Landscapers in the Jefferson City area earn a median of $37,070 a year, 1% below the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #229 of 390 metros for landscaper pay nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in St. Louis and Kansas City, but less in Columbia.
It's one of 8 Missouri metros with published pay for this trade; see landscapers across Missouri.
Landscaper pay in Jefferson City at a glance
- Landscapers in the Jefferson City, MO metro earn a median $37,070 a year ($17.82 an hour), #229 of 390 U.S. metros (BLS, May 2025).
- The middle 80% earn between $30,120 and $47,560.
- After local prices, that median buys what $42,137 would in a typical U.S. place (BEA, 2024).
- A typical 1-bedroom rents for $772 a month, 25% of the median pay (HUD, FY2027).
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Enter a rate to see where it falls among landscapers in Jefferson City.
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What this means Our calculation
Pay for landscapers here is about average compared with other U.S. metros, and above average once local prices are factored in. For the wider job market, unemployment is lower than in most metros (3.3%) and the population is growing at a typical pace (+2.2% since 2020). On your own, you'd join about 327 one-person landscaping businesses averaging $33,125 in revenue, and you'd need to bill roughly $54/hour to match the median salary (at our default assumptions).
Jefferson City scorecard for landscapers Our calculation
Grades compare Jefferson City 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 Jefferson City area went from $30,800 in 2020 to $37,070 in 2025, up 20.4%. Prices rose 25% over the same period, so after inflation that's -4.0% — 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 Jefferson City Our calculation
Prices in the Jefferson City area run 12% below the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $42,137 would in a typical place, ranking #114 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 monthly budget for Jefferson City 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 Missouri Official source
Missouri licenses most trades at the city or county level. Check with the building or licensing office where you plan to work.
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 MO metros for landscapers
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas CityMISSOURI · MO | $41,450 | $44,790 | 6,660 |
| St. LouisMISSOURI · MO | $39,040 | $41,057 | 9,600 |
| Jefferson CityMISSOURI · MO | $37,070 | $42,137 | 530 |
| ColumbiaMISSOURI · MO | $37,060 | $41,437 | 830 |
| St. JosephMISSOURI · MO | $36,460 | $42,208 | 220 |
| SpringfieldMISSOURI · MO | $36,410 | $41,102 | 1,250 |
| JoplinMISSOURI · MO | $36,210 | $42,243 | 270 |
| Cape GirardeauMISSOURI · MO | $36,130 | $41,974 | 200 |
See every metro in Missouri.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Jefferson City area's unemployment rate was 3.3% in 2025 (all workers, not just landscapers), below the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 3.0% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Jefferson City area is 21 minutes each way, shorter than the typical metro (24 min). 9% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 73% drive alone, 1% take transit and 9% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The Jefferson City area's population grew 2.2% from 2020 to 2025 (149,420 → 152,712), ranking #207 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). People moving in (net +3,061) account for most of the change.
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
Homes in Jefferson City
The Jefferson City area has about 65,679 homes. 44% were built before 1980 (typical metro 45%), so its housing is about as old as most; 11% were built in 2010 or later. 70% of households own their home, and the median home value is $250,400.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
New construction
New-home permits in Jefferson City are down 16% from 2021 to 2025 (246 → 206).
In 2025 the Jefferson City area approved permits for 206 new homes (181 single-family), or 1.4 per 1,000 residents, ranking #337 of 393 metros.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 327 one-person businesses (no employees) in landscaping, averaging $33,125 a year in revenue before expenses. See how Jefferson City compares among the best cities to start a landscaper business.
They compete with 71 landscaping companies that have employees (about 461 workers in total). 66% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
Working outdoors in Jefferson City Government data
In an average year, Jefferson City has 41 days at 90°F or hotter (about typical; typical metro 33), including 2 at 100°F or more, 101 nights below freezing (typical 90) and 64 days with a tenth of an inch of rain or more. Summer afternoons average 87°F and winter nights 25°F. That matters for landscapers: heat and freezes shape the working season and the hours.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 averages, Jefferson City Mem Airport, MO station. Compare cities on outdoor work weather.
Where to train near Jefferson City Government data
1 school in or near Jefferson City 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Technical College of Missouri Linn, MO · Public | Associate degree | $20,731 | 21 | — |
| State Technical College of Missouri Linn, MO · Public | Certificate | $20,731 | 0 | — |
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 $37,070 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 Jefferson City with another city →
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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 Jefferson CitySee where it falls among local landscapers, after the commute.Could you afford to live here?
ToolJefferson City budgetMonthly take-home, HUD rent and local prices on this pay.About this data
Local to the Jefferson City 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 Jefferson City against every other metro for landscapers. Every source, year and formula is on our data page.