Updated October 15, 2026. Data: U.S. Labor Department, Bureau of Labor Statistics, quarterly count of jobs and wages from employer tax records, first quarter 2026 vs. first quarter 2025. Figures are preliminary. Second-quarter 2026 figures are due in December.
Landscaping businesses employed about 768,261 people in early 2026, down 0.9% from a year earlier, even though the number of businesses rose 1.9% to 124,018. More companies are sharing fewer workers, and average weekly pay rose 5.4%.
The national picture
Private landscaping businesses, first quarter of each year. Jobs are the average of January, February and March.
| Q1 2025 | Q1 2026 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jobs | 775,210 | 768,261 | -0.9% |
| Business locations | 121,751 | 124,018 | +1.9% |
| Jobs per location | 6.4 | 6.2 | -2.7% |
| Average weekly pay | $921 | $971 | +5.4% |
What the numbers show, and what they don’t
- Smaller crews. Jobs fell while locations grew, so the average crew shrank. New businesses tend to start small, and some existing companies may be running leaner.
- Pay is rising. Average weekly pay rose 5.4% to $971, faster than inflation, which fits a tight market for workers.
- Pennsylvania follows the same pattern. Jobs slipped 0.6% while locations rose 3.3% and pay rose 13.0%.
- Winter numbers. January to March is the off-season in most of the country. Summer employment is much higher.
- What’s included: landscaping, lawn care and tree care businesses with payroll. Solo operators with no employees aren’t counted.
For owners and would-be owners
- Coverage before the first job. Commercial clients and property managers usually ask for proof of insurance. See landscaping business insurance, or landscaping insurance in Pennsylvania.
- Set up the business. See how to set up an LLC.
- Buying mowers and trucks. See the main types of business loans.
Starting a landscaping business?
Compare business insurance quotes from Simply Business. Need to form your company first? Form your LLC with ZenBusiness.
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State numbers
Jobs grew in 19 of the 49 states shown in the chart. The chart leaves out states with fewer than 1,000 jobs a year earlier, because small numbers swing a lot; they’re still in the table.
Click a column to sort.
| State | Jobs, Q1 2026 | Jobs, Q1 2025 | Change | Locations, Q1 2026 | Locations change | Average weekly pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 9,346 | 9,361 | -0.2% | 1,699 | +3.5% | $921 |
| Alaska | 1,191 | 823 | +44.7% | 206 | +7.9% | $776 |
| Arizona | 18,512 | 18,513 | -0.0% | 1,665 | -2.5% | $933 |
| Arkansas | 4,692 | 4,619 | +1.6% | 931 | +4.1% | $854 |
| California | 102,704 | 104,424 | -1.6% | 10,297 | +5.2% | $1,041 |
| Colorado | 16,401 | 17,475 | -6.1% | 2,331 | +6.1% | $1,009 |
| Connecticut | 8,590 | 8,961 | -4.1% | 2,287 | -2.4% | $1,088 |
| Delaware | 3,376 | 3,416 | -1.2% | 526 | -2.2% | $967 |
| District of Columbia | 301 | 250 | +20.4% | 41 | +0.0% | $952 |
| Florida | 85,132 | 86,188 | -1.2% | 11,734 | +3.0% | $884 |
| Georgia | 23,991 | 24,196 | -0.8% | 3,605 | -1.1% | $1,065 |
| Hawaii | 4,542 | 4,558 | -0.4% | 606 | +3.4% | $927 |
| Idaho | 5,566 | 5,253 | +6.0% | 1,355 | -4.8% | $786 |
| Illinois | 19,767 | 20,870 | -5.3% | 5,277 | +4.4% | $1,007 |
| Indiana | 14,557 | 14,701 | -1.0% | 2,661 | +1.0% | $895 |
| Iowa | 5,785 | 5,613 | +3.1% | 1,225 | +0.3% | $758 |
| Kansas | 6,684 | 6,739 | -0.8% | 973 | +4.3% | $905 |
| Kentucky | 7,832 | 7,477 | +4.7% | 1,431 | -1.2% | $883 |
| Louisiana | 6,085 | 6,132 | -0.8% | 1,185 | +2.5% | $851 |
| Maine | 4,450 | 4,472 | -0.5% | 1,037 | -2.2% | $1,000 |
| Maryland | 16,497 | 17,799 | -7.3% | 1,952 | -1.9% | $1,022 |
| Massachusetts | 15,439 | 15,577 | -0.9% | 4,232 | +1.9% | $1,304 |
| Michigan | 22,278 | 21,472 | +3.8% | 3,938 | +3.1% | $955 |
| Minnesota | 11,030 | 10,299 | +7.1% | 2,314 | +1.6% | $1,017 |
| Mississippi | 3,945 | 3,792 | +4.0% | 795 | +6.3% | $877 |
| Missouri | 13,345 | 12,786 | +4.4% | 2,279 | +4.3% | $887 |
| Montana | 2,906 | 2,963 | -1.9% | 790 | +6.0% | $746 |
| Nebraska | 4,702 | 4,705 | -0.1% | 926 | +5.0% | $851 |
| Nevada | 10,438 | 10,712 | -2.6% | 838 | +2.8% | $891 |
| New Hampshire | 5,360 | 5,046 | +6.2% | 1,115 | +2.0% | $1,033 |
| New Jersey | 19,329 | 20,507 | -5.7% | 4,583 | +3.0% | $980 |
| New Mexico | 3,132 | 3,083 | +1.6% | 399 | +1.5% | $807 |
| New York | 26,075 | 27,777 | -6.1% | 7,561 | -4.0% | $1,063 |
| North Carolina | 31,070 | 31,484 | -1.3% | 4,824 | +6.3% | $894 |
| North Dakota | 1,390 | 1,155 | +20.3% | 322 | +4.9% | $739 |
| Ohio | 24,828 | 24,415 | +1.7% | 4,426 | -1.2% | $1,010 |
| Oklahoma | 6,575 | 6,423 | +2.4% | 1,108 | -1.2% | $869 |
| Oregon | 11,438 | 11,735 | -2.5% | 2,008 | -2.6% | $964 |
| Pennsylvania | 25,831 | 25,985 | -0.6% | 5,273 | +3.3% | $1,081 |
| Rhode Island | 2,476 | 2,667 | -7.2% | 847 | +0.7% | $1,158 |
| South Carolina | 12,661 | 12,557 | +0.8% | 1,852 | -2.0% | $932 |
| South Dakota | 1,465 | 1,428 | +2.6% | 378 | +2.7% | $764 |
| Tennessee | 15,315 | 15,097 | +1.4% | 2,246 | +9.4% | $980 |
| Texas | 61,225 | 61,532 | -0.5% | 5,892 | +1.6% | $997 |
| Utah | 9,039 | 9,278 | -2.6% | 1,673 | +2.7% | $849 |
| Vermont | 1,850 | 1,763 | +4.9% | 570 | +3.4% | $950 |
| Virginia | 22,658 | 23,329 | -2.9% | 2,980 | +1.6% | $978 |
| Washington | 17,950 | 17,300 | +3.8% | 3,299 | -1.9% | $930 |
| West Virginia | 3,283 | 3,782 | -13.2% | 528 | +1.3% | $912 |
| Wisconsin | 13,907 | 13,376 | +4.0% | 2,664 | +4.6% | $831 |
| Wyoming | 1,317 | 1,345 | -2.1% | 334 | +4.7% | $828 |
How we counted
- Source: U.S. Labor Department, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, industry 56173 (landscaping services), privately owned businesses, first quarter of 2026 and 2025.
- Jobs are the average of the three monthly counts and include full- and part-time workers on payroll. Owners with no payroll and self-employed people aren’t counted.
- Locations are individual work sites, not companies. A company with ten sites counts ten times.
- Weekly pay is total pay divided by jobs, so part-time work pulls it down.
- Preliminary: first-quarter 2026 figures can be revised.
Sources
Cite this data
Reporters and bloggers may use these numbers and charts. Please credit StartBusinessByState and link to this page.
Source: StartBusinessByState, “Landscaping Jobs Fell 0.9% While the Number of Businesses Grew 1.9%,” https://startbusinessbystate.com/landscaping-jobs/ (updated October 15, 2026).
FAQ
Are landscaping jobs growing?
Not right now. Private landscaping jobs were 0.9% lower in the first quarter of 2026 than a year earlier, about 768,261, according to the U.S. Labor Department.
Is the number of landscaping businesses growing?
Yes. Locations rose 1.9% to 124,018.
How much do landscaping workers earn?
Average weekly pay was $971 in early 2026, up 5.4% from a year earlier.
Where did landscaping jobs fall most?
Among states with at least 1,000 jobs a year earlier: West Virginia (-13.2%), Maryland (-7.3%) and Rhode Island (-7.2%).
Where is this data from?
The U.S. Labor Department’s quarterly count of jobs from employer unemployment-insurance tax records, which covers nearly all payroll jobs.
Last updated October 15, 2026 by StartBusinessByState.