 16% above the $39,150 national median. Among the 112 metros BLS publishes for this occupation, Chicago ranks 16th on pay. Most of the market sits between $34,200 and $61,250. Of the other field roles, landscape designer / architect pays the most locally, at a $66,830 median. National benchmarks by role are in the 2026 Commercial Landscaping Salary Guide.
| Role | Chicago median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Landscape / Grounds Crew MemberLandscaping and Groundskeeping Workers (37-3011) | $45,280 | $34,200–$61,250 | $39,150 | +16% | 25,160 |
| Grounds Crew SupervisorFirst-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers (37-1012) | $52,470 | $42,680–$87,400 | $58,430 | −10% | 2,530 |
| Tree Trimmer / ArboristTree Trimmers and Pruners (37-3013) | $64,260 | $45,710–$90,840 | $50,960 | +26% | 630 |
| Licensed Pesticide ApplicatorPesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation (37-3012) | $49,550 | $43,560–$64,280 | $46,340 | +7% | 280 |
| Landscape Designer / ArchitectLandscape Architects (17-1012) | $66,830 | $54,770–$105,340 | $79,870 | −16% | 850 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Chicago 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 Chicago commercial landscaping hiring actually plays out in 2026.
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, and a designer without Chicago-specific experience will get this wrong.
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.
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 Chicago 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 Chicago, see the Chicago 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 Chicago, plainly.
Same approach we use in every market - but tuned for what works in Chicago's commercial landscaping segment specifically:
- Same-day intake call. We get the role, the project context, the budget, your dealbreakers. For Chicago 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 Chicago 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 Chicago documented general context.
Chicago 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 Chicago's commercial landscaping market compares
In 2023 the Chicago metro had 3,866 landscaping companies (counted by business location). BLS publishes that count but withholds headcount and pay here, which it does when a category is small enough that the figures could identify individual employers. That works out to 42 per 100,000 residents, close to the 37 national rate.
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Chicago ranks 3rd for headcount, 14th for median pay and 63rd for concentration for landscaping and groundskeeping workers.
What this means for hiring:For commercial landscaping employers in Chicago, the pool is about the national norm for its size, so difficulty depends on the role more than the market.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Chicago metro. Employers are counted by business location.
How Chicago's commercial landscaping market has changed since 2018.
The number of landscaping companies in Chicago rose from 3,622 in 2018 to 3,866 in 2023, up 7%, behind the 13% growth nationally. Headcount and pay for those firms are withheld in Chicago, so the occupation figures above are the better guide to what hiring costs.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaping companies: business locations | 3,622 | 3,866 | +7% |
| Landscaping companies: employment | 24,666 | – | – |
| Landscaping companies: average annual pay | $41,326 | – | – |
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 Chicago.
Why does snow removal matter for Chicago 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 Chicago right now?
Foundry Park ($800M Phase 1) and The 78 development ($8B+) are the named large-scale mixed-use projects generating sustained corporate campus grounds work.
What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in Chicago?
BLS puts the Chicago median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers at $45,280 a year, 16% above the $39,150 national median. That ranks 16th of 112 metros with published figures, in the top quarter. Most of the market sits between $34,200 and $61,250, a 1.8x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience.
Is it hard to hire landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Chicago?
It is about average. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers are as common in Chicago as they are nationally (location quotient 0.91), with about 25,160 in the metro.
Which commercial landscaping roles pay the most in Chicago?
Of the roles we recruit for, Landscape Designer / Architect pays the most in Chicago, a $66,830 median. Landscape / Grounds Crew Member is the lowest-paid field role at $45,280. Relative to national pay, Tree Trimmer / Arborist is the strongest-paying role here (26% above). Landscape Designer / Architect trails national pay the most (16% below).
How many landscaping companies operate in Chicago?
BLS counted 3,866 landscaping companies in Chicago in 2023. Up from 3,622 in 2018, a 7% increase against 13% growth nationally. BLS withholds their combined headcount and pay here, which it does when a category is small enough that the figures could identify individual employers.
Which nearby metros compete with Chicago for landscaping and groundskeeping workers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Milwaukee (83 miles, about 5,020, $44,440 median), Madison (123 miles, about 2,330, $44,440 median) and Grand Rapids (127 miles, about 4,590, $37,470 median). Chicago out-pays Grand Rapids, an advantage when recruiting from there.
We have not closed a commercial landscaping search in Chicago 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 Chicago than imply a record in this trade that we do not have yet.
- Commercial Construction Project ManagerA Project Director-level background placed into a PM seat inside a week.
- Service Dispatch CoordinatorA dispatcher who already knows the trade, the software and the workflow.
- Lead HVAC TechnicianNATE, EPA Universal and Heat Pump Council certified, with VRF and VRV experience.
Hiring commercial landscaping talent in Chicago?
Tell us the role. We'll tell you timeline and where we'd source the candidate - in under 30 minutes.