Landscapers in the El Centro area earn a median of $43,790 a year, 17% above the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #80 of 390 U.S. metros nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in San Diego and Los Angeles, but less in Yuma.
It's one of 25 California metros with published pay for this trade; see statewide landscaper pay.
What this means Our calculation
Pay for landscapers here is above average compared with other U.S. metros, and in the top 20% once local prices are factored in. For the wider job market, unemployment is higher than in most metros (18.9%) and the population is growing slowly (+1.0% since 2020). On your own, you'd join about 335 one-person landscaping businesses averaging $17,072 in revenue, and you'd need to bill roughly $61/hour to match the median salary (at our default assumptions).
A summary of the numbers on this page; nothing here is estimated beyond them.
El Centro scorecard for landscapers Our calculation
Grades compare El Centro with every other U.S. metro for this trade (A = top 20%).
Pay Government data
Pay range
Shaded: the middle half of workers. Grey line: typical U.S. metro ($37,540).
Pay over time
The median pay for landscapers in the El Centro area went from $42,050 in 2020 to $43,790 in 2025, up 4.1%. Prices rose 25% over the same period, so after inflation that's -16.9% — a real pay cut.
BLS OEWS, May 2020–May 2025; inflation: CPI-U (May to May). Year-to-year changes can include survey noise.
Compared with nearby metros
What the pay is really worth in El Centro Our calculation
Prices in the El Centro area run 5% below the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $46,010 would in a typical place, ranking #27 of 385 on real pay.
Two different views, don't combine them. Real pay already accounts for housing, because the price index includes rent. Rent burden shows what share of pay a typical 1-bedroom takes. Use either one, not both together.
What landscapers do
Landscape or maintain grounds of property using hand or power tools or equipment. Workers typically perform a variety of tasks, which may include any combination of the following: sod laying, mowing, trimming, planting, watering, fertilizing, digging, raking, sprinkler installation, and installation of mortarless segmental concrete masonry wall units.
Most important day-to-day tasks
- Mow or edge lawns, using power mowers or edgers.
- Operate vehicles or powered equipment, such as mowers, tractors, twin-axle vehicles, snow blowers, chainsaws, electric clippers, sod cutters, or pruning saws.
- Use hand tools, such as shovels, rakes, pruning saws, saws, hedge or brush trimmers, or axes.
- Prune or trim trees, shrubs, or hedges, using shears, pruners, or chain saws.
- Gather and remove litter.
Outlook & getting started
Nationally, landscaper jobs are projected to grow 4.7% from 2025 to 2035 (all jobs: 3.5%), with about 149,500 openings a year. About 20% are self-employed.
What the work is like Government data
How often landscapers deal with each condition, from surveys of workers in the job.
Getting started usually takes some preparation (high school plus months of training).
O*NET 31.0 Work Context and Job Zones (U.S. Department of Labor), national.
Licensing in California Official source
The main state licensing office in California is the Contractors State License Board. Licenses all trades by classification (e.g. C-10 electrical; C-36 plumbing). It can point you to the right license for landscapers.
Official California licensing site ↗
Requirements for landscapers vary by state and sometimes by city; always confirm with the official agency.
On-the-job safety Government data
Nationally, landscapers have 165 injuries or illnesses serious enough to miss work per 10,000 full-time workers, 1.9× the rate for all jobs (87). The most common cause is being struck by or caught in objects and equipment.
BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024 (national, cases with days away from work).
Highest-paying CA metros for landscapers
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| NapaCALIFORNIA · CA | $48,540 | $43,126 | 940 |
| San JoseCALIFORNIA · CA | $48,330 | $43,768 | 6,000 |
| San FranciscoCALIFORNIA · CA | $48,040 | $41,552 | 12,270 |
| Yuba CityCALIFORNIA · CA | $47,420 | $45,494 | 340 |
| Santa RosaCALIFORNIA · CA | $46,740 | $43,365 | 2,740 |
| SalinasCALIFORNIA · CA | $46,550 | $42,690 | 1,590 |
| Santa CruzCALIFORNIA · CA | $46,210 | $42,049 | 1,030 |
| ModestoCALIFORNIA · CA | $45,740 | $43,935 | 1,080 |
| San DiegoCALIFORNIA · CA | $45,560 | $40,720 | 10,870 |
| San Luis ObispoCALIFORNIA · CA | $45,500 | $41,898 | 1,170 |
See every metro in California.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The El Centro area's unemployment rate was 18.9% in 2025 (all workers, not just landscapers), above the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 18.0% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the El Centro area is 24 minutes each way, about the same as the typical metro (24 min). 10% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 77% drive alone, 1% take transit and 6% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The El Centro area's population grew 1.0% from 2020 to 2025 (179,532 → 181,411), ranking #249 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). More people moved out than in (net -2,745).
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
Homes in El Centro
The El Centro area has about 59,001 homes. 39% were built before 1980 (typical metro 45%), so its housing is newer than most; 13% were built in 2010 or later. 60% of households own their home, and the median home value is $352,800.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
New construction
New-home permits in El Centro are down 56% from 2021 to 2025 (555 → 242).
In 2025 the El Centro area approved permits for 242 new homes (224 single-family), or 1.3 per 1,000 residents, ranking #342 of 393 metros.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 335 one-person businesses (no employees) in landscaping, averaging $17,072 a year in revenue before expenses.
They compete with 16 landscaping companies that have employees (about 92 workers in total). 62% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
Employee vs. working for yourself Your scenario
A model, not a market rate. It shows the minimum you'd need to bill to match a $43,790 employee salary once you cover what an employer normally pays for. Change any number.
Minimum billing rate
How this calculator works. Billable hours are hours you can charge a customer. Driving, quoting, paperwork and slow weeks aren't billable, which is why 1,400 is a common starting point versus 2,080 paid hours as an employee.
Get landscaper pricing & estimate templates →Compare El Centro with another city →
About this data
- Pay: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2025, local to this metro.
- Pay over time: BLS OEWS May 2020–2025, local; inflation from the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U).
- Real pay: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024, local.
- Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027, local (county rents weighted by population).
- Job outlook, education, training: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national.
- Duties: O*NET 31.0, national.
- Safety: BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024, national.
- New construction: Census Building Permits, 2021–2025, local.
- Housing: Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year, local (age of homes, ownership, home values).
- Population: Census Bureau population estimates, 2020–2025, local.
- Commute: Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year, local, all workers.
- Unemployment: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, 2021–2025 annual averages, local, all workers (2025 preliminary).
- Competition: Census Nonemployer Statistics 2024 and County Business Patterns 2023, local, reported by industry, so related trades can share one figure.
- Jobs are employment estimates, not open positions. Grades rank this metro against all others for the same trade.