Landscapers in the Brownsville area earn a median of $28,100 a year, 25% below the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #385 of 390 metros for landscapers nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in McAllen and Corpus Christi.
It's one of 26 Texas metros with published pay for this trade; see landscaper pay in Texas.
Landscaper pay in Brownsville at a glance
- Landscapers in the Brownsville, TX metro earn a median $28,100 a year ($13.51 an hour), #385 of 390 U.S. metros (BLS, May 2025).
- The middle 80% earn between $23,470 and $37,510.
- After local prices, that median buys what $32,684 would in a typical U.S. place (BEA, 2024).
- A typical 1-bedroom rents for $884 a month, 38% of the median pay (HUD, FY2027).
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Enter a rate to see where it falls among landscapers in Brownsville.
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What this means Our calculation
Pay for landscapers here is in the bottom 20% of U.S. metros, and also in the bottom 20% once local prices are factored in. For the wider job market, unemployment is higher than in most metros (6.9%) and the population is growing at a typical pace (+3.0% since 2020). On your own, you'd join about 1,221 one-person landscaping businesses averaging $16,633 in revenue, and you'd need to bill roughly $46/hour to match the median salary (at our default assumptions).
Brownsville scorecard for landscapers Our calculation
Grades compare Brownsville 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 Brownsville area went from $22,000 in 2020 to $28,100 in 2025, up 27.7%. Prices rose 25% over the same period, so after inflation that's +1.9% — 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 Brownsville Our calculation
Prices in the Brownsville area run 14% below the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $32,684 would in a typical place, ranking #385 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 Brownsville 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 Texas Official source
The main state licensing office in Texas is the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Plumbers are licensed by the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners. It can point you to the right license for landscapers.
Official Texas 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 TX metros for landscapers
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| ShermanTEXAS · TX | $38,490 | $41,047 | 310 |
| AustinTEXAS · TX | $38,370 | $39,127 | 7,600 |
| DallasTEXAS · TX | $37,680 | $36,551 | 19,750 |
| MidlandTEXAS · TX | $37,550 | $39,203 | 390 |
| KilleenTEXAS · TX | $36,470 | $40,019 | 630 |
| OdessaTEXAS · TX | $36,390 | $38,756 | 160 |
| TylerTEXAS · TX | $36,350 | $39,444 | 640 |
| HoustonTEXAS · TX | $36,280 | $36,784 | 14,840 |
| WacoTEXAS · TX | $36,260 | $39,179 | 720 |
| San AntonioTEXAS · TX | $35,630 | $37,618 | 3,760 |
See every metro in Texas.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Brownsville area's unemployment rate was 6.9% in 2025 (all workers, not just landscapers), above the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 7.8% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Brownsville area is 22 minutes each way, shorter than the typical metro (24 min). 8% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 75% drive alone, 0% take transit and 9% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The Brownsville area's population grew 3.0% from 2020 to 2025 (421,504 → 433,946), ranking #174 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). People moving in (net +1,016) account for part of the change.
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
Homes in Brownsville
The Brownsville area has about 164,078 homes. 30% were built before 1980 (typical metro 45%), so its housing is newer than most; 18% were built in 2010 or later. 65% of households own their home, and the median home value is $163,300.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
New construction
New-home permits in Brownsville are up 32% from 2021 to 2025 (2,052 → 2,702).
In 2025 the Brownsville area approved permits for 2,702 new homes (1,838 single-family), or 6.3 per 1,000 residents, ranking #99 of 393 metros.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 1,221 one-person businesses (no employees) in landscaping, averaging $16,633 a year in revenue before expenses. See how Brownsville compares among the best cities to start a landscaper business.
They compete with 27 landscaping companies that have employees (about 153 workers in total). 67% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
Working outdoors in Brownsville Government data
In an average year, Brownsville has 140 days at 90°F or hotter (more than most metros; typical metro 33), including 2 at 100°F or more, 1 night below freezing (typical 90) and 39 days with a tenth of an inch of rain or more. Summer afternoons average 95°F and winter nights 55°F. That matters for landscapers: heat and freezes shape the working season and the hours.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 averages, Brownsville, TX 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 $28,100 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 Brownsville with another city →
Keep exploring
Could this trade pay more somewhere else?
ToolBest cities for landscapersRank every metro on pay, buying power, rent and jobs.Is a job offer here any good?
ToolCheck an offer in BrownsvilleSee where it falls among local landscapers, after the commute.Could you afford to live here?
ToolBrownsville budgetMonthly take-home, HUD rent and local prices on this pay.About this data
Local to the Brownsville 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 Brownsville against every other metro for landscapers. Every source, year and formula is on our data page.