Commercial landscaping recruiters serving Lakeland.
Standard institutional and corporate landscaping demand tied to the metro's hospital campuses and logistics parks.
Three hospitals, one I-4 logistics corridor.
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 metro's hospital campuses and logistics parks.
We recruit across the full org chart for commercial landscaping contractors in Lakeland against that documented context.
Healthcare campuses and warehouse parks.
Two distinct sources of demand, both named directly by the hub.
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AdventHealth Winter Haven, Watson Clinic Lakeland Highlands Hospital (opened July 8, 2026), and a separate AdventHealth medical complex (up to 720,000 sq ft, full hospital not expected until 2028-2029 (free-standing ER as early as 2026)) - three hospital campuses running at the same time in one metro, all named in the hub's landscaping mini.
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An Atlanta-based commercial real estate firm's acquisition and planned upgrade of a Lakeland industrial portfolio, reflecting sustained logistics/warehouse demand along the I-4 corridor - the 'logistics parks' half of the hub's landscaping mini.
What commercial landscaping roles pay in Lakeland.
In the Lakeland metro, BLS puts the median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers at $35,490 a year, 9% below the $39,150 national median. Among the 112 metros BLS publishes for this occupation, Lakeland ranks 107th on pay. Most of the market sits between $29,720 and $46,550. Of the other field roles, landscape designer / architect pays the most locally, at a $77,220 median. BLS does not publish Lakeland pay for tree trimmer / arborist, 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 | Lakeland median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Landscape / Grounds Crew MemberLandscaping and Groundskeeping Workers (37-3011) | $35,490 | $29,720–$46,550 | $39,150 | −9% | 2,450 |
| Grounds Crew SupervisorFirst-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers (37-1012) | $48,370 | $36,100–$81,420 | $58,430 | −17% | 300 |
| Tree Trimmer / ArboristTree Trimmers and Pruners (37-3013) | – | – | $50,960 | – | – |
| Licensed Pesticide ApplicatorPesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation (37-3012) | $43,920 | $33,650–$48,500 | $46,340 | −5% | 120 |
| Landscape Designer / ArchitectLandscape Architects (17-1012) | $77,220 | $53,960–$102,560 | $79,870 | −3% | 30 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Lakeland 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 Lakeland commercial landscaping hiring actually plays out in 2026.
Why three hospitals matter more than any single dollar figure
None of Lakeland's three concurrent hospital projects carries a disclosed dollar figure in the hub's own data. What matters for grounds-maintenance demand is that all three are running at the same time in one metro - a real, sustained pipeline even without a headline number.
Why logistics parks get equal billing here
The hub's landscaping mini names both hospital campuses and logistics parks - the MDH Partners industrial portfolio purchase ($67.7M) is the named driver behind the I-4 corridor half of that demand.
What this means for sourcing
We source against verified institutional/healthcare-campus and logistics-park grounds-maintenance 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 Lakeland commercial landscaping clients, these are the highest-volume roles we've recruited for in the last 24 months.
- Healthcare campus grounds crew lead
- Logistics park landscape foreman
- Institutional landscape designer
- Grounds maintenance manager
For the broader picture across every commercial trade in Lakeland, see the Lakeland 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 Lakeland, plainly.
Same approach we use in every market - but tuned for what works in Lakeland's commercial landscaping segment specifically:
- Same-day intake call. We get the role, the project context, the budget, your dealbreakers. For Lakeland landscaping work, we also confirm whether the role sits within one of the three hospital campuses or the I-4 logistics corridor.
- Candidate sourcing within 48 hours. We pull from our existing Lakeland commercial landscaping candidate network, filtered for verified institutional/healthcare-campus or logistics-park credentials where relevant.
- Vetted short list (week one to several weeks). Three to five candidates. We verify real campus or logistics-park 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 Lakeland's documented general context.
Lakeland runs 51% more commercial landscaping workers per job than the country as a whole — well above the national concentration. More per job means more people to reach, and more employers reaching 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 Lakeland's commercial landscaping market compares
In 2023 the Lakeland metro had 345 landscaping companies (counted by business location), with about 2,318 people on their payrolls. Average pay at those firms was $42,438, 12.1% below the national average of $48,279 for the same kind of employer. Headcount grew 0.7% over the year, a little behind the 2.2% national increase. That works out to 44 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, Lakeland ranks 63rd for headcount, 96th for median pay and 8th for concentration for landscaping and groundskeeping workers. That puts it among the deepest commercial landscaping labor markets in the country.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami | 21,170 | $37,430 | 1.23 | 2,385 |
| Orlando | 11,430 | $36,310 | 1.32 | 1,303 |
| Tampa | 9,860 | $37,210 | 1.11 | 1,546 |
| Jacksonville | 6,140 | $37,320 | 1.31 | 876 |
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers | 5,080 | $36,790 | 2.72 | 624 |
| North Port-Sarasota | 4,740 | $37,200 | 2.27 | 740 |
| Deltona-Daytona | 2,610 | $36,600 | 1.94 | 462 |
| Lakeland | 2,450 | $35,490 | 1.51 | 345 |
| Port St. Lucie | 2,330 | $36,480 | 2.23 | 363 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne | 1,870 | $36,570 | 1.24 | 368 |
| Pensacola | 1,220 | $36,160 | 1.05 | 220 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial landscaping employers in Lakeland, the pool is deep and still growing, so the constraint is competition rather than supply. Move fast on good candidates, because another local firm is probably talking to them too.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Lakeland metro. Employers are counted by business location.
How Lakeland's commercial landscaping market has changed since 2018.
The number of landscaping companies in Lakeland rose from 285 in 2018 to 345 in 2023, up 21%, ahead of the 13% national rise. Headcount at those firms went up 12%, to about 2,318 people. Average annual pay there went from $31,127 to $42,438 (+36%), faster than the 31% national increase, a sign employers here have had to bid up.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaping companies: business locations | 285 | 345 | +21% |
| Landscaping companies: employment | 2,071 | 2,318 | +12% |
| Landscaping companies: average annual pay | $31,127 | $42,438 | +36% |
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 Lakeland.
How many hospital projects are underway in Lakeland right now?
Three, concurrently: AdventHealth Winter Haven, Watson Clinic's new Lakeland Highlands Hospital opened July 8, 2026, and a separate AdventHealth medical complex full hospital not expected until 2028-2029 (free-standing ER as early as 2026) - none with a disclosed dollar figure in the hub's data.
What is driving commercial landscaping demand in Lakeland right now?
Standard institutional and corporate landscaping demand tied to the metro's hospital campuses and logistics parks, including the $67.7M MDH Partners industrial portfolio along the I-4 corridor.
What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in Lakeland?
BLS puts the Lakeland median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers at $35,490 a year, 9% below the $39,150 national median. That ranks 107th of 112 metros with published figures, in the bottom quarter. Pay is bunched together here, $29,720 to $46,550 across the 10th to 90th percentile and only a 1.6x gap, so small differences in an offer are noticed. Within Florida, Miami pays more, at $37,430.
Is it hard to hire landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Lakeland?
Not by national standards. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers make up 51% more of the Lakeland workforce than they do nationally, about 2,450 people. The 345 landscaping companies here average about 6.7 employees per location, mostly small shops, so candidates often know every employer in town by name. With 21% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial landscaping roles pay the most in Lakeland?
Of the roles we recruit for, Landscape Designer / Architect pays the most in Lakeland, a $77,220 median. Landscape / Grounds Crew Member is the lowest-paid field role at $35,490. Grounds Crew Supervisor trails national pay the most (17% below).
How many landscaping companies operate in Lakeland?
BLS counted 345 landscaping companies in Lakeland in 2023, employing about 2,318 people between them. Up from 285 in 2018, a 21% increase against 13% growth nationally. That averages 6.7 people per location, so most are small shops. They pay an average of $42,438, 12% below the $48,279 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Lakeland for landscaping and groundskeeping workers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Tampa (32 miles, about 9,860, $37,210 median), Orlando (49 miles, about 11,430, $36,310 median) and North Port-Sarasota (71 miles, about 4,740, $37,200 median). Tampa has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move.
Hiring commercial landscaping talent in Lakeland?
Tell us the role. We'll tell you timeline and where we'd source the candidate - in under 30 minutes.