Commercial landscaping recruiters serving Sacramento.
California's Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance turned commercial landscape work into a compliance discipline - and UC Davis Health's institutional campus is the largest health system capital expansion in the US.
A compliance discipline, and a rare-scale expansion.
Metro pay for every role we recruit is in the table below. What the hub does name: MWELO compliance turning landscape work into a documentation discipline, with irrigation designers who can deliver on institutional campuses - UC Davis, the state facilities inventory, and the health system - as the scarce profile.
We recruit across the full org chart for commercial landscaping contractors in Sacramento against that documented context.
The largest health system capital expansion in the US.
A hospital campus doubling in size, in under eight years.
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Described by the hub as the largest health system capital expansion in the United States - doubling a hospital campus in under eight years requires sustained institutional-campus grounds work at a scale rare for a market this size.
What commercial landscaping roles pay in Sacramento.
In the Sacramento metro, BLS puts the median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers at $45,110 a year, 15% above the $39,150 national median. Among the 112 metros BLS publishes for this occupation, Sacramento ranks 19th on pay. Most of the market sits between $37,370 and $63,180. Of the other field roles, landscape designer / architect pays the most locally, at a $106,030 median. National benchmarks by role are in the 2026 Commercial Landscaping Salary Guide.
| Role | Sacramento median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Landscape / Grounds Crew MemberLandscaping and Groundskeeping Workers (37-3011) | $45,110 | $37,370–$63,180 | $39,150 | +15% | 7,410 |
| Grounds Crew SupervisorFirst-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers (37-1012) | $73,670 | $44,340–$99,230 | $58,430 | +26% | 1,150 |
| Tree Trimmer / ArboristTree Trimmers and Pruners (37-3013) | $60,260 | $43,150–$85,710 | $50,960 | +18% | 1,270 |
| Licensed Pesticide ApplicatorPesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation (37-3012) | $47,880 | $38,340–$62,320 | $46,340 | +3% | 100 |
| Landscape Designer / ArchitectLandscape Architects (17-1012) | $106,030 | $59,480–$163,890 | $79,870 | +33% | 150 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Sacramento 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 Sacramento commercial landscaping hiring actually plays out in 2026.
Why MWELO compliance is a documentation discipline, not just a design skill
The hub names California's Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance directly - irrigation designers who can document MWELO compliance are the scarce profile, not just anyone who knows drought-tolerant plants.
Why UC Davis Health Vision 2030 is a genuinely rare-scale driver
The hub calls this the largest health system capital expansion in the United States - doubling a hospital campus's square footage in under eight years creates sustained, predictable institutional-campus grounds demand.
What this means for sourcing
We source against verified MWELO-documentation and institutional-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 Sacramento commercial landscaping clients, these are the highest-volume roles we've recruited for in the last 24 months.
- Irrigation designer (MWELO compliance)
- Institutional-campus grounds crew lead
- Landscape crew foreman
- Grounds maintenance manager
For the broader picture across every commercial trade in Sacramento, see the Sacramento 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 Sacramento, plainly.
Same approach we use in every market - but tuned for what works in Sacramento's commercial landscaping segment specifically:
- Same-day intake call. We get the role, the project context, the budget, your dealbreakers. For Sacramento landscaping work, we also confirm whether the role requires MWELO documentation experience or UC Davis Health campus scope.
- Candidate sourcing within 48 hours. We pull from our existing Sacramento commercial landscaping candidate network, filtered for verified MWELO-compliance and institutional-campus credentials.
- Vetted short list (week one to several weeks). Three to five candidates. We verify real documentation history and drought-tolerant conversion project 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 Sacramento documented general context.
Sacramento runs 12% more commercial landscaping workers per job than the country as a whole — 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 Sacramento's commercial landscaping market compares
In 2023 the Sacramento metro had 766 landscaping companies (counted by business location), with about 8,283 people on their payrolls. Average pay at those firms was $56,694, 17.4% above the national average of $48,279 for the same kind of employer. Headcount fell 0.4% over the year even as it grew 2.2% nationally, which usually means people leaving the trade or moving to other markets rather than a lack of work. That works out to 31 per 100,000 residents, close to the 37 national rate.
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Sacramento ranks 25th for headcount, 17th for median pay and 30th for concentration for landscaping and groundskeeping workers.
| 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 Sacramento, the pool is deep but local employers have been cutting headcount. Experienced people are here, and some will be open to a move, so a clear offer and a defined path up usually beat a higher posted rate.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Sacramento metro. Employers are counted by business location.
How Sacramento's commercial landscaping market has changed since 2018.
The number of landscaping companies in Sacramento rose from 683 in 2018 to 766 in 2023, up 12%, close to the 13% national change. Headcount at those firms went up 24%, to about 8,283 people. Average annual pay there went from $40,696 to $56,694 (+39%), faster than the 31% national increase, a sign employers here have had to bid up.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaping companies: business locations | 683 | 766 | +12% |
| Landscaping companies: employment | 6,673 | 8,283 | +24% |
| Landscaping companies: average annual pay | $40,696 | $56,694 | +39% |
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 Sacramento.
What is MWELO and why does it matter in Sacramento?
California's Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance is named by the hub as having turned commercial landscape work into a compliance discipline - irrigation designers who can document MWELO compliance are the scarce profile.
What is driving commercial landscaping demand in Sacramento right now?
UC Davis Health's Vision 2030 campus program - described as the largest health system capital expansion in the United States - is the named driver.
What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in Sacramento?
BLS puts the Sacramento median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers at $45,110 a year, 15% above the $39,150 national median. That ranks 19th of 112 metros with published figures, in the top quarter. Most of the market sits between $37,370 and $63,180, a 1.7x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. Within California, San Jose pays more, at $48,330.
Is it hard to hire landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Sacramento?
It is about average. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers are as common in Sacramento as they are nationally (location quotient 1.12), with about 7,410 in the metro. The 766 landscaping companies here average about 11 employees per location. With 12% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial landscaping roles pay the most in Sacramento?
Of the roles we recruit for, Landscape Designer / Architect pays the most in Sacramento, a $106,030 median. Landscape / Grounds Crew Member is the lowest-paid field role at $45,110. Relative to national pay, Landscape Designer / Architect is the strongest-paying role here (33% above).
How many landscaping companies operate in Sacramento?
BLS counted 766 landscaping companies in Sacramento in 2023, employing about 8,283 people between them. Up from 683 in 2018, a 12% increase against 13% growth nationally. That averages 11 people per location. They pay an average of $56,694, 17% above the $48,279 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Sacramento for landscaping and groundskeeping workers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Stockton (44 miles, about 1,390, $44,280 median), Modesto (71 miles, about 1,080, $45,740 median) and San Francisco (75 miles, about 12,270, $48,040 median). San Francisco has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. San Francisco pays 6% more, which is where Sacramento employers tend to lose people.
Hiring commercial landscaping talent in Sacramento?
Tell us the role. We'll tell you timeline and where we'd source the candidate - in under 30 minutes.