Landscapers in the Modesto area earn a median of $45,740 a year, 22% above the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #33 of 390 metros for landscapers nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in San Jose and Santa Cruz, but less in Stockton.
It's one of 25 California metros with published pay for this trade; see landscaper pay in California.
Landscaper pay in Modesto at a glance
- Landscapers in the Modesto, CA metro earn a median $45,740 a year ($21.99 an hour), #33 of 390 U.S. metros (BLS, May 2025).
- The middle 80% earn between $37,070 and $60,290.
- After local prices, that median buys what $43,935 would in a typical U.S. place (BEA, 2024).
- A typical 1-bedroom rents for $1,378 a month, 36% of the median pay (HUD, FY2027).
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Enter a rate to see where it falls among landscapers in Modesto.
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What this means Our calculation
Pay for landscapers here is in the top 20% of U.S. metros, and also in the top 20% once local prices are factored in. For the wider job market, unemployment is higher than in most metros (7.2%) and the population is growing slowly (+0.7% since 2020). On your own, you'd join about 858 one-person landscaping businesses averaging $34,277 in revenue, and you'd need to bill roughly $62/hour to match the median salary (at our default assumptions).
Modesto scorecard for landscapers Our calculation
Grades compare Modesto 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 Modesto area went from $36,380 in 2020 to $45,740 in 2025, up 25.7%. Prices rose 25% over the same period, so after inflation that's +0.3% — roughly keeping pace.
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 Modesto Our calculation
Prices in the Modesto area run 4% above the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $43,935 would in a typical place, ranking #65 of 385 on real pay.
Real pay or rent burden?
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.
Want the full picture? Build a cost-of-living budget for Modesto from this pay, local rent and prices.
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 Modesto area's unemployment rate was 7.2% in 2025 (all workers, not just landscapers), above the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 8.2% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Modesto area is 30 minutes each way, longer than the typical metro (24 min). 22% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 78% drive alone, 1% take transit and 8% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The Modesto area's population grew 0.7% from 2020 to 2025 (553,702 → 557,719), ranking #266 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). More people moved out than in (net -5,617).
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
Homes in Modesto
The Modesto area has about 187,031 homes. 45% were built before 1980 (typical metro 45%), so its housing is about as old as most; 6% were built in 2010 or later. 62% of households own their home, and the median home value is $468,300.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
New construction
New-home permits in Modesto are up 49% from 2021 to 2025 (811 → 1,205).
In 2025 the Modesto area approved permits for 1,205 new homes (894 single-family), or 2.2 per 1,000 residents, ranking #280 of 393 metros.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 858 one-person businesses (no employees) in landscaping, averaging $34,277 a year in revenue before expenses. See how Modesto compares among the best cities to start a landscaper business.
They compete with 114 landscaping companies that have employees (about 684 workers in total). 73% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
Licensed contractors
The Modesto area has 147 active C-27 Landscaping contractor licenses, about 2.7 per 10,000 residents (#17 of 25 California metros, where #1 is the most crowded). That's the competition you'd face bidding your own jobs.
California Contractors State License Board, License Master file, October 2026. Counted by the county in each license's address.
Working outdoors in Modesto Government data
In an average year, Modesto has 90 days at 90°F or hotter (more than most metros; typical metro 33), including 18 at 100°F or more, 12 nights below freezing (typical 90) and 30 days with a tenth of an inch of rain or more. Summer afternoons average 93°F and winter nights 40°F. That matters for landscapers: heat and freezes shape the working season and the hours.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 averages, Modesto City Co Airport, CA station. Compare cities on outdoor work weather.
Where to train near Modesto Government data
1 school in or near Modesto offers horticulture and landscaping programs below the bachelor's level. Many people in this trade learn through an apprenticeship instead; a program can shorten it or get you hired as a helper.
| School | Credential | Yearly cost | Recent grads | First-year pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Modesto Junior College Modesto, CA · Public | Associate degree | $16,086 | 4 | — |
| Modesto Junior College Modesto, CA · Public | Certificate | $16,086 | 1 | — |
U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (data updated October 2026). Cost is the school's average yearly cost of attendance before financial aid; earnings are the median for graduates one year after finishing, shown only where the school has enough graduates to publish. “—” means not published.
Employee vs. working for yourself Your scenario
A model, not a market rate. It shows the break-even rate to match a $45,740 employee salary once you cover what an employer normally pays for (including the employer half of Social Security and Medicare, 7.65%), then adds your profit margin. Change any number.
Break-even rate
With your profit margin
How this calculator works. Weighing a contractor job against a W-2 one? Try the 1099 vs. W-2 comparison. 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 Modesto with another city →
Keep exploring
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ToolBest cities for landscapersRank every metro on pay, buying power, rent and jobs.Is a job offer here any good?
ToolCheck an offer in ModestoSee where it falls among local landscapers, after the commute.Could you afford to live here?
ToolModesto budgetMonthly take-home, HUD rent and local prices on this pay.About this data
Local to the Modesto metro: pay (BLS, May 2025) and pay over time (2020–2025, CPI-adjusted), prices (BEA, 2024), rent (HUD, FY2027), new construction, housing, population and commuting (Census), unemployment (BLS) and business counts (Census, by industry). National: job outlook and training (BLS projections), injury rates (BLS) and duties (O*NET). Jobs are employment estimates, not open positions; grades rank Modesto against every other metro for landscapers. Every source, year and formula is on our data page.