Grounds ToolkitLabor and Crews
Is My Crew Wage Competitive?
Enter your wage. This compares it to the national BLS benchmark for landscaping and groundskeeping workers, with room to substitute a regional figure if you have one.
How this is calculated
Difference is your wage minus the benchmark, percent difference divides that by the benchmark. The default benchmark is the BLS OEWS national mean hourly wage for landscaping and groundskeeping workers ($20.33), see Methodology for how sourced figures are chosen across the toolkit.
Worked example
A $22.00 wage against the $20.33 national benchmark is $1.67 above, about 8.2% higher than the national mean.
Frequently asked questions
Where does the benchmark wage come from?
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, the national mean hourly wage for landscaping and groundskeeping workers, freely published and updated periodically.
Does this account for my specific state or region?
Not by default. Wages vary meaningfully by region, the national figure is a reference point, not a local one. If you know your state or metro area's benchmark, enter it under advanced settings to compare against that instead.
Should I set my wage to match this benchmark?
This calculator does not recommend a wage. It shows where you stand against a national reference point, actual competitive pay depends on your local labor market, role, and experience level, factors this tool does not know.
Does the benchmark include supervisors or crew leads?
No, the BLS occupation code behind this figure covers general landscaping and groundskeeping workers. Supervisory or specialized roles typically pay more and are not reflected here.