Landscapers in the Muskegon area earn a median of $36,410 a year, 3% below the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #271 of 390 metros for landscaper salaries across the U.S..
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Grand Rapids and Sheboygan.
It's one of 15 Michigan metros with published pay for this trade; see statewide landscaper pay.
Landscaper pay in Muskegon at a glance
- Landscapers in the Muskegon, MI metro earn a median $36,410 a year ($17.51 an hour), #271 of 390 U.S. metros (BLS, May 2025).
- The middle 80% earn between $28,660 and $46,720.
- After local prices, that median buys what $39,354 would in a typical U.S. place (BEA, 2024).
- A typical 1-bedroom rents for $982 a month, 32% of the median pay (HUD, FY2027).
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Enter a rate to see where it falls among landscapers in Muskegon.
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What this means Our calculation
Pay for landscapers here is below average compared with other U.S. metros, and also below average once local prices are factored in. For the wider job market, unemployment is higher than in most metros (5.7%) and the population is growing at a typical pace (+1.8% since 2020). On your own, you'd join about 232 one-person landscaping businesses averaging $40,664 in revenue, and you'd need to bill roughly $54/hour to match the median salary (at our default assumptions).
Muskegon scorecard for landscapers Our calculation
Grades compare Muskegon 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 Muskegon area went from $26,950 in 2020 to $36,410 in 2025, up 35.1%. Prices rose 25% over the same period, so after inflation that's +7.8% — a real raise.
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 Muskegon Our calculation
Prices in Muskegon run 7% below the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $39,354 would in a typical place, ranking #263 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 Muskegon 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 Muskegon area's unemployment rate was 5.7% in 2025 (all workers, not just landscapers), above the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 6.8% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Muskegon area is 21 minutes each way, shorter than the typical metro (24 min). 12% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 80% drive alone, 0% take transit and 7% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The Muskegon area's population grew 1.8% from 2020 to 2025 (174,783 → 177,901), ranking #224 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). People moving in (net +4,216) account for more than all of the change.
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
Homes in Muskegon
The Muskegon area has about 75,943 homes. 63% were built before 1980 (typical metro 45%), so its housing is older than most; 5% were built in 2010 or later. Older homes often need more repair, replacement and upgrade work. 76% of households own their home, and the median home value is $222,100.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
New construction
New-home permits in Muskegon are up 38% from 2021 to 2025 (328 → 451).
In 2025 the Muskegon area approved permits for 451 new homes (351 single-family), or 2.6 per 1,000 residents, ranking #252 of 393 metros.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 232 one-person businesses (no employees) in landscaping, averaging $40,664 a year in revenue before expenses. See how Muskegon compares among the best cities to start a landscaper business.
They compete with 46 landscaping companies that have employees (about 184 workers in total). 72% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
Working outdoors in Muskegon Government data
In an average year, Muskegon has 3 days at 90°F or hotter (fewer than most metros; typical metro 33), 130 nights below freezing (typical 90) and 76 days with a tenth of an inch of rain or more, and 87 inches of snow. Summer afternoons average 80°F and winter nights 23°F. That matters for landscapers: heat and freezes shape the working season and the hours.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 averages, Muskegon Co Airport, MI station. Compare cities on outdoor work weather.
Employee vs. working for yourself Your scenario
A model, not a market rate. It shows the break-even rate to match a $36,410 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 Muskegon with another city →
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ToolCheck an offer in MuskegonSee where it falls among local landscapers, after the commute.Could you afford to live here?
ToolMuskegon budgetMonthly take-home, HUD rent and local prices on this pay.About this data
Local to the Muskegon 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 Muskegon against every other metro for landscapers. Every source, year and formula is on our data page.