Landscapers in the Mayaguez area earn a median of $21,840 a year, 42% below the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #388 of 390 U.S. metros nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Arecibo and San Juan.
It's one of 5 Puerto Rico metros with published pay for this trade; see landscaper pay in Puerto Rico.
What this means Our calculation
Pay for landscapers here is in the bottom 20% of U.S. metros.
A summary of the numbers on this page; nothing here is estimated beyond them.
Mayaguez scorecard for landscapers Our calculation
Grades compare Mayaguez with every other U.S. metro for this trade (A = top 20%).
Pay Government data
Pay range
Shaded: the middle half of workers.
Pay over time
The median pay for landscapers in the Mayaguez area went from $19,970 in 2020 to $21,840 in 2025, up 9.4%. Prices rose 25% over the same period, so after inflation that's -12.8% — 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
Rent in Mayaguez
Typical rent is $496 a month for a 1-bedroom and $590 for a 2-bedroom.
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 Puerto Rico Official source
Check with local authorities in Puerto Rico. 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 PR metros for landscapers
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| AreciboPUERTO RICO · PR | $23,080 | — | 230 |
| San JuanPUERTO RICO · PR | $22,450 | — | 4,540 |
| AguadillaPUERTO RICO · PR | $21,840 | — | 180 |
| MayaguezPUERTO RICO · PR | $21,840 | — | 280 |
| PoncePUERTO RICO · PR | $21,840 | — | 730 |
See every metro in Puerto Rico.
How much work is there? Government data
Getting to work
The average commute in the Mayaguez area is 25 minutes each way, about the same as the typical metro (24 min). 9% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Homes in Mayaguez
The Mayaguez area has about 117,079 homes. 55% were built before 1980 (typical metro 45%), so its housing is older than most; 4% were built in 2010 or later. Older homes often need more repair, replacement and upgrade work. 62% of households own their home, and the median home value is $133,000.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
New construction
In 2025 the Mayaguez area approved permits for 343 new homes (329 single-family), or 1.6 per 1,000 residents, ranking #325 of 393 metros.
Where to train near Mayaguez Government data
1 school in or near Mayaguez 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Institucion Chaviano de Mayaguez Mayaguez, PR · Private for-profit | Certificate | $17,580 | 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 minimum you'd need to bill to match a $21,840 employee salary once you cover what an employer normally pays for. Change any number.
Minimum billing rate
How this calculator works. 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 Mayaguez with another city →
About this data
- Pay: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2025, local to this metro.
- Pay over time: BLS OEWS May 2020–2025, local; inflation from the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U).
- Real pay: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024, local.
- Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027, local (county rents weighted by population).
- Job outlook, education, training: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national.
- Duties: O*NET 31.0, national.
- Safety: BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024, national.
- New construction: Census Building Permits, 2021–2025, local.
- Housing: Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year, local (age of homes, ownership, home values).
- Population: Census Bureau population estimates, 2020–2025, local.
- Commute: Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year, local, all workers.
- Unemployment: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, 2021–2025 annual averages, local, all workers (2025 preliminary).
- Competition: Census Nonemployer Statistics 2024 and County Business Patterns 2023, local, reported by industry, so related trades can share one figure.
- Jobs are employment estimates, not open positions. Grades rank this metro against all others for the same trade.
Report a data issue on this page
BEA doesn't publish price levels for Mayaguez, so real pay isn't shown. The Census doesn't publish one-person business or competition figures for landscapers as a separate industry, so that section is left out.