Commercial landscaping recruiters serving San Antonio.
Corporate, military, and campus development keep high-end landscape and irrigation specialists in demand - water-efficient irrigation design is a genuine differentiator in this drought-prone market.
Federal grounds work, and a hyperscale tech corridor.
Metro pay for every role we recruit is in the table below. What the hub does name: corporate, military, and campus development keeping designers and irrigation specialists in demand, with water-efficient irrigation design as a genuine differentiator given this drought-prone market.
We recruit across the full org chart for commercial landscaping contractors in San Antonio against that documented context.
The largest DoD medical footprint in the US, and a hyperscale buildout.
Federal military grounds work, plus a rolling multi-billion-dollar tech campus.
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Federal medical and base construction requiring cleared, licensed crews for grounds work alongside the broader military construction demand.
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Hyperscale build-out described by the hub as the single biggest force in the market, rolling through 2028+, requiring corporate campus grounds work as it expands.
What commercial landscaping roles pay in San Antonio.
In the San Antonio metro, BLS puts the median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers at $35,630 a year, 9% below the $39,150 national median. Among the 112 metros BLS publishes for this occupation, San Antonio ranks 106th on pay. Most of the market sits between $28,650 and $48,120. Of the other field roles, landscape designer / architect pays the most locally, at a $78,880 median. BLS does not publish San Antonio pay for licensed pesticide applicator, 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 | San Antonio median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Landscape / Grounds Crew MemberLandscaping and Groundskeeping Workers (37-3011) | $35,630 | $28,650–$48,120 | $39,150 | −9% | 3,760 |
| Grounds Crew SupervisorFirst-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers (37-1012) | $45,520 | $36,410–$72,160 | $58,430 | −22% | 690 |
| Tree Trimmer / ArboristTree Trimmers and Pruners (37-3013) | $36,490 | $29,120–$52,470 | $50,960 | −28% | 220 |
| Licensed Pesticide ApplicatorPesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation (37-3012) | – | – | $46,340 | – | – |
| Landscape Designer / ArchitectLandscape Architects (17-1012) | $78,880 | $23,960–$124,810 | $79,870 | −1% | 70 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, San Antonio 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 San Antonio commercial landscaping hiring actually plays out in 2026.
Why water-efficient irrigation design is a genuine differentiator here
The hub names water-efficient irrigation design specifically for this drought-prone market - a designer without local drought-management experience will get the irrigation plan wrong.
Why federal military-base grounds work requires cleared crews
Joint Base San Antonio's grounds work sits alongside the largest DoD medical and military construction footprint in the US, requiring cleared, licensed crews beyond standard commercial landscaping credentials.
What this means for sourcing
We source against verified drought-management design and federal-facility clearance 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 San Antonio commercial landscaping clients, these are the highest-volume roles we've recruited for in the last 24 months.
- Commercial landscape designer (water-efficient irrigation)
- Federal/military-facility grounds specialist
- Landscape crew foreman
- Grounds maintenance manager
For the broader picture across every commercial trade in San Antonio, see the San Antonio 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 San Antonio, plainly.
Same approach we use in every market - but tuned for what works in San Antonio's commercial landscaping segment specifically:
- Same-day intake call. We get the role, the project context, the budget, your dealbreakers. For San Antonio landscaping work, we also confirm whether the role sits within Joint Base San Antonio or Microsoft campus scope, or standard commercial grounds work.
- Candidate sourcing within 48 hours. We pull from our existing San Antonio commercial landscaping candidate network, filtered for verified water-efficient irrigation and federal-facility credentials.
- Vetted short list (week one to several weeks). Three to five candidates. We verify real design portfolios and drought-management 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 San Antonio documented general context.
San Antonio runs 45% 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 San Antonio's commercial landscaping market compares
In 2023 the San Antonio metro had 467 landscaping companies (counted by business location), with about 3,574 people on their payrolls. Average pay at those firms was $45,966, 4.8% below the national average of $48,279 for the same kind of employer. Headcount grew 3.9% 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 17 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, San Antonio ranks 50th for headcount, 95th for median pay and 98th 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 19,750 | $37,680 | 0.80 | 1,629 |
| Houston | 14,840 | $36,280 | 0.74 | 1,026 |
| Austin | 7,600 | $38,370 | 0.96 | 610 |
| San Antonio | 3,760 | $35,630 | 0.55 | 467 |
| El Paso | 1,200 | $30,640 | 0.58 | 88 |
| McAllen | 680 | $29,060 | 0.37 | 33 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial landscaping employers in San Antonio, 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, San Antonio metro. Employers are counted by business location.
How San Antonio's commercial landscaping market has changed since 2018.
The number of landscaping companies in San Antonio rose from 392 in 2018 to 467 in 2023, up 19%, ahead of the 13% national rise.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaping companies: business locations | 392 | 467 | +19% |
| Landscaping companies: employment | – | 3,574 | – |
| Landscaping companies: average annual pay | – | $45,966 | – |
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 San Antonio.
What is driving commercial landscaping demand in San Antonio right now?
Brooke Army Medical Center/Joint Base San Antonio's federal construction footprint and Microsoft's multi-billion, multi-phase data center campuses are the named drivers.
Why does water-efficient irrigation matter in San Antonio?
The metro's own data names water-efficient irrigation design as a genuine differentiator, given this is a drought-prone market.
What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in San Antonio?
BLS puts the San Antonio median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers at $35,630 a year, 9% below the $39,150 national median. That ranks 106th of 112 metros with published figures, in the bottom quarter. Most of the market sits between $28,650 and $48,120, a 1.7x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. Within Texas, Austin pays more, at $38,370.
Is it hard to hire landscaping and groundskeeping workers in San Antonio?
Yes. San Antonio has 45% fewer landscaping and groundskeeping workers per job than the country as a whole, roughly 3,760 in the metro, so most of the people worth hiring are already employed. The 467 landscaping companies here average about 7.7 employees per location, mostly small shops, so candidates often know every employer in town by name. With 19% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial landscaping roles pay the most in San Antonio?
Of the roles we recruit for, Landscape Designer / Architect pays the most in San Antonio, a $78,880 median. Landscape / Grounds Crew Member is the lowest-paid field role at $35,630. Tree Trimmer / Arborist trails national pay the most (28% below).
How many landscaping companies operate in San Antonio?
BLS counted 467 landscaping companies in San Antonio in 2023, employing about 3,574 people between them. Up from 392 in 2018, a 19% increase against 13% growth nationally. That averages 7.7 people per location, so most are small shops. They pay an average of $45,966, 5% below the $48,279 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with San Antonio for landscaping and groundskeeping workers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Austin (74 miles, about 7,600, $38,370 median), Houston (190 miles, about 14,840, $36,280 median) and McAllen (223 miles, about 680, $29,060 median). Austin has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Austin pays 8% more, which is where San Antonio employers tend to lose people.
We have not closed a commercial landscaping search in San Antonio 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 San Antonio than imply a record in this trade that we do not have yet.
- Estimator / Project ManagerShe grew her own asphalt repair business from $600K to $2.5 million before taking this seat.
- Estimator / Project ManagerAn 80% win rate on bids from $100,000 to $2 million, brought onto the same bid desk.
Hiring commercial landscaping talent in San Antonio?
Tell us the role. We'll tell you timeline and where we'd source the candidate - in under 30 minutes.