Commercial landscaping recruiters serving Los Angeles.
Drought-tolerant design for Olympic venue grounds, plus corporate campus expansion across tech and entertainment, drives high-end commercial demand.
Olympic venue grounds, on a compressed timeline.
Metro pay for every role we recruit is in the table below. What the hub does name: drought-tolerant landscape design for Olympic venue grounds, plus corporate campus expansion across tech and entertainment.
That corporate campus expansion includes $3B+ aggregated across Hollywood and entertainment studio buildouts, alongside the $7B+ Olympic infrastructure prep already underway.
We recruit across the full org chart for commercial landscaping contractors in Los Angeles against that documented context.
The 2028 Olympics, and Hollywood's expanding footprint.
One compressed-timeline megaproject, plus a rolling entertainment-sector driver.
-
Venue retrofits running 2025-2028 on a compressed timeline, requiring drought-tolerant commercial landscape work at Olympic venue grounds ahead of the Games.
-
Studios expanding sound stages and post-production facilities on a rolling basis, adding corporate campus grounds demand alongside the broader tech-sector expansion the hub names.
What commercial landscaping roles pay in Los Angeles.
In the Los Angeles metro, BLS puts the median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers at $44,650 a year, 14% above the $39,150 national median. Among the 112 metros BLS publishes for this occupation, Los Angeles ranks 22nd on pay. Most of the market sits between $37,120 and $59,430. Of the other field roles, landscape designer / architect pays the most locally, at a $95,760 median. National benchmarks by role are in the 2026 Commercial Landscaping Salary Guide.
| Role | Los Angeles median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Landscape / Grounds Crew MemberLandscaping and Groundskeeping Workers (37-3011) | $44,650 | $37,120–$59,430 | $39,150 | +14% | 27,860 |
| Grounds Crew SupervisorFirst-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers (37-1012) | $61,350 | $42,370–$98,430 | $58,430 | +5% | 4,220 |
| Tree Trimmer / ArboristTree Trimmers and Pruners (37-3013) | $60,440 | $35,750–$90,370 | $50,960 | +19% | 3,150 |
| Licensed Pesticide ApplicatorPesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation (37-3012) | $48,140 | $38,320–$90,190 | $46,340 | +4% | 430 |
| Landscape Designer / ArchitectLandscape Architects (17-1012) | $95,760 | $60,650–$181,440 | $79,870 | +20% | 570 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Los Angeles 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 Los Angeles commercial landscaping hiring actually plays out in 2026.
Why drought-tolerant design is a real, not optional, specialty
The hub names drought-tolerant landscape design specifically for Olympic venue grounds - a California-specific requirement that general landscaping crews don't automatically bring.
Why the compressed Olympic timeline matters for hiring
With venue retrofits running on a 2025-2028 compressed timeline ahead of the Games, landscaping crews for Olympic venue grounds face real schedule pressure that standard commercial timelines don't carry.
What this means for sourcing
We source against verified drought-tolerant design and entertainment-campus 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 Los Angeles commercial landscaping clients, these are the highest-volume roles we've recruited for in the last 24 months.
- Commercial landscape designer (drought-tolerant)
- Olympic venue grounds crew lead
- Landscape crew foreman
- Grounds maintenance manager
For the broader picture across every commercial trade in Los Angeles, see the Los Angeles 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 Los Angeles, plainly.
Same approach we use in every market - but tuned for what works in Los Angeles's commercial landscaping segment specifically:
- Same-day intake call. We get the role, the project context, the budget, your dealbreakers. For Los Angeles landscaping work, we also confirm whether the role sits within Olympic venue or studio-campus scope, or standard commercial grounds work.
- Candidate sourcing within 48 hours. We pull from our existing Los Angeles commercial landscaping candidate network, filtered for verified drought-tolerant design credentials and relevant project history.
- Vetted short list (week one to several weeks). Three to five candidates. We verify real design portfolios and water-use compliance experience 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 Los Angeles documented general context.
Los Angeles runs 27% 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 Los Angeles's commercial landscaping market compares
In 2023 the Los Angeles metro had 2,053 landscaping companies (counted by business location), with about 28,567 people on their payrolls. Average pay at those firms was $49,810, 3.2% above the national average of $48,279 for the same kind of employer. Headcount grew 2.7% 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 16 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, Los Angeles ranks 2nd for headcount, 20th for median pay and 96th 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 27,860 | $44,650 | 0.73 | 2,053 |
| Riverside | 13,190 | $43,650 | 1.25 | 1,009 |
| San Francisco | 12,270 | $48,040 | 0.84 | 1,164 |
| San Diego | 10,870 | $45,560 | 1.15 | 966 |
| Sacramento | 7,410 | $45,110 | 1.12 | 766 |
| San Jose | 6,000 | $48,330 | 0.86 | 519 |
| Fresno | 3,040 | $40,710 | 1.04 | 211 |
| Bakersfield | 1,630 | $43,770 | 0.79 | 151 |
| Stockton | 1,390 | $44,280 | 0.78 | 168 |
| Modesto | 1,080 | $45,740 | 0.90 | 120 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial landscaping employers in Los Angeles, the headline number is misleading. About 27,860 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, Los Angeles metro. Employers are counted by business location.
How Los Angeles's commercial landscaping market has changed since 2018.
The number of landscaping companies in Los Angeles rose from 1,931 in 2018 to 2,053 in 2023, up 6%, behind the 13% growth nationally. Their combined payroll headcount barely moved, at about 28,567. Average annual pay there went from $38,137 to $49,810 (+31%), in step with the 31% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaping companies: business locations | 1,931 | 2,053 | +6% |
| Landscaping companies: employment | 28,375 | 28,567 | +1% |
| Landscaping companies: average annual pay | $38,137 | $49,810 | +31% |
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 Los Angeles.
What is driving commercial landscaping demand in Los Angeles right now?
The $7B+ 2028 LA Olympics infrastructure prep and $3B+ aggregated Hollywood/entertainment studio expansions are the named drivers.
Why does drought-tolerant design matter for Olympic venue grounds?
The metro's own data names drought-tolerant landscape design specifically for Olympic venue grounds work, reflecting California's water-use requirements for large-scale commercial projects.
What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in Los Angeles?
BLS puts the Los Angeles median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers at $44,650 a year, 14% above the $39,150 national median. That ranks 22nd of 112 metros with published figures, in the top quarter. Pay is bunched together here, $37,120 to $59,430 across the 10th to 90th percentile and only a 1.6x gap, so small differences in an offer are noticed. Within California, San Jose pays more, at $48,330.
Is it hard to hire landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Los Angeles?
Yes. Los Angeles has 27% fewer landscaping and groundskeeping workers per job than the country as a whole, roughly 27,860 in the metro, so most of the people worth hiring are already employed. The 2,053 landscaping companies here average about 14 employees per location.
Which commercial landscaping roles pay the most in Los Angeles?
Of the roles we recruit for, Landscape Designer / Architect pays the most in Los Angeles, a $95,760 median. Landscape / Grounds Crew Member is the lowest-paid field role at $44,650. Relative to national pay, Landscape Designer / Architect is the strongest-paying role here (20% above).
How many landscaping companies operate in Los Angeles?
BLS counted 2,053 landscaping companies in Los Angeles in 2023, employing about 28,567 people between them. Up from 1,931 in 2018, a 6% increase against 13% growth nationally. That averages 14 people per location. They pay an average of $49,810, 3% above the $48,279 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Los Angeles for landscaping and groundskeeping workers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Riverside (49 miles, about 13,190, $43,650 median), Bakersfield (101 miles, about 1,630, $43,770 median) and San Diego (111 miles, about 10,870, $45,560 median).
Hiring commercial landscaping talent in Los Angeles?
Tell us the role. We'll tell you timeline and where we'd source the candidate - in under 30 minutes.