i worked as a Maintenance department manager for a couple years before i started my business. I made 400-500 a week, so $14 an hour is pretty good. I did receive bonuses weekly of anywhere from $100-200, but felt i was way under paid for the responsibilities i had. i think $14 is a "fair" wage for you, but i think somewhere around $15-18 would be "good."

 

Hello,
I am really struggling with how much $ I make cause I haven't seen a raise 1 ½ seasons, and this is the start of another busy looking summer. During this 2 year period I have paid for and taken my ICPI course and several "clinics" offered by hard scape suppliers. I really enjoy landscaping and look forward to doing it for years.

everyone thinks their underpaid for their work, 14 is a fair wage for your skill set

 

I think its about right, 14 is good around here. I have no clue what cost of living is in your area thought. Time in position and hard work will pay off if it is a good company.

 

Im 22...work for my dads business in south jersey. We do 90% maintenance (lawn, shrubs, etc) We offer everything besides irrigation..but we only do smaller patios, walkways, and retaining walls. Pretty much all residential. I got my pest. license 3 yrs ago, and this year took a couple classes at hardscaping trade show in AC. Business pays for all my classes/test/license fees and what not. It only a 2 man crew we got...Me and my dad. We have about 75 regular customers....about 10 are every other week where as the rest are every week....less then 5 commercial properties. My dad never had the pest license...he used scotts and did all that..I now run all of that...and this season..will be doing pretty much everything...He had shoulder surgery last month and is out for a few more months...i will be training a new worker and starting the season out on my own...ive been doing this work since i was young...1 or 2 days a week like freshman yr of highschool in the summers...then junior and senior year after school for few hours...this is my 3rd or 4th season full time....saying all that...and for the amount of work that i do and considering my dad is the owner....well..i get paid $13 an hour...I have pretty much have gotten a raise every year tho..started at $7 an hour way back...it gets my by..its rough but it pays my bills (rent, car payment, and all that) Im single though. Im not too worried...cuz i will be taking over eventually and it will all work out in the end for me......but anyways...$14 sounds about right...but that sucks that u have paid for all your classes and are continuing your education and skills and they arent rewarding u for it..

 

Very true. As well, I feel $14 is fair. $28-35k/year is a "good job" for HS/GED manual labor in NW Arkansas. The only other perk I would look for is a sales commission. If you can go out and sell jobs in addition to or a part of what you do then that might put the cream on top of the pay check. I have noticed that I always felt underpaid until I started working for myself. Then I realized how much work is really is to run a business with employees and keep the doors open.

 

$14 an hour for a foreman seems cheap. If I could find a good reliable foreman to work for $14 an hour you would not find me out working. I would think $17 starting with benefits for a foreman.

 

in this part of the country $14 is great pay,i own a small lawn care co,usually just me and 1 or 2 laborers,after ins,labor,fuel,truck payments,advertising,it seems lucky for me to crack $14 an hour on average,but my guys may get 40-45 hours a week,i get like 60-65 hours.

 

$14 an hour for a foreman seems cheap. If I could find a good reliable foreman to work for $14 an hour you would not find me out working. I would think $17 starting with benefits for a foreman.

17 with benefits?

 

17 with benefits?

I wish this had a facebook like button beside it!

 

$14 an hour for a foreman seems cheap. If I could find a good reliable foreman to work for $14 an hour you would not find me out working. I would think $17 starting with benefits for a foreman.

I def. agree. If companies don't pay enough they will never attract a decent issue free worker, and it will be even hard to keep a good guy for more than a few seasons. for $14 an hr a guy will never own a home, drive a new car or truck (maybe a KIA), or be able to support a wife or child comfortably.

 

Wow, my foreman makes $22 an hour with benefits!

 

Depends on qualificaTIONS AND WHERE IN THE COUNTRY ONE RESIDES.

 

this depends alot on where you live. You being from between Sarcuse and Rochester I'm guessing your not from the boonies, and your cost of living is simular to my area. If you were promoted to foreman than the boss must think you are knowledgable and trust your abilities. If that is the case then 14 an hour is to low. $14 an hour isn't much more than what the guy loading up your truck at the supply houses is making around here, and he is probably getting pretty good benefits to. I don't think you mentioned anything about benefits/insurance, how are these with your company?

I would talk to your boss and let him know how you feel about your pay, if he thinks you are worth it, he may be willing to talk

 

thanks for all the replys...just got out of techo-bloc showcase...amazing product! I am ready for another season, good to know that im making fair bank...really helpful to hear from you who own/manage cause i probably don't know half of what happens with small business....i just clock in at 7 and at the end of the day clock out

 

green industry

we work the lakes alot keuka/canadaigua/seneca..no not the boonies for sure! no benefits/insurance except standard legal work comp/ss/medicare ect..we are legal. I plan on increasing my value as much as I can to my employer and if perhaps he doesn't want or can't pay more I could try and work for another company or start my own.
Hardscaping should do a little more then basic beans on the table even though i didn't go to collage for what i do..right?

 

wow that is good pay I don't see those numbers around here

 

Hi there 1thingigo4 ,
Good luck with your business. You have to establish some basis for what your pay should be. Professionalism is attained by meeting certain requirements, no matter what your occupation is.
. And, as a Licensed Landscape Contractor and Pesticide Applicator that is my goal in the Landscape Industry.

Look on Craig's List under landscape jobs, and you will be surprised at how many small Govt entities list their requirements for park districts, community service districts, counties and cities. There are job descriptions, and desirable qualifications listed along with salary.

Just for some basis of comparison of job task analysis and skill sets, check out the CLCA.org :: California Landscape Contractors Association for
Landscape Tech 1, II, Foreman, Supervisor. Again surprise at how much you have to know

There are various sources of information for you out there. Lawn and Landscape magazine publishes annual wage and hour survey results for the industry.

PLANET Professional Landcare network recently published a very comprehensive survey on company expenses broken down my regions of the country. Although it costs more $$ to buy it if you are not a member.

There are average pay hourly rates for Gardener 1, Gardener 2, Foreman, etc.
When you are supervising the work of other(s) your pay should commensurate with your responsibility.

The US Dept. of Labor publishes annual salary and wage reports by region.
They list job classifications and pay.

LS Means publishing also has lists of pay scales for different labor categories. Book is Estimating Landscape

Generally, you are worth what your knowledge, skills, and abilities bring to the company. And as a business owner, I can say that you are also worth what the company can afford to pay based on what you help it earn.

 

Well In Houston, 95 % of those cutting grass are border jumpers. So $8.00 an hour is a fair wage for them