Landscapers in the Detroit area earn a median of $38,820 a year, 3% above the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #133 of 390 metros for landscaper salaries across the U.S..
Within driving distance, the same work pays less in Flint.
It's one of 15 Michigan metros with published pay for this trade; see statewide landscaper pay.
Landscaper pay in Detroit at a glance
- Landscapers in the Detroit, MI metro earn a median $38,820 a year ($18.67 an hour), #133 of 390 U.S. metros (BLS, May 2025).
- The middle 80% earn between $30,730 and $52,870.
- After local prices, that median buys what $38,705 would in a typical U.S. place (BEA, 2024).
- A typical 1-bedroom rents for $1,173 a month, 36% of the median pay (HUD, FY2027).
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Enter a rate to see where it falls among landscapers in Detroit.
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What this means Our calculation
Pay for landscapers here is above average compared with other U.S. metros, but high local prices take back much of it: on buying power it's below average. For the wider job market, unemployment is higher than in most metros (5.0%) and the population is growing slowly (+0.1% since 2020). On your own, you'd join about 8,559 one-person landscaping businesses averaging $29,003 in revenue, and you'd need to bill roughly $56/hour to match the median salary (at our default assumptions).
Detroit scorecard for landscapers Our calculation
Grades compare Detroit 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 Detroit area went from $31,400 in 2020 to $38,820 in 2025, up 23.6%. Prices rose 25% over the same period, so after inflation that's -1.4% — 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 Detroit Our calculation
Prices in Detroit run 0% above the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $38,705 would in a typical place, ranking #302 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 Detroit budget on this pay 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 Michigan Official source
The main state licensing office in Michigan is the LARA Bureau of Construction Codes. It can point you to the right license for landscapers.
Official Michigan 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 MI metros for landscapers
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| DetroitMICHIGAN · MI | $38,820 | $38,705 | 12,990 |
| Ann ArborMICHIGAN · MI | $38,710 | $38,372 | 1,270 |
| Traverse CityMICHIGAN · MI | $37,970 | $40,665 | 820 |
| LansingMICHIGAN · MI | $37,760 | $39,751 | 1,260 |
| Grand RapidsMICHIGAN · MI | $37,470 | $39,217 | 4,590 |
| MidlandMICHIGAN · MI | $37,450 | $40,742 | 230 |
| Battle CreekMICHIGAN · MI | $37,360 | $41,263 | 330 |
| KalamazooMICHIGAN · MI | $37,320 | $39,350 | 860 |
| NilesMICHIGAN · MI | $36,970 | $40,024 | 640 |
| FlintMICHIGAN · MI | $36,640 | $39,383 | 1,140 |
See every metro in Michigan.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Detroit area's unemployment rate was 5.0% in 2025 (all workers, not just landscapers), above the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 6.0% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Detroit area is 26 minutes each way, longer than the typical metro (24 min). 15% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 76% drive alone, 1% take transit and 12% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The Detroit area's population grew 0.1% from 2020 to 2025 (4,385,353 → 4,390,913), ranking #289 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). People moving in (net +6,116) account for more than all of the change.
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
Homes in Detroit
The Detroit area has about 1,947,704 homes. 66% were built before 1980 (typical metro 45%), so its housing is older than most; 6% were built in 2010 or later. Older homes often need more repair, replacement and upgrade work. 71% of households own their home, and the median home value is $271,600.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
New construction
New-home permits in Detroit are roughly flat from 2021 to 2025 (8,598 → 8,805).
In 2025 the Detroit area approved permits for 8,805 new homes (4,859 single-family), or 2.0 per 1,000 residents, ranking #294 of 393 metros.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 8,559 one-person businesses (no employees) in landscaping, averaging $29,003 a year in revenue before expenses. See how Detroit compares among the best cities to start a landscaper business.
They compete with 1,711 landscaping companies that have employees (about 8,261 workers in total). 76% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
Working outdoors in Detroit Government data
In an average year, Detroit has 13 days at 90°F or hotter (fewer than most metros; typical metro 33), 112 nights below freezing (typical 90) and 67 days with a tenth of an inch of rain or more. Summer afternoons average 81°F and winter nights 22°F. That matters for landscapers: heat and freezes shape the working season and the hours.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 averages, Detroit City Airport, MI station. Compare cities on outdoor work weather.
Where to train near Detroit Government data
1 school in or near Detroit 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oakland Community College Auburn Hills, MI · Public | Associate degree | $10,996 | — | — |
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 $38,820 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 Detroit 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 DetroitSee where it falls among local landscapers, after the commute.Could you afford to live here?
ToolDetroit budgetMonthly take-home, HUD rent and local prices on this pay.About this data
Local to the Detroit 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 Detroit against every other metro for landscapers. Every source, year and formula is on our data page.