Commercial landscaping recruiters serving Dayton.
Standard institutional and corporate landscaping demand tied to the broader $1.3B+ Dayton development wave.
A citywide wave, not a single project.
Metro pay for every role we recruit is in the table below. What the hub does name: standard institutional and corporate landscaping demand tied to the broader $1.3B+ Dayton development wave, rather than the Convergence Research Center or Kettering Health's projects that drive other trades on the same page.
We recruit across the full org chart for commercial landscaping contractors in Dayton against that documented context.
A $1.3B+ development wave, citywide.
The broadest capital-project signal in this metro - not a single anchor building.
-
Private and public partners investing in Dayton at a level not seen in many years - the broadest capital-project signal in this metro, and the figure the hub's own landscaping mini ties demand to directly.
What commercial landscaping roles pay in Dayton.
In the Dayton metro, BLS puts the median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers at $37,880 a year, 3% below the $39,150 national median. Among the 112 metros BLS publishes for this occupation, Dayton ranks 64th on pay. Most of the market sits between $30,050 and $51,340. Of the other field roles, grounds crew supervisor pays the most locally, at a $58,350 median. BLS does not publish Dayton pay for 2 of the roles below, 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 | Dayton median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Landscape / Grounds Crew MemberLandscaping and Groundskeeping Workers (37-3011) | $37,880 | $30,050–$51,340 | $39,150 | −3% | 2,080 |
| Grounds Crew SupervisorFirst-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers (37-1012) | $58,350 | $43,680–$76,150 | $58,430 | 0% | 310 |
| Tree Trimmer / ArboristTree Trimmers and Pruners (37-3013) | $44,990 | $37,810–$54,280 | $50,960 | −12% | 140 |
| Licensed Pesticide ApplicatorPesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation (37-3012) | – | – | $46,340 | – | – |
| Landscape Designer / ArchitectLandscape Architects (17-1012) | – | – | $79,870 | – | – |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Dayton 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 Dayton commercial landscaping hiring actually plays out in 2026.
Why we don't tie this page to Wright-Patterson's research center
The $250M Convergence Research Center is a real, well-documented federal project driving premiums for security-cleared electricians. The hub's own landscaping mini doesn't connect it to grounds-work demand, so we don't force that link either.
Why the citywide figure is the right one to cite
The hub's landscaping mini names the broader $1.3B+ development wave specifically, not any single named project - so that's the figure we report rather than borrowing a more prominent one from an unrelated trade.
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 Dayton 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 Dayton, see the Dayton 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 Dayton, plainly.
Same approach we use in every market - but tuned for what works in Dayton'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 Dayton 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 Dayton's documented general context.
Dayton 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 Dayton's commercial landscaping market compares
In 2023 the Dayton metro had 269 landscaping companies (counted by business location), with about 2,134 people on their payrolls. Average pay at those firms was $45,824, 5.1% below the national average of $48,279 for the same kind of employer. Headcount fell 1.2% 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 33 per 100,000 residents, close to the 37 national rate.
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Dayton ranks 77th for headcount, 58th for median pay and 63rd 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 Dayton, the pool is about the national norm for its size, and local employers have trimmed headcount. That usually means experienced people are available but cautious, so the stability of the job matters as much as the rate.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Dayton metro. Employers are counted by business location.
How Dayton's commercial landscaping market has changed since 2018.
The number of landscaping companies in Dayton rose from 259 in 2018 to 269 in 2023, up 4%, behind the 13% growth nationally. Headcount at those firms went down 2%, to about 2,134 people, so more firms are sharing fewer workers. Average annual pay there went from $35,156 to $45,824 (+30%), in step with the 31% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaping companies: business locations | 259 | 269 | +4% |
| Landscaping companies: employment | 2,183 | 2,134 | −2% |
| Landscaping companies: average annual pay | $35,156 | $45,824 | +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 Dayton.
Is Dayton's landscaping demand tied to Wright-Patterson's research center?
No - the $250M Convergence Research Center is a real federal project, but the hub's own landscaping data doesn't connect it to grounds-work demand. The hub instead ties landscaping to the broader $1.3B+ citywide development wave.
What is driving commercial landscaping demand in Dayton right now?
Standard institutional and corporate landscaping demand tied to the broader $1.3B+ Dayton development wave across two dozen-plus projects.
What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in Dayton?
BLS puts the Dayton median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers at $37,880 a year, 3% below the $39,150 national median. That ranks 64th of 112 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Most of the market sits between $30,050 and $51,340, a 1.7x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. Within Ohio, Columbus pays more, at $39,100.
Is it hard to hire landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Dayton?
It is about average. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers are as common in Dayton as they are nationally (location quotient 0.91), with about 2,080 in the metro. The 269 landscaping companies here average about 7.9 employees per location, mostly small shops, so candidates often know every employer in town by name.
Which commercial landscaping roles pay the most in Dayton?
Of the roles we recruit for, Grounds Crew Supervisor pays the most in Dayton, a $58,350 median. Landscape / Grounds Crew Member is the lowest-paid field role at $37,880. Tree Trimmer / Arborist trails national pay the most (12% below).
How many landscaping companies operate in Dayton?
BLS counted 269 landscaping companies in Dayton in 2023, employing about 2,134 people between them. Up from 259 in 2018, a 4% increase against 13% growth nationally. That averages 7.9 people per location, so most are small shops. They pay an average of $45,824, 5% below the $48,279 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Dayton for landscaping and groundskeeping workers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Cincinnati (47 miles, about 6,610, $38,600 median), Columbus (65 miles, about 6,820, $39,100 median) and Indianapolis (104 miles, about 6,980, $38,180 median). Cincinnati has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move.
Hiring commercial landscaping talent in Dayton?
Tell us the role. We'll tell you timeline and where we'd source the candidate - in under 30 minutes.