Commercial landscaping recruiters serving Rochester.
Corporate and institutional campus maintenance for the growing optics/photonics cluster, plus the University of Rochester's expanding research footprint.
A university anchoring an optics talent pipeline.
Metro pay for every role we recruit is in the table below. What the hub does name: corporate and institutional campus maintenance for the growing optics/photonics cluster, plus the University of Rochester's expanding research footprint.
We recruit across the full org chart for commercial landscaping contractors in Rochester against that documented context.
A $200M research complex, anchoring the region's talent pipeline.
University-campus grounds work, tied directly to the optics cluster.
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A major research facility anchoring the region's optics/photonics talent pipeline, groundbreaking 2026, requiring dedicated university-campus grounds work.
What commercial landscaping roles pay in Rochester.
In the Rochester metro, BLS puts the median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers at $39,680 a year, in line with the $39,150 national median. Among the 112 metros BLS publishes for this occupation, Rochester ranks 41st on pay. Most of the market sits between $34,720 and $53,040. Of the other field roles, landscape designer / architect pays the most locally, at a $77,610 median. BLS does not publish Rochester 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 | Rochester median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Landscape / Grounds Crew MemberLandscaping and Groundskeeping Workers (37-3011) | $39,680 | $34,720–$53,040 | $39,150 | +1% | 3,060 |
| Grounds Crew SupervisorFirst-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers (37-1012) | $56,740 | $51,990–$83,570 | $58,430 | −3% | 480 |
| 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) | $77,610 | $56,430–$123,820 | $79,870 | −3% | 60 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Rochester 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 Rochester commercial landscaping hiring actually plays out in 2026.
Why the University of Rochester's investment is a genuine talent-pipeline anchor
The hub names this $200M research complex as anchoring the region's optics/photonics talent pipeline - a real institutional commitment, not a one-off facility.
Why the optics/photonics cluster adds concurrent corporate campus demand
QED Technologies, Sydor Optics, AIM Photonics, and L3Harris are all expanding concurrently in the same cluster - grounds crews serving this market face overlapping corporate-campus demand beyond the university project alone.
What this means for sourcing
We source against verified university/institutional-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 Rochester commercial landscaping clients, these are the highest-volume roles we've recruited for in the last 24 months.
- University-campus grounds crew lead
- Corporate/institutional grounds maintenance crew lead
- Landscape crew foreman
- Grounds maintenance manager
For the broader picture across every commercial trade in Rochester, see the Rochester 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 Rochester, plainly.
Same approach we use in every market - but tuned for what works in Rochester's commercial landscaping segment specifically:
- Same-day intake call. We get the role, the project context, the budget, your dealbreakers. For Rochester landscaping work, we also confirm whether the role sits within University of Rochester scope or standard corporate campus work.
- Candidate sourcing within 48 hours. We pull from our existing Rochester commercial landscaping candidate network, filtered for verified university/institutional-campus credentials.
- 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 Rochester documented general context.
Rochester sits at about the national rate for commercial landscaping — neither unusually deep nor unusually thin.
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 Rochester's commercial landscaping market compares
In 2023 the Rochester metro had 473 landscaping companies (counted by business location), with about 2,974 people on their payrolls. Average pay at those firms was $51,699, 7.1% above the national average of $48,279 for the same kind of employer. Headcount grew 0.6% over the year, a little behind the 2.2% national increase. The number of these employers rose 3.1%, more firms competing for the same crews. 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, Rochester ranks 54th for headcount, 37th for median pay and 43rd for concentration for landscaping and groundskeeping workers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 50,410 | $45,530 | 0.87 | 8,422 |
| Rochester | 3,060 | $39,680 | 1.01 | 473 |
| Buffalo | 2,870 | $41,770 | 0.88 | 587 |
| Albany | 2,400 | $41,290 | 0.87 | 380 |
| Syracuse | 1,670 | $40,010 | 0.91 | 289 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial landscaping employers in Rochester, the pool is about the national norm for its size and local employers are adding people, so expect competing offers on experienced candidates and keep the process short.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Rochester metro. Employers are counted by business location.
How Rochester's commercial landscaping market has changed since 2018.
The number of landscaping companies in Rochester rose from 455 in 2018 to 473 in 2023, up 4%, behind the 13% growth nationally. Headcount at those firms went up 11%, to about 2,974 people. Average annual pay there went from $41,180 to $51,699 (+26%), slower than the 31% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaping companies: business locations | 455 | 473 | +4% |
| Landscaping companies: employment | 2,677 | 2,974 | +11% |
| Landscaping companies: average annual pay | $41,180 | $51,699 | +26% |
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 Rochester.
What is driving commercial landscaping demand in Rochester right now?
The University of Rochester's $200M Institute of Optics research complex is the named driver, alongside the broader optics/photonics manufacturing cluster's concurrent corporate expansions.
Why is the Institute of Optics significant for this market?
The metro's own data names this $200M research facility as anchoring the region's optics/photonics talent pipeline - a genuine institutional commitment, not a one-off project.
What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in Rochester?
BLS puts the Rochester median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers at $39,680 a year, about the same as the $39,150 national median. That ranks 41st of 112 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Pay is bunched together here, $34,720 to $53,040 across the 10th to 90th percentile and only a 1.5x gap, so small differences in an offer are noticed. Within New York, New York pays more, at $45,530.
Is it hard to hire landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Rochester?
It is about average. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers are as common in Rochester as they are nationally (location quotient 1.01), with about 3,060 in the metro. The 473 landscaping companies here average about 6.3 employees per location, mostly small shops, so candidates often know every employer in town by name.
Which commercial landscaping roles pay the most in Rochester?
Of the roles we recruit for, Landscape Designer / Architect pays the most in Rochester, a $77,610 median. Landscape / Grounds Crew Member is the lowest-paid field role at $39,680.
How many landscaping companies operate in Rochester?
BLS counted 473 landscaping companies in Rochester in 2023, employing about 2,974 people between them. Up from 455 in 2018, a 4% increase against 13% growth nationally. That averages 6.3 people per location, so most are small shops. They pay an average of $51,699, 7% above the $48,279 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Rochester for landscaping and groundskeeping workers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Buffalo (66 miles, about 2,870, $41,770 median), Syracuse (74 miles, about 1,670, $40,010 median) and Scranton (157 miles, about 1,330, $37,330 median). Buffalo pays 5% more, which is where Rochester employers tend to lose people.
Hiring commercial landscaping talent in Rochester?
Tell us the role. We'll tell you timeline and where we'd source the candidate - in under 30 minutes.