Commercial landscaping recruiters serving Houston.
TMC campus expansions, corporate campus build-outs, and university grounds drive high-end commercial landscape demand - and hurricane-resilient design is an increasingly relevant specialty.
The world's largest medical complex, still expanding.
Metro pay for every role we recruit is in the table below. What the hub does name: the Texas Medical Center's $5B+ expansion, plus Hines/Texas Tower corporate developments and university grounds work at UH and Rice, all driving high-end commercial landscape demand.
Hurricane-resilient landscape design is an increasingly relevant specialty in this market, per the hub's own language.
We recruit across the full org chart for commercial landscaping contractors in Houston against that documented context.
A $5B+ medical campus, and corporate/university grounds.
One itemized megaproject, plus named-but-undisclosed corporate and academic drivers.
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The largest medical complex in the world, continuing to expand through 2030. Campus-scale hospital grounds and landscape design are part of the ongoing buildout.
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Named directly by the hub as driving high-end commercial landscape demand, alongside a growing hurricane-resilient design specialty.
What commercial landscaping roles pay in Houston.
In the Houston metro, BLS puts the median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers at $36,280 a year, 7% below the $39,150 national median. Among the 112 metros BLS publishes for this occupation, Houston ranks 99th on pay. Most of the market sits between $29,660 and $46,700. Of the other field roles, landscape designer / architect pays the most locally, at a $103,670 median. BLS does not publish Houston pay for licensed pesticide applicator, 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 | Houston median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Landscape / Grounds Crew MemberLandscaping and Groundskeeping Workers (37-3011) | $36,280 | $29,660–$46,700 | $39,150 | −7% | 14,840 |
| Grounds Crew SupervisorFirst-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers (37-1012) | $46,720 | $37,150–$69,180 | $58,430 | −20% | – |
| Tree Trimmer / ArboristTree Trimmers and Pruners (37-3013) | $39,660 | $38,470–$45,820 | $50,960 | −22% | 2,120 |
| Licensed Pesticide ApplicatorPesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation (37-3012) | – | – | $46,340 | – | 320 |
| Landscape Designer / ArchitectLandscape Architects (17-1012) | $103,670 | $63,280–$117,150 | $79,870 | +30% | 630 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Houston 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 Houston commercial landscaping hiring actually plays out in 2026.
Why TMC's $5B+ expansion is the dominant named driver
The Texas Medical Center is the largest medical complex in the world and is still expanding through 2030 - a genuinely enormous, sustained campus-grounds driver.
Why hurricane-resilient design is a growing specialty here
The hub names hurricane-resilient landscape design as increasingly relevant in Houston - a real, region-specific skill differentiator beyond standard commercial landscaping.
What this means for sourcing
We source against verified medical-campus and hurricane-resilient design 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 Houston commercial landscaping clients, these are the highest-volume roles we've recruited for in the last 24 months.
- Commercial landscape designer
- Irrigation specialist
- Landscape crew foreman
- Grounds maintenance manager
For the broader picture across every commercial trade in Houston, see the Houston 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 Houston, plainly.
Same approach we use in every market - but tuned for what works in Houston's commercial landscaping segment specifically:
- Same-day intake call. We get the role, the project context, the budget, your dealbreakers. For Houston landscaping work, we also confirm whether the role sits within TMC or corporate campus scope, or standard commercial grounds work.
- Candidate sourcing within 48 hours. We pull from our existing Houston commercial landscaping candidate network, filtered for verified design and hurricane-resilient credentials and relevant project history.
- Vetted short list (week one to several weeks). Three to five candidates. We verify real design portfolios and certifications 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 Houston documented general context.
Houston runs 26% fewer commercial landscaping workers per job than the country as a whole — well 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 Houston's commercial landscaping market compares
In 2023 the Houston metro had 1,026 landscaping companies (counted by business location), with about 16,598 people on their payrolls. Average pay at those firms was $51,642, 7% above the national average of $48,279 for the same kind of employer. Headcount grew 5.2% 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 14 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, Houston ranks 11th for headcount, 89th for median pay and 95th for concentration for landscaping and groundskeeping workers. That makes it one of the thinnest commercial landscaping labor markets we recruit in.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 19,750 | $37,680 | 0.80 | 1,629 |
| Houston | 14,840 | $36,280 | 0.74 | 1,026 |
| Austin | 7,600 | $38,370 | 0.96 | 610 |
| San Antonio | 3,760 | $35,630 | 0.55 | 467 |
| El Paso | 1,200 | $30,640 | 0.58 | 88 |
| McAllen | 680 | $29,060 | 0.37 | 33 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial landscaping employers in Houston, the headline number is misleading. About 14,840 landscaping and groundskeeping workers work here, one of the larger workforces we cover, but relative to the size of the local economy the trade is thinner than average, so every other employer is drawing on the same people. Local employers are still adding headcount, which keeps competition for experienced people high. Expect to recruit people who are already employed, and to make the case for moving.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Houston metro. Employers are counted by business location.
How Houston's commercial landscaping market has changed since 2018.
The number of landscaping companies in Houston rose from 958 in 2018 to 1,026 in 2023, up 7%, behind the 13% growth nationally. Headcount at those firms went up 18%, to about 16,598 people. Average annual pay there went from $40,035 to $51,642 (+29%), in step with the 31% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaping companies: business locations | 958 | 1,026 | +7% |
| Landscaping companies: employment | 14,043 | 16,598 | +18% |
| Landscaping companies: average annual pay | $40,035 | $51,642 | +29% |
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 Houston.
What is driving commercial landscaping demand in Houston right now?
The Texas Medical Center's $5B+ expansion, Hines/Texas Tower corporate developments, and university grounds work at UH and Rice are the named drivers.
How large is the Texas Medical Center expansion?
The metro's own data describes $5B+ aggregated across TMC3, MD Anderson, and Memorial Hermann, running through 2030.
What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in Houston?
BLS puts the Houston median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers at $36,280 a year, 7% below the $39,150 national median. That ranks 99th of 112 metros with published figures, in the bottom quarter. Pay is bunched together here, $29,660 to $46,700 across the 10th to 90th percentile and only a 1.6x gap, so small differences in an offer are noticed. Within Texas, Austin pays more, at $38,370.
Is it hard to hire landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Houston?
Yes. Houston has 26% fewer landscaping and groundskeeping workers per job than the country as a whole, roughly 14,840 in the metro, so most of the people worth hiring are already employed. The 1,026 landscaping companies here average about 16 employees per location.
Which commercial landscaping roles pay the most in Houston?
Of the roles we recruit for, Landscape Designer / Architect pays the most in Houston, a $103,670 median. Landscape / Grounds Crew Member is the lowest-paid field role at $36,280. Relative to national pay, Landscape Designer / Architect is the strongest-paying role here (30% above). Tree Trimmer / Arborist trails national pay the most (22% below).
How many landscaping companies operate in Houston?
BLS counted 1,026 landscaping companies in Houston in 2023, employing about 16,598 people between them. Up from 958 in 2018, a 7% increase against 13% growth nationally. That averages 16 people per location. They pay an average of $51,642, 7% above the $48,279 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Houston for landscaping and groundskeeping workers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Austin (147 miles, about 7,600, $38,370 median), San Antonio (190 miles, about 3,760, $35,630 median) and Dallas-Fort Worth (225 miles, about 19,750, $37,680 median). Austin pays 6% more, which is where Houston employers tend to lose people.
We have not closed a commercial landscaping search in Houston 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 Houston than imply a record in this trade that we do not have yet.
- Commercial HVAC Service TechnicianFive to ten years of commercial HVAC experience, EPA 608, and independent troubleshooting - filled in two weeks.
- Commercial HVAC TechnicianA lead technician who can also train the rest of the bench.
- Commercial HVAC TechnicianThe second of two technician seats on the same requisition, filled in the same window as the first.
Hiring commercial landscaping talent in Houston?
Tell us the role. We'll tell you timeline and where we'd source the candidate - in under 30 minutes.