Commercial landscaping recruiters serving Cincinnati.
Corporate campus and institutional maintenance form the reliable base, with stormwater and detention work attached to the logistics corridor's large impervious footprints.
A logistics corridor, and Ohio EPA compliance.
Metro pay for every role we recruit is in the table below. What the hub does name: corporate campus and institutional maintenance as the reliable base, with stormwater and detention work attached to the logistics corridor's large impervious footprints, and crew leads who can build to Ohio EPA standards as the differentiated profile.
We recruit across the full org chart for commercial landscaping contractors in Cincinnati against that documented context.
One of the largest air cargo hubs in North America.
Large impervious footprints, requiring dedicated stormwater compliance.
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Called by the hub one of the largest air cargo hubs in North America. Large-footprint sortation and logistics facility construction creates large impervious footprints requiring dedicated stormwater and detention grounds work.
What commercial landscaping roles pay in Cincinnati.
In the Cincinnati metro, BLS puts the median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers at $38,600 a year, in line with the $39,150 national median. Among the 112 metros BLS publishes for this occupation, Cincinnati ranks 53rd on pay. Most of the market sits between $29,890 and $48,400. Of the other field roles, landscape designer / architect pays the most locally, at a $67,990 median. National benchmarks by role are in the 2026 Commercial Landscaping Salary Guide.
| Role | Cincinnati median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Landscape / Grounds Crew MemberLandscaping and Groundskeeping Workers (37-3011) | $38,600 | $29,890–$48,400 | $39,150 | −1% | 6,610 |
| Grounds Crew SupervisorFirst-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers (37-1012) | $56,850 | $44,950–$78,110 | $58,430 | −3% | 780 |
| Tree Trimmer / ArboristTree Trimmers and Pruners (37-3013) | $49,760 | $42,410–$60,220 | $50,960 | −2% | 240 |
| Licensed Pesticide ApplicatorPesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation (37-3012) | $50,350 | $37,570–$57,160 | $46,340 | +9% | 70 |
| Landscape Designer / ArchitectLandscape Architects (17-1012) | $67,990 | $52,660–$122,000 | $79,870 | −15% | 110 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Cincinnati 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 Cincinnati commercial landscaping hiring actually plays out in 2026.
Why Ohio EPA-compliant detention systems are the differentiated profile
The hub names crew leads who can build and maintain detention and bioretention systems to Ohio EPA standards as the differentiated profile - a general landscaping crew without that specific regulatory knowledge doesn't qualify.
Why the logistics corridor drives stormwater work specifically
CVG's air cargo and sortation facilities create large impervious footprints - the hub ties this directly to stormwater and detention work as a distinct scope from routine corporate-campus maintenance.
What this means for sourcing
We source against verified Ohio EPA-compliant detention/bioretention project history, 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 Cincinnati commercial landscaping clients, these are the highest-volume roles we've recruited for in the last 24 months.
- Detention/bioretention systems crew lead (Ohio EPA)
- Corporate/institutional campus grounds crew lead
- Landscape crew foreman
- Grounds maintenance manager
For the broader picture across every commercial trade in Cincinnati, see the Cincinnati 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 Cincinnati, plainly.
Same approach we use in every market - but tuned for what works in Cincinnati's commercial landscaping segment specifically:
- Same-day intake call. We get the role, the project context, the budget, your dealbreakers. For Cincinnati landscaping work, we also confirm whether the role requires Ohio EPA detention-system experience or standard commercial grounds work.
- Candidate sourcing within 48 hours. We pull from our existing Cincinnati commercial landscaping candidate network, filtered for verified detention/bioretention system credentials.
- Vetted short list (week one to several weeks). Three to five candidates. We verify real Ohio EPA-compliance 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 Cincinnati documented general context.
Cincinnati sits at about the national rate for commercial landscaping — neither unusually deep nor unusually thin.
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 Cincinnati's commercial landscaping market compares
In 2023 the Cincinnati metro had 814 landscaping companies (counted by business location), with about 6,069 people on their payrolls. Average pay at those firms was $46,633, 3.4% below the national average of $48,279 for the same kind of employer. Headcount grew 3.2% 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 36 per 100,000 residents, close to the 37 national rate.
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Cincinnati ranks 33rd for headcount, 49th for median pay and 53rd for concentration for landscaping and groundskeeping workers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland | 6,910 | $38,230 | 1.09 | 1,028 |
| Columbus | 6,820 | $39,100 | 1.01 | 636 |
| Cincinnati | 6,610 | $38,600 | 0.98 | 814 |
| Akron | 2,250 | $37,610 | 1.15 | 323 |
| Dayton | 2,080 | $37,880 | 0.91 | 269 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial landscaping employers in Cincinnati, 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, Cincinnati metro. Employers are counted by business location.
How Cincinnati's commercial landscaping market has changed since 2018.
The number of landscaping companies in Cincinnati rose from 773 in 2018 to 814 in 2023, up 5%, behind the 13% growth nationally. Headcount at those firms went up 14%, to about 6,069 people. Average annual pay there went from $33,651 to $46,633 (+39%), faster than the 31% national increase, a sign employers here have had to bid up.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaping companies: business locations | 773 | 814 | +5% |
| Landscaping companies: employment | 5,308 | 6,069 | +14% |
| Landscaping companies: average annual pay | $33,651 | $46,633 | +39% |
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 Cincinnati.
What is driving commercial landscaping demand in Cincinnati right now?
CVG's air cargo and logistics expansion - one of the largest air cargo hubs in North America - is the named driver, tied specifically to stormwater and detention work for the corridor's large impervious footprints.
Why does Ohio EPA compliance matter for Cincinnati landscaping crews?
The metro's own data names crew leads who can build and maintain detention and bioretention systems to Ohio EPA standards as the differentiated profile, given the scale of impervious surface in the logistics corridor.
What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in Cincinnati?
BLS puts the Cincinnati median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers at $38,600 a year, about the same as the $39,150 national median. That ranks 53rd of 112 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Pay is bunched together here, $29,890 to $48,400 across the 10th to 90th percentile and only a 1.6x gap, so small differences in an offer are noticed. No other Ohio metro we cover pays more for this work.
Is it hard to hire landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Cincinnati?
It is about average. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers are as common in Cincinnati as they are nationally (location quotient 0.98), with about 6,610 in the metro. The 814 landscaping companies here average about 7.5 employees per location, mostly small shops, so candidates often know every employer in town by name.
Which commercial landscaping roles pay the most in Cincinnati?
Of the roles we recruit for, Landscape Designer / Architect pays the most in Cincinnati, a $67,990 median. Landscape / Grounds Crew Member is the lowest-paid field role at $38,600. Relative to national pay, Licensed Pesticide Applicator is the strongest-paying role here (9% above). Landscape Designer / Architect trails national pay the most (15% below).
How many landscaping companies operate in Cincinnati?
BLS counted 814 landscaping companies in Cincinnati in 2023, employing about 6,069 people between them. Up from 773 in 2018, a 5% increase against 13% growth nationally. That averages 7.5 people per location, so most are small shops. They pay an average of $46,633, 3% below the $48,279 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Cincinnati for landscaping and groundskeeping workers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Dayton (47 miles, about 2,080, $37,880 median), Louisville (90 miles, about 3,130, $37,820 median) and Indianapolis (98 miles, about 6,980, $38,180 median).
We have not closed a commercial landscaping search in Cincinnati 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 Cincinnati than imply a record in this trade that we do not have yet.
- Junior Project ManagerA licensed architect placed into a project management seat after the firm lost its PM mid-project.
- Special Projects Sheet Metal TechnicianAn early-career sheet metal technician placed with onboarding support built into the plan.
Hiring commercial landscaping talent in Cincinnati?
Tell us the role. We'll tell you timeline and where we'd source the candidate - in under 30 minutes.