Landscapers in the Hickory area earn a median of $36,550 a year, 3% below the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #260 of 390 metros for landscapers nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Charlotte and Asheville, but less in Johnson City.
It's one of 15 North Carolina metros with published pay for this trade; see landscaper pay in North Carolina.
Landscaper pay in Hickory at a glance
- Landscapers in the Hickory, NC metro earn a median $36,550 a year ($17.57 an hour), #260 of 390 U.S. metros (BLS, May 2025).
- The middle 80% earn between $29,440 and $46,020.
- After local prices, that median buys what $41,306 would in a typical U.S. place (BEA, 2024).
- A typical 1-bedroom rents for $965 a month, 32% of the median pay (HUD, FY2027).
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Enter a rate to see where it falls among landscapers in Hickory.
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What this means Our calculation
Pay for landscapers here is below average compared with other U.S. metros, but lower local prices stretch it further: on buying power it's above average. For the wider job market, unemployment is about the same as in most metros (3.8%) and the population is growing at a typical pace (+3.2% since 2020). On your own, you'd join about 1,014 one-person landscaping businesses averaging $40,449 in revenue, and you'd need to bill roughly $54/hour to match the median salary (at our default assumptions).
Hickory scorecard for landscapers Our calculation
Grades compare Hickory 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 Hickory area went from $29,300 in 2020 to $36,550 in 2025, up 24.7%. Prices rose 25% over the same period, so after inflation that's -0.5% — 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 Hickory Our calculation
Prices in Hickory run 12% below the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $41,306 would in a typical place, ranking #140 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 Hickory 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 North Carolina Official source
The main state licensing office in North Carolina is the North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors. Electrical and plumbing/HVAC have their own state boards. It can point you to the right license for landscapers.
Official North Carolina 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 NC metros for landscapers
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| CharlotteNORTH CAROLINA · NC | $38,630 | $39,682 | 8,400 |
| DurhamNORTH CAROLINA · NC | $38,610 | $39,571 | 1,710 |
| RaleighNORTH CAROLINA · NC | $38,500 | $39,223 | 5,710 |
| AshevilleNORTH CAROLINA · NC | $38,030 | $39,407 | 1,320 |
| GreensboroNORTH CAROLINA · NC | $37,830 | $40,737 | 1,730 |
| WinstonNORTH CAROLINA · NC | $37,420 | $40,655 | 1,820 |
| Rocky MountNORTH CAROLINA · NC | $37,150 | $42,210 | 220 |
| BurlingtonNORTH CAROLINA · NC | $36,990 | $39,691 | 470 |
| WilmingtonNORTH CAROLINA · NC | $36,670 | $38,031 | 2,190 |
| JacksonvilleNORTH CAROLINA · NC | $36,610 | $39,757 | 440 |
See every metro in North Carolina.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Hickory area's unemployment rate was 3.8% in 2025 (all workers, not just landscapers), below the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 4.7% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Hickory area is 25 minutes each way, longer than the typical metro (24 min). 12% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 82% 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 Hickory area's population grew 3.2% from 2020 to 2025 (365,142 → 376,890), ranking #159 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). People moving in (net +19,572) account for more than all of the change.
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
Homes in Hickory
The Hickory area has about 171,401 homes. 45% were built before 1980 (typical metro 45%), so its housing is about as old as most; 10% were built in 2010 or later. 72% of households own their home, and the median home value is $266,100.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
New construction
New-home permits in Hickory are up 67% from 2021 to 2025 (1,880 → 3,136).
In 2025 the Hickory area approved permits for 3,136 new homes (2,434 single-family), or 8.5 per 1,000 residents, ranking #46 of 393 metros.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 1,014 one-person businesses (no employees) in landscaping, averaging $40,449 a year in revenue before expenses. See how Hickory compares among the best cities to start a landscaper business.
They compete with 134 landscaping companies that have employees (about 603 workers in total). 66% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
Working outdoors in Hickory Government data
In an average year, Hickory has 32 days at 90°F or hotter (about typical; typical metro 33), 69 nights below freezing (typical 90) and 76 days with a tenth of an inch of rain or more. Summer afternoons average 86°F and winter nights 32°F. That matters for landscapers: heat and freezes shape the working season and the hours.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 averages, Hickory Faa Airport, NC station. Compare cities on outdoor work weather.
Where to train near Hickory Government data
3 schools in or near Hickory offer 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilkes Community College Wilkesboro, NC · Public | Certificate | $10,787 | 18 | — |
| Catawba Valley Community College Hickory, NC · Public | Associate degree | $16,914 | 7 | — |
| Wilkes Community College Wilkesboro, NC · Public | Associate degree | $10,787 | 4 | — |
| Western Piedmont Community College Morganton, NC · Public | Associate degree | $16,768 | 4 | — |
| Catawba Valley Community College Hickory, NC · Public | Certificate | $16,914 | 2 | — |
| Western Piedmont Community College Morganton, NC · Public | Certificate | $16,768 | 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 $36,550 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 Hickory 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 HickorySee where it falls among local landscapers, after the commute.Could you afford to live here?
ToolHickory budgetMonthly take-home, HUD rent and local prices on this pay.About this data
Local to the Hickory 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 Hickory against every other metro for landscapers. Every source, year and formula is on our data page.