Commercial landscaping recruiters serving Louisville.
Standard corporate and institutional grounds maintenance across the metro, with some airport-adjacent site work tied to UPS and the SDF Next Program.
A standard market, with two concurrent airport-scale programs.
Metro pay for every role we recruit is in the table below. What the hub does name: standard corporate and institutional grounds maintenance across the metro as the base of the market, with airport-adjacent site work tied to UPS and the SDF Next Program expansion.
We recruit across the full org chart for commercial landscaping contractors in Louisville against that documented context.
The world's largest package-handling facility, and a $1B airport program.
Two concurrent, adjacent capital programs at the same airport.
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Expansion of sort and cargo facilities at the world's largest package-handling facility, including ramp and aircraft parking expansions requiring airport-adjacent site work.
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A comprehensive capital improvement program at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, running concurrently with and adjacent to UPS's own Worldport buildout.
What commercial landscaping roles pay in Louisville.
In the Louisville metro, BLS puts the median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers at $37,820 a year, 3% below the $39,150 national median. Among the 112 metros BLS publishes for this occupation, Louisville ranks 66th on pay. Most of the market sits between $28,880 and $51,920. Of the other field roles, landscape designer / architect pays the most locally, at a $75,870 median. BLS does not publish Louisville 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 | Louisville median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Landscape / Grounds Crew MemberLandscaping and Groundskeeping Workers (37-3011) | $37,820 | $28,880–$51,920 | $39,150 | −3% | 3,130 |
| Grounds Crew SupervisorFirst-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers (37-1012) | $60,490 | $45,370–$76,790 | $58,430 | +4% | 410 |
| Tree Trimmer / ArboristTree Trimmers and Pruners (37-3013) | – | – | $50,960 | – | – |
| Licensed Pesticide ApplicatorPesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation (37-3012) | – | – | $46,340 | – | – |
| Landscape Designer / ArchitectLandscape Architects (17-1012) | $75,870 | $44,800–$112,970 | $79,870 | −5% | 60 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Louisville 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 Louisville commercial landscaping hiring actually plays out in 2026.
Why this is an honestly modest, standard market with two real drivers
The hub describes standard corporate and institutional grounds maintenance across the metro - we report that plainly rather than manufacturing urgency the market doesn't have, while still naming UPS and SDF Next's genuine airport-adjacent site work.
Why two concurrent airport-scale programs compound demand
UPS's $750M-$1.5B Worldport buildout and the $1B SDF Next Program are running concurrently and adjacently - two separate airport-scale commitments overlapping in the same site work labor pool.
What this means for sourcing
We source against verified corporate/institutional grounds maintenance history, and airport-adjacent site work experience where relevant, not resume claims.
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 Louisville commercial landscaping clients, these are the highest-volume roles we've recruited for in the last 24 months.
- Airport-adjacent site work crew lead
- Corporate/institutional grounds maintenance crew lead
- Landscape crew foreman
- Grounds maintenance manager
For the broader picture across every commercial trade in Louisville, see the Louisville 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 Louisville, plainly.
Same approach we use in every market - but tuned for what works in Louisville's commercial landscaping segment specifically:
- Same-day intake call. We get the role, the project context, the budget, your dealbreakers. For Louisville landscaping work, we also confirm whether the role sits within UPS/SDF Next airport scope or standard commercial grounds work.
- Candidate sourcing within 48 hours. We pull from our existing Louisville commercial landscaping candidate network, filtered for verified experience relevant to the role.
- Vetted short list (week one to several weeks). Three to five candidates. We verify real 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 Louisville documented general context.
Louisville runs 25% 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 Louisville's commercial landscaping market compares
In 2023 the Louisville metro had 530 landscaping companies (counted by business location), with about 2,918 people on their payrolls. Average pay at those firms was $45,400, 6% below the national average of $48,279 for the same kind of employer. Headcount grew 2.3% 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 41 per 100,000 residents, close to the 37 national rate.
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Louisville ranks 52nd for headcount, 60th for median pay and 94th for concentration for landscaping and groundskeeping workers. That makes it one of the thinnest commercial landscaping labor markets we recruit in.
What this means for hiring:For commercial landscaping employers in Louisville, the local pool is thin but growing. Expect a mix of local candidates and people recruited in from nearby metros, and budget for relocation on senior roles.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Louisville metro. Employers are counted by business location.
How Louisville's commercial landscaping market has changed since 2018.
The number of landscaping companies in Louisville rose from 463 in 2018 to 530 in 2023, up 14%, close to the 13% national change. Headcount at those firms went up 11%, to about 2,918 people. Average annual pay there went from $35,049 to $45,400 (+30%), in step with the 31% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaping companies: business locations | 463 | 530 | +14% |
| Landscaping companies: employment | 2,621 | 2,918 | +11% |
| Landscaping companies: average annual pay | $35,049 | $45,400 | +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 Louisville.
What is driving commercial landscaping demand in Louisville right now?
Standard corporate and institutional grounds maintenance is the base of the market, with UPS's $750M-$1.5B Worldport expansion and the $1B SDF Next Program adding real airport-adjacent site work.
How do UPS Worldport and SDF Next relate to each other?
The metro's own data describes these as running concurrently and adjacently - two separate capital programs at the same airport, both driving site work demand.
What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in Louisville?
BLS puts the Louisville median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers at $37,820 a year, 3% below the $39,150 national median. That ranks 66th of 112 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Most of the market sits between $28,880 and $51,920, a 1.8x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience.
Is it hard to hire landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Louisville?
Yes. Louisville has 25% fewer landscaping and groundskeeping workers per job than the country as a whole, roughly 3,130 in the metro, so most of the people worth hiring are already employed. The 530 landscaping companies here average about 5.5 employees per location, mostly small shops, so candidates often know every employer in town by name. With 14% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial landscaping roles pay the most in Louisville?
Of the roles we recruit for, Landscape Designer / Architect pays the most in Louisville, a $75,870 median. Landscape / Grounds Crew Member is the lowest-paid field role at $37,820. Relative to national pay, Grounds Crew Supervisor is the strongest-paying role here (4% above). Landscape Designer / Architect trails national pay the most (5% below).
How many landscaping companies operate in Louisville?
BLS counted 530 landscaping companies in Louisville in 2023, employing about 2,918 people between them. Up from 463 in 2018, a 14% increase against 13% growth nationally. That averages 5.5 people per location, so most are small shops. They pay an average of $45,400, 6% below the $48,279 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Louisville for landscaping and groundskeeping workers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Cincinnati (90 miles, about 6,610, $38,600 median), Indianapolis (107 miles, about 6,980, $38,180 median) and Dayton (134 miles, about 2,080, $37,880 median). Cincinnati has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move.
We have not closed a commercial landscaping search in Louisville 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 Louisville than imply a record in this trade that we do not have yet.
- Journeyman HVAC Service TechnicianA technician who ran his own HVAC company for six years, bringing owner-level judgment to every service call.
Hiring commercial landscaping talent in Louisville?
Tell us the role. We'll tell you timeline and where we'd source the candidate - in under 30 minutes.