Commercial landscaping recruiters serving Providence.
Institutional and corporate campus maintenance, including Brown University and the growing life-sciences building stock, drives steady demand here.
A deliberate state life-sciences strategy.
Metro pay for every role we recruit is in the table below. What the hub does name: institutional and corporate campus maintenance, including Brown University and the growing life-sciences building stock, driving steady demand.
We recruit across the full org chart for commercial landscaping contractors in Providence against that documented context.
A Brown-backed incubator, and a state economic strategy.
Institutional demand, not a single one-off project.
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Rhode Island's first life-science startup incubator, a 30,000 sq ft Brown University-backed facility opened early 2026, signaling a growing pipeline of smaller lab build-outs requiring dedicated institutional-campus grounds work.
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State-earmarked funding for laboratory and cleanroom expansion over the next 18 months - a direct signal the life-sciences building boom is a deliberate state economic-development strategy.
What commercial landscaping roles pay in Providence.
In the Providence metro, BLS puts the median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers at $45,250 a year, 16% above the $39,150 national median. Among the 112 metros BLS publishes for this occupation, Providence ranks 17th on pay. Most of the market sits between $36,590 and $58,080. Of the other field roles, landscape designer / architect pays the most locally, at a $80,600 median. National benchmarks by role are in the 2026 Commercial Landscaping Salary Guide.
| Role | Providence median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Landscape / Grounds Crew MemberLandscaping and Groundskeeping Workers (37-3011) | $45,250 | $36,590–$58,080 | $39,150 | +16% | 5,530 |
| Grounds Crew SupervisorFirst-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers (37-1012) | $59,840 | $47,480–$79,840 | $58,430 | +2% | 910 |
| Tree Trimmer / ArboristTree Trimmers and Pruners (37-3013) | $61,040 | $45,740–$74,820 | $50,960 | +20% | 280 |
| Licensed Pesticide ApplicatorPesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation (37-3012) | $48,360 | $39,990–$75,420 | $46,340 | +4% | 120 |
| Landscape Designer / ArchitectLandscape Architects (17-1012) | $80,600 | $53,490–$112,320 | $79,870 | +1% | 90 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Providence 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 Providence commercial landscaping hiring actually plays out in 2026.
Why Brown University's involvement signals sustained, not one-off, demand
The hub names Brown University directly alongside the growing life-sciences building stock - Ocean State Labs being Brown-backed reinforces this is an institutional, ongoing commitment rather than a single project.
Why the state-level economic development framing matters for hiring
The hub calls the $68M cleanroom expansion a deliberate state economic-development strategy, not a one-off project - that framing signals sustained grounds demand rather than a temporary spike.
What this means for sourcing
We source against verified institutional/university-campus grounds 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 Providence commercial landscaping clients, these are the highest-volume roles we've recruited for in the last 24 months.
- Institutional/university-campus grounds crew lead
- Life-sciences campus landscape designer
- Landscape crew foreman
- Grounds maintenance manager
For the broader picture across every commercial trade in Providence, see the Providence 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 Providence, plainly.
Same approach we use in every market - but tuned for what works in Providence's commercial landscaping segment specifically:
- Same-day intake call. We get the role, the project context, the budget, your dealbreakers. For Providence landscaping work, we also confirm whether the role sits within Brown University/life-sciences campus scope or standard commercial grounds work.
- Candidate sourcing within 48 hours. We pull from our existing Providence commercial landscaping candidate network, filtered for verified institutional/university-campus credentials.
- Vetted short list (week one to several weeks). Three to five candidates. We verify real institutional-campus 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 Providence documented general context.
Providence runs 26% 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 Providence's commercial landscaping market compares
In 2023 the Providence metro had 1,153 landscaping companies (counted by business location), with about 5,636 people on their payrolls. Average pay at those firms was $53,210, 10.2% above the national average of $48,279 for the same kind of employer. Headcount grew 5.3% 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 69 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, Providence ranks 38th for headcount, 15th for median pay and 15th for concentration for landscaping and groundskeeping workers.
What this means for hiring:For commercial landscaping employers in Providence, 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, Providence metro. Employers are counted by business location.
How Providence's commercial landscaping market has changed since 2018.
The number of landscaping companies in Providence rose from 975 in 2018 to 1,153 in 2023, up 18%, ahead of the 13% national rise. Headcount at those firms went up 20%, to about 5,636 people. Average annual pay there went from $40,499 to $53,210 (+31%), in step with the 31% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaping companies: business locations | 975 | 1,153 | +18% |
| Landscaping companies: employment | 4,716 | 5,636 | +20% |
| Landscaping companies: average annual pay | $40,499 | $53,210 | +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 Providence.
What is driving commercial landscaping demand in Providence right now?
The Brown University-backed Ocean State Labs incubator and the state's $68M life-sciences lab/cleanroom expansion are the named drivers.
Why does the state treat life-sciences building as a deliberate strategy in Providence?
The metro's own data calls the $68M cleanroom expansion a deliberate state economic-development strategy, not a one-off project - a signal of sustained, ongoing institutional demand.
What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in Providence?
BLS puts the Providence median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers at $45,250 a year, 16% above the $39,150 national median. That ranks 17th of 112 metros with published figures, in the top quarter. Pay is bunched together here, $36,590 to $58,080 across the 10th to 90th percentile and only a 1.6x gap, so small differences in an offer are noticed.
Is it hard to hire landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Providence?
Not by national standards. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers make up 26% more of the Providence workforce than they do nationally, about 5,530 people. The 1,153 landscaping companies here average about 4.9 employees per location, mostly small shops, so candidates often know every employer in town by name. With 18% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial landscaping roles pay the most in Providence?
Of the roles we recruit for, Landscape Designer / Architect pays the most in Providence, a $80,600 median. Landscape / Grounds Crew Member is the lowest-paid field role at $45,250. Relative to national pay, Tree Trimmer / Arborist is the strongest-paying role here (20% above).
How many landscaping companies operate in Providence?
BLS counted 1,153 landscaping companies in Providence in 2023, employing about 5,636 people between them. Up from 975 in 2018, a 18% increase against 13% growth nationally. That averages 4.9 people per location, so most are small shops. They pay an average of $53,210, 10% above the $48,279 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Providence for landscaping and groundskeeping workers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Worcester (36 miles, about 2,170, $47,980 median), Boston (41 miles, about 15,120, $49,030 median) and Hartford (66 miles, about 4,060, $44,860 median). Boston has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Worcester pays 6% more, which is where Providence employers tend to lose people.
Hiring commercial landscaping talent in Providence?
Tell us the role. We'll tell you timeline and where we'd source the candidate - in under 30 minutes.