Landscaper Pay by State: Landscaping and Construction Wages (BLS 2025)
What landscaping and construction crews earn changes a lot from state to state, and it’s one big reason a patio or retaining wall costs more in one place than another. Here’s the official data for every state and D.C. from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates: hourly pay for landscaping workers and supervisors, construction laborers, construction equipment operators, concrete finishers and brick and block masons.
Quick answer
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn a mean of $20.33 an hour nationally (median $18.82), per the BLS May 2025 estimates. By state, the mean runs from $16.12 in Mississippi to $24.30 in Massachusetts, and $24.62 in the District of Columbia. Pennsylvania’s mean is $19.95. Construction laborers average $25.02 nationally and construction equipment operators $31.87. These are wages paid to employees, not what a contractor charges per hour.
What these numbers are
- Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, cross-industry (all industries the survey covers), for each state and D.C.
- Mean vs. median: the mean is the average; the median is the middle worker. Usually a few high earners pull the mean above the median; in a handful of states the median is higher.
- Employees only. OEWS covers wage and salary workers in nonfarm establishments. Self-employed owners aren’t counted.
- Straight-time pay. BLS counts base pay and some other cash pay, but not overtime pay or the employer’s cost of benefits like health insurance and retirement.
- Statewide averages. Pay in a big metro area can run well above the state figure, and rural areas below it.
Why a contractor's hourly rate is higher than crew pay
A crew member’s wage is only part of what an hour of work costs the company. On top of it come the employer’s share of payroll taxes, workers’ comp insurance (required from the first employee in most states and at 3 to 5 employees in some, while Texas lets most private employers opt out; see our workers’ comp guide), liability insurance, trucks and equipment, fuel, time spent driving and loading, estimating and office work, and profit. That’s why a quote’s labor line can be well above the wages on this page.
Builder’s note: In Pennsylvania, BLS puts the mean for landscaping workers at $19.95 an hour and construction laborers at $26.12. When we price a wall or patio in central PA, the crew’s wages are one line among many: equipment, base stone, block, disposal and insurance all land on the same quote. If one bid is far below the others, ask what it leaves out.
Pay by state
| State | Landscaping workers (mean) | Landscaping workers (median) | Landscaping supervisors | Construction laborers | Construction equipment operators | Concrete finishers | Brick and block masons |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $17.36 | $17.13 | $27.40 | $18.23 | $24.36 | $21.92 | $24.34 |
| Alaska | $22.73 | $22.93 | $33.91 | $28.50 | $39.75 | $48.08 | — |
| Arizona | $19.98 | $18.71 | $27.76 | $23.03 | $29.58 | $28.62 | $29.25 |
| Arkansas | $17.34 | $17.20 | $25.94 | $18.87 | $22.06 | $21.97 | $25.34 |
| California | $22.80 | $21.90 | $32.83 | $31.19 | $45.19 | $34.09 | $35.15 |
| Colorado | $22.52 | $22.00 | $30.97 | $23.96 | $31.04 | $29.01 | $30.70 |
| Connecticut | $22.15 | $21.99 | $33.46 | $28.49 | $40.09 | $29.37 | $34.42 |
| Delaware | $19.08 | $17.96 | $34.08 | $23.09 | $29.18 | $29.18 | $33.63 |
| District of Columbia | $24.62 | $23.46 | $36.11 | $25.11 | $36.77 | $30.90 | $36.26 |
| Florida | $18.80 | $17.84 | $27.34 | $21.42 | $25.28 | $25.26 | $26.43 |
| Georgia | $18.51 | $18.25 | $27.13 | $19.96 | $23.88 | $23.67 | $26.07 |
| Hawaii | $21.60 | $22.08 | $30.57 | $34.39 | $49.05 | $41.09 | $36.89 |
| Idaho | $20.58 | $20.00 | $28.70 | $23.38 | $30.73 | $26.87 | $30.89 |
| Illinois | $21.54 | $21.05 | $28.64 | $32.51 | $43.51 | $37.40 | $40.79 |
| Indiana | $19.24 | $18.30 | $30.07 | $25.99 | $36.20 | $29.02 | $32.90 |
| Iowa | $19.84 | $18.71 | $28.47 | $24.80 | $30.66 | $27.80 | $31.68 |
| Kansas | $19.49 | $18.91 | $29.63 | $21.91 | $27.67 | $27.32 | $29.69 |
| Kentucky | $18.34 | $17.63 | $27.59 | $22.04 | $28.52 | $25.22 | $27.95 |
| Louisiana | $16.42 | $16.76 | $23.74 | $20.31 | $26.63 | $25.41 | $26.44 |
| Maine | $21.70 | $22.10 | $30.22 | $22.98 | $27.99 | $27.52 | $24.52 |
| Maryland | $20.86 | $18.93 | $27.44 | $23.24 | $29.64 | $26.13 | $27.22 |
| Massachusetts | $24.30 | $23.40 | $33.54 | $34.05 | $40.74 | $34.96 | $48.01 |
| Michigan | $19.49 | $18.33 | $28.73 | $25.54 | $32.17 | $28.21 | $32.63 |
| Minnesota | $22.21 | $22.41 | $32.24 | $31.12 | $38.01 | $34.00 | $43.91 |
| Mississippi | $16.12 | $15.21 | $25.85 | $19.38 | $24.04 | $20.90 | $23.23 |
| Missouri | $19.56 | $18.52 | $26.14 | $29.26 | $32.67 | $30.84 | $32.69 |
| Montana | $21.90 | $21.80 | $30.17 | $24.80 | $30.46 | $29.88 | $26.71 |
| Nebraska | $20.36 | $18.82 | $29.08 | $23.25 | $28.00 | $25.17 | $28.62 |
| Nevada | $20.92 | $18.66 | $28.15 | $25.98 | $36.56 | $30.84 | $28.63 |
| New Hampshire | $21.98 | $21.58 | $33.26 | $24.87 | $32.34 | $28.16 | $31.84 |
| New Jersey | $20.82 | $19.88 | $33.97 | $33.84 | $44.84 | $33.00 | $40.13 |
| New Mexico | $19.07 | $18.06 | $30.01 | $19.93 | $26.35 | $25.41 | $22.81 |
| New York | $21.93 | $21.56 | $34.03 | $29.89 | $43.60 | $34.92 | $43.72 |
| North Carolina | $19.04 | $18.22 | $27.75 | $21.76 | $25.15 | $22.70 | $24.32 |
| North Dakota | $21.04 | $19.61 | $31.38 | $25.55 | $33.00 | $27.31 | $34.46 |
| Ohio | $19.18 | $18.38 | $27.93 | $28.03 | $34.54 | $30.67 | $33.36 |
| Oklahoma | $17.43 | $17.20 | $25.88 | $20.82 | $24.09 | $22.13 | $26.04 |
| Oregon | $22.04 | $21.65 | $34.15 | $26.79 | $38.11 | $33.78 | $39.48 |
| Pennsylvania | $19.95 | $18.99 | $27.23 | $26.12 | $31.69 | $29.82 | $35.60 |
| Rhode Island | $21.82 | $21.51 | $30.31 | $29.70 | $34.84 | $31.74 | $39.41 |
| South Carolina | $18.04 | $17.65 | $28.68 | $21.86 | $24.83 | $26.03 | $25.58 |
| South Dakota | $17.60 | $17.01 | $28.73 | $21.30 | $28.53 | $23.46 | $29.34 |
| Tennessee | $18.56 | $17.80 | $28.19 | $22.10 | $26.47 | $23.41 | $30.42 |
| Texas | $18.27 | $17.66 | $24.68 | $20.63 | $25.84 | $23.69 | $26.03 |
| Utah | $20.58 | $19.59 | $29.33 | $23.27 | $29.25 | $26.67 | $28.72 |
| Vermont | $22.76 | $22.23 | $33.65 | $24.52 | $29.00 | $30.08 | $29.67 |
| Virginia | $19.60 | $18.46 | $29.00 | $21.00 | $28.08 | $25.43 | $26.34 |
| Washington | $23.62 | $22.57 | $35.06 | $29.48 | $42.45 | $39.37 | $41.07 |
| West Virginia | $16.29 | $15.50 | $27.26 | $21.90 | $26.19 | $24.33 | $23.85 |
| Wisconsin | $20.55 | $19.82 | $31.41 | $27.87 | $37.39 | $33.09 | $37.57 |
| Wyoming | $18.82 | $18.42 | $30.30 | $21.84 | $32.22 | $28.62 | $30.55 |
| United States | $20.33 | $18.82 | $29.31 | $25.02 | $31.87 | $28.87 | $32.83 |
Highest and lowest paying states for landscaping workers
| Highest | Mean hourly | Lowest | Mean hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $24.62 | Mississippi | $16.12 |
| Massachusetts | $24.30 | West Virginia | $16.29 |
| Washington | $23.62 | Louisiana | $16.42 |
| California | $22.80 | Arkansas | $17.34 |
| Vermont | $22.76 | Alabama | $17.36 |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do landscapers make an hour?
Nationally, landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn a mean of $20.33 an hour and a median of $18.82 (BLS, May 2025). Landscaping supervisors average $29.31. Self-employed owners aren’t in these figures.
Which state pays landscapers the most?
Among the states, Massachusetts has the highest mean for landscaping workers at $24.30 an hour, then Washington and California. The District of Columbia is higher still at $24.62. Mississippi is lowest at $16.12.
How much do landscapers make in Pennsylvania?
BLS puts Pennsylvania’s mean at $19.95 an hour for landscaping workers (median $18.99), $27.23 for landscaping supervisors and $26.12 for construction laborers.
Why does a contractor charge more per hour than they pay their crew?
The hourly rate also has to cover payroll taxes, workers’ comp and liability insurance, trucks and equipment, fuel, travel and setup time, office work and profit. Wages are only one part of it.
Do these numbers include overtime and benefits?
No. BLS counts straight-time pay. Overtime pay and the employer’s cost of benefits like health insurance aren’t included.
More state guides: Frost line depth · 811 dig laws · Retaining wall permits · Contractor licensing · Contractor deposit limits · Building codes · Planting zones · Mechanics lien deadlines · Workers’ comp · Frost dates · Drainage laws · Noxious weed laws · Rainfall and snowfall · Pesticide applicator licensing · Landscaping sales tax · All state guides · Free calculators
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (bls.gov/oes; state data from the OEWS query system). Last checked November 2, 2026. Spot something out of date? Email info@muthlerlandscaping.com and we’ll fix it.
Groundwork Design Co. · designed by builders
Get the yard drawn before anyone bids it
Groundwork Design Co. draws your yard to scale, with the layout, sizes and materials, so every contractor prices the same job. Single-space plans start at $349.
See design plansSee sample plans
In central PA? We build patios, walls and drainage in Lock Haven, Williamsport and State College. Talk to our crew.
Using this guide? Link to it or cite it. It’s free to use with a link back, and we keep it updated against official sources.
Cite as: Muthler Landscaping & Construction, “Landscaper Pay by State: Landscaping and Construction Wages (BLS 2025),” https://muthlerlandscaping.com/state-guides/landscaping-pay/ (last checked November 9, 2026).
Get an email when your state’s rules change
We re-check every entry against official sources. Tell us your state and we’ll email you when something changes.